Time flies – like when your kids grow up too fast, when you go down a rabbit hole on the internet, or when you are the new director of the University Centre of the Westfjords. It is unbelievable that one month has gone by since I took over April 1st. There has been a lot to do, many exciting tasks both big and small: for example learning how long it takes to change passwords, or deciding how exactly one should inherit 20 years of files, information, and experience. I am very thankful for all the good folks around me who have helped during this transition time.

We are very excited to share a new published paper that is very close to our hearts. The paper, called “Higher Education as Coastal Community Development: Lessons Learned From the University Centre of the Westfjords, Iceland”, published in the journal “Ocean and Society” is a reflection on the 20 year experience of UW as a rural coastal community educational instition.

Students in the course Navigation, Shipping and Offshore Activities in the Arctic recently took their learning out of the classroom and onto the water during a boating field trip in Ísafjarðardjúp. The excursion offered hands-on insight into navigation in the European Arctic and Icelandic waters, connecting course theory with real-world maritime practice.