Two groups of field school students from SIT at the University Centre
After a busy summer at the University Centre of the Westfjords, autumn has arrived with all its usual hustle and bustle. Master’s students in Coastal and Marine Management and Coastal Communities and Regional Development have been on site for just over a week, and their studies are already in full swing.
But that doesn’t mean we aren’t welcoming guests as well—two field school groups from SIT (School for International Training) are currently studying at the University Centre.
SIT Iceland: Climate Change and the Arctic
A group of 20 undergraduate students from all across the United States arrived at the end of August and will be in Ísafjörður for a month. The students are in different degree programs, but all of them are connected to environmental studies, climate change, and the Arctic. They are also very interested in Icelandic culture and get an excellent opportunity to experience it while living with host families in Ísafjörður and Flateyri.
During their stay in Ísafjörður, the students will meet field researchers and various experts in the Westfjords to learn about climate and weather monitoring, fisheries, forestry, the Icelandic language, and different research methods. After their time in Ísafjörður, the students spread out across the country to carry out a six-week research project—although some choose to remain in Ísafjörður.
Groups of SIT undergraduates typically come to Ísafjörður twice a year, in February/March and again in late August/September. It is both fun and rewarding to welcome SIT students as a host family, and University Centre staff have often hosted students themselves. However, we are always looking for more families to join the list and encourage anyone interested in being a host family to get in touch.
SIT Master’s Program in Climate Change and Global Sustainability
Another SIT group also joined us in August: five master’s students, staying in the University Centre student housing in Ísafjörður along with their teacher until mid-November. They are very eager and enthusiastic about learning from local people about ecosystems in Iceland.
During this semester-long stay, they will learn how to study both land and sea to understand how they are changing in response to global climate change, but also how to best manage them and make decisions that are guided by the true experts—the community itself.
They are also interested in local perspectives on forestry in Iceland and are studying how different vegetation types affect soil nutrients and the biodiversity of the area. Recently, the students visited several forest farmers in the region and even got to plant trees with Úlfur Þór Úlfarsson.
The students will also use a variety of methods from marine science and learn how ocean chemistry is changing as a result of global climate change. They will meet with experts here in Iceland to learn how changes in ocean chemistry and temperature affect fish migrations and species composition in Icelandic waters. In addition, they will visit a number of hydropower plants in the area—both large and small scale—and learn about energy technology as well as local energy challenges and perspectives in the Westfjords.