Last week a group of field school students from the University of Washington arrived at the University Centre. These students are enrolled in the CHID (Comparative History of Ideas) Summer Program in Iceland, which is with emphasis on the relationship between humans and nature. The programme is an international, cross-disciplinary programme with components of history, political economy, anthropology, geography, literature, cultural theory, literary theory and natural history. Dr. Phillip Thurtle is faculty leader of this programme and this is the second group he brings to Iceland for this programme.

 

While staying here the students get a number of lectures and the local museums are visited. The Saga of Gísli the Outlaw is introduced with a lecture, as well as a monologue and saga trail hikes monologue. The students also went on a short sailing trip with viking ship replica ‚Vésteinn‘. The group also had introductory lessons in Icelandic language as they were taught some etymology, easy conversation as well as pronounciation together with a little choir singing.

 

We are pleased to welcome Dr Thurtle here once more hoping to receive yet another group of the CHID programme in the next few years.