UW Iceland

04/09/2026

Last Saturday, our new students went on a field trip for the Icelandic Society and Environment and Academic Writing Workshop courses.

03/09/2026

From August 24 to 28, students at the University Centre of the Westfjords took part in the course Icelandic Society and Environment, taught by Dr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Professor of History at the University of Iceland and former President of Iceland.

The course introduced students to selected aspects of Icelandic history, society and politics, with particular attention to questions of national identity, Iceland’s position in the international community and some of the major historical developments that have shaped the country.

01/09/2026

On September 3rd at 14:00, Jon Gruca will defend his master’s thesis titled “Eutrophication in Southeast Ireland: An assessment of water quality in the Waterford Estuary”.
Defenses at UW are open to the public and are also accessible through Zoom. The link to the defense can be found here: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/65236901824

31/08/2026

Tomorrow, September 1st at 13:00, Sonya Krasotina will defend her master’s thesis titled “We live a very cinematic life here: Using Participatory Video to Explore the Experiences of International Students and Graduates in Ísafjörður, Iceland: An Exploratory Case Study”.
Defenses at UW are open to the public and are also accessible through Zoom. The link to the defense can be found here: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/67870909522

31/08/2026

Tomorrow, September 1st at 10:00, Cassie O'Flaherty will defend her master’s thesis titled “Nutrient Dynamics and Delivery in the Hvítá River in Borgarfjörður, Iceland: Impacts of Glacial Melt and Agricultural Runoff”.
Defenses at UW are open to the public and are also accessible through Zoom. The link to the defense can be found here: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/62389143848

28/08/2026

It’s thesis defense season once again at the University Centre of the Westfjords! The first defense will take place on Tuesday, September 1st, marking the beginning of several exciting weeks ahead.

During this defense season, 15 students will present and defend their master’s theses, covering a wide range of interesting and thought-provoking topics. We wish all of our students the very best of luck with their defenses and look forward to celebrating this important milestone with them.

It’s thesis defense season once again at the University Centre of the Westfjords! The first defense will take place on Tuesday, September 1st, marking the

25/08/2026

https://www.uw.is/en/news/a-new-school-year-begins-at-uw

A new school year is underway at the University Centre of the Westfjords, and we are delighted to welcome a new group of students to Ísafjörður and to UW.

24/08/2026

Orientation day at UW! Our new students have arrived, and it was a great way to start the year and get everyone settled in. Catherine Chambers, our Director, and Astrid Fehling, our Administrative Director, welcomed the new students and gave introductions, followed by our Academic Directors, Morgan Greene and Brack Hale. The students then introduced themselves and had a chance to start getting to know each other. We also headed outside for some games and finished up with pizza for lunch! A great first day of the semester.

19/08/2026

Second year student Madelon Neefjes is up and running with her thesis research on driftwood ecology! As part of our Science Communication course, Madelon created a StoryMap exploring the ecological importance of driftwood in Icelandic coastal habitats. Her research investigates how marine species colonize driftwood and how wood can provide habitat for coastal organisms.

Fun side note: Madelon’s advisor is Dr. Jon Dickson, who graduated from UW in 2018 and went on to do his PhD in Marine Ecology at the University of Groningen focusing on nearshore tree reefs and shoreline wood.

Exploring the ecological importance of driftwood in marine ecosystems

13/07/2026

One of our last courses of the semester was about practical tools for stronger communities. Read more about it below!

From June 8 to 19, students at the University Centre of the Westfjords took part in the course Tools for Community Development, taught by Dr. John Colton.