The University Centre of the Westfjords has created a new position of Research Manager, who will oversee the research activity of the Centre. This is in line with the recent strategic plan meeting in January and the goals of the University Centre to be a liaison in the research community and to connect students, instructors and guest researchers to local institutions and initiatives.

The Research Manager is Dr. Catherine Chambers, who has previously been the Academic Director of the Coastal and Marine Management Masters Program since 2016. ”I am excited for this opportunity,” stated Catherine. ”The Research Manager position can aid us to grow internally, working better with the strengths we have.”

Under her own initiative, Catherine will be in a part time position as Research Manager and will conduct research through grants and projects. Her main position, in the near future, will be as a researcher with the Stefánsson Arctic Institute in Akureyri but based in Ísafjörður at UW. “The Westfjords are a great place to live and work,” she stated. “There are so many prospects for someone like me interested in many aspects related to marine resources and coastal communities. I see so much potential for growth in the Westfjords related to the way the University Centre can connect to local institutions. University teaching and research has an important role to play in rural communities.”

The research and academic environment in the Westfjords is growing steadily. “Once the chance arose, to form this new position the board of the University Centre was unanimous in seizing the opportunity,” stated UW Director Dr. Peter Weiss on this occasion. “Previously the School for International Training has established two positions in the Westfjords in cooperation with the University Centre and this newly established cooperation with the Stefánsson Institute adds even more to the academic critical mass here. In addition to this the University Centre received a research grant from NordForsk to conduct research in the upcoming year that will provide a opportunity to grow even further.”

The position of Director of the Coastal and Marine Management program has been advertised and the hiring process is in its final steps.

For years, the University Centre has offered in-person teaching at the graduate level as its major goal. But with the introduction of a second masters program in Coastal Communities and Regional Development, a growing number of students and instructors, and two program directors who are active in their field, research opportunities have increased. The research projects are all related to the University Centre’s two masters programs focused on interdisciplinary coastal studies.