University Centre welcomes 2013 SIT students
Last Sunday June 16, the 2013 SIT field school group arrived in Ísafjörður. These undergraduates will spend the next three weeks in the Westfjords as part of a study programme, Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics. The programme is offered by SIT (School for International Traning) Study Abroad, of World Learning, based in Vermont, USA. During this seven-week long programme, apart from learning about energy technology and sustainability, students also get good insights into the language and culture of Iceland. Homestays are offered in the Ísafjörður area and students also get to travel a little around the country.
After arriving in Ísafjörður the group was brought to the University Centre where students met up with the families who host them for the first two weeks here. Both students and hosts were very and excited to meet, as you can tell from the photos. The students have some rather hectic days ahead, a schedule fully booked with lectures, field trips and other excursions. David Dvorak, professor of mechanical engineering technology at the University of Maine, is their main lecturer and will enlighten the students on various aspects of energy technology. There will also be other, short lectures within the field of energy and sustainability, as well as language instruction. The group will do field trips to gain insights into wind monitoring systems, small scale hydropower production and waste recycling. Two boat trips are part of the cultural part of the curriculum. The first is a visit to Hesteyri, a little village that was deserted decades ago, now part of the Hornstrandir nature reserve, which is immensely popular with hikers. To get acquainted with the Saga of Gisli the Outlaw, a well-known Westfjord saga, the second boat trip goes to Geirþjófsfjörður, one of the saga sites, where students will go for a short hike and enjoy a monologue based on the saga. The last week in the Westfjords will spent at the Holt Lodge, a former boarding school in the countryside, some 20 km´s from town, a place very well appreciated by visiting field school groups over the past years.
The Centre is happy to welcome yet another group of SIT students, hoping that their stay will be both fruitful and memorable.
After arriving in Ísafjörður the group was brought to the University Centre where students met up with the families who host them for the first two weeks here. Both students and hosts were very and excited to meet, as you can tell from the photos. The students have some rather hectic days ahead, a schedule fully booked with lectures, field trips and other excursions. David Dvorak, professor of mechanical engineering technology at the University of Maine, is their main lecturer and will enlighten the students on various aspects of energy technology. There will also be other, short lectures within the field of energy and sustainability, as well as language instruction. The group will do field trips to gain insights into wind monitoring systems, small scale hydropower production and waste recycling. Two boat trips are part of the cultural part of the curriculum. The first is a visit to Hesteyri, a little village that was deserted decades ago, now part of the Hornstrandir nature reserve, which is immensely popular with hikers. To get acquainted with the Saga of Gisli the Outlaw, a well-known Westfjord saga, the second boat trip goes to Geirþjófsfjörður, one of the saga sites, where students will go for a short hike and enjoy a monologue based on the saga. The last week in the Westfjords will spent at the Holt Lodge, a former boarding school in the countryside, some 20 km´s from town, a place very well appreciated by visiting field school groups over the past years.
The Centre is happy to welcome yet another group of SIT students, hoping that their stay will be both fruitful and memorable.