Yesterday, we had a pleasant visit from a group of university students from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. The trip is part of a field course run by Svartárkot – Culture, Nature (SMN), and the group was accompanied by two teachers. The students come from a variety of academic disciplines, such as the natural sciences, environmental studies and creative writing, and the trip spans several days in North Iceland, where the group will visit places including Akureyri, Húsavík, the Mývatn area and Bárðardalur. The course begins with preparatory studies at the university, where students are introduced to a variety of subjects related to the culture, society and nature of Iceland. Afterwards, they embark on a two-week field trip around the country, where they attend lectures and visit well-known historical sites and natural wonders.
At Stéttinni, students were introduced to the work of the North East Iceland Knowledge Network, Hraðinn Innovation Centre, the North East Iceland Nature Centre and the University of Iceland Research Centre. Stefán Pétur also showed the students the facilities and equipment at Fab Lab Húsavík.
The students impressed us with their interest, active participation and a wide range of questions. We thank them warmly for their visit and look forward to welcoming more inquisitive visitors in the future.
In the accompanying picture, Chörla Basran from the University of Iceland's Research Centre is seen presenting research methods for analysing the sounds of marine mammals to the group.