German Students Complete Unique Summer Program at UW

From June 16 to 27, the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) hosted its first-ever Summer Conference Iceland, welcoming 16 students from the FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management in Germany. The two-week program was a successful collaboration between UW and FOM, combining academic modules with hands-on learning and cultural exploration.

In the first week, the students completed a module on Digitalisation, taught by FOM professor Prof. Dirk Stein, who travelled to Ísafjörður to deliver the course. The week also included an introduction to UW by the director, Peter Weiss, who led the group on a walking tour of Ísafjörður, sharing insights into the town’s history, culture, and surrounding nature.

Friday’s program included visits to Jakob Valgeir’s fish factory, the Ósvör Maritime Museum, and the Bolafjall Skywalk, offering students a broader understanding of the region’s economy and environment. Over the weekend, the group enjoyed some well-earned time off, exploring local waterfalls, horseback riding, and relaxing in hot pools.

The second week focused on the module Sustainable Leadership, led by Dr. Ketill Berg, a lecturer at Reykjavík University and originally from the Westfjords. On June 24, the group visited the biotech company Kerecis to learn how sustainability can be integrated into business models.

The final day of the program took place in Þingeyri, where the students participated in a role-play exercise simulating the Icelandic fisheries quota system and presented their final projects. As a special farewell, Dr. Berg hosted the group in his home and served his homemade fish soup. The program concluded with a visit to Dynjandi waterfall, where students were presented with their certificates. The University Centre looks forward to continued collaboration with FOM and hopes to welcome more students in the years to come.

Photos from the summer course: