As tradition has it the University Centre of the Westfjords held its annual convocation to celebrate the graduation of our master’s students on Iceland’s National Day, June 17th at Hrafnseyri in Arnarfjörður. This year was a special one since the first candidates from the Coastal Communities and Regional Development master’s program graduated.

In total ten candidates graduated this time around, eight from the Coastal and Marine Management program and two from the new Coastal Communities and Regional Development program, which was established in 2019. In addition to this, eight students graduated in October last year.

The students come from all over, from Iceland, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Canada and Ireland. Six students from the 2021 cohort attended the ceremony this time as many of the cohort ate now living abroad and could therefore not travel to Iceland for the ceremony. But we are very pleased to say that many alumni attended the ceremony this year to celebrate with the new candidates.

It is an honor for the University Centre of the Westfjords that the rector of the University of Akureyri has attended the ceremony as from the very beginning of the programs. Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, the current rector of UNAK now came for the seventh year in a row.

The diplomas were handed to the candidates by the rector and the graduation hats by the director of the University Centre, Dr. Peter Weiss. Dr. Weiss and Dr. Guðmundsson gave inspiring talks and so did also Dr. Matthias Kokorsch the director of the master’s program in Coastal Communities and Regional Development. On behalf of the students Mathis Blache also gave a talk. After the formal ceremony, the group gathered in a grove close to the Hrafnseyri museum where each and every candidate has their own birch tree planted. This wonderful tradition is becoming a visible symbol in the landscape at Hrafnseyri, showing the success of the programs on offer at the University Centre.

The program at Hrafnseyri was streamed live during the event and can still be accessed on the Coastal Studies Facebook page.