Um námskeiðið

Geography matters: may it be conflicts over resources and borders, local and global trade flows, migration and place formation. Local actions can have global effects and vice versa. This course will introduce concepts, principles and approaches from social and cultural Geography as well as economic and regional Geography. With an overview over classic and critical contemporary approaches, students will be equipped with important tools for identifying local and regional development paths that are embedded in global context. Furthermore contemporary challenges of Coastal Communities in the circumpolar region will be addressed.

This three-weeks course includes field-trips and company visits, guest speakers and interactive assignment forms, e.g. role plays.

Kennari

Regional development, the structural change of communities and socio-economic challenges have always been my major interests. Coming from an old industrial area in Germany where structural change was a living reality, I faced these issues first-hand throughout my childhood and adolescence. I was also always fascinated by the everyday lives of people living in remote places, particularly in the circumpolar regions. My main current research interests include community resilience, regional development, particularly in sparsely populated regions, structural changes of old-industrial areas, and resource management in combination with aspects of justice and decision-making processes. 

Námskeiðslýsing

The course introduces geographical perspectives on regional development and coastal communities. Emphasis is put on the relationship between humans and nature, and the role of natural resources in regional and community development. Particular attention is paid to aspects of transportation and infrastructure for remote communities in a globalized world.

On completion of the course, a student:

• can relate geographical perspectives to coastal communities as well as -regions.
• can identify main geographical tools for analysing coastal regions.
• has good skills in reading and writing sections of scientific papers on geographical aspects of coastal communities and regions.
• can critically review and discuss basic geographical topics in an oral and written form.
• can explain challenges regarding transportation and infrastructure in remote settings.