News

UW recently advertised two new positions – Academic Director and Web Manager – both of which reflect a positive development: the addition of new roles. Following the recruitment process for the Academic Director position, Randall Morgan Greene has been hired as the new Academic Director of the Master’s Programme in Coastal Communities and Regional Development. Morgan previously held a similar role at the Reykjavik University School of Energy from 2015 to 2023. His areas of expertise include economics, political science, and, naturally, energy issues. His doctoral research focuses on public attitudes toward energy transitions. Morgan will begin work this autumn and will relocate to the Westfjords from Kópavogur with his family.

From June 28 to July 6, the Westfjords of Iceland became a living classroom for a group of international students and researchers participating in the ISLAs Summer School 2025—Islands as Laboratories for Sustainability.

From June 16 to 27, the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) hosted its first-ever Summer Conference Iceland, welcoming 16 students from the FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management in Germany. The two-week program was a successful collaboration between UW and FOM, combining academic modules with hands-on learning and cultural exploration.

Ten years of collaboration with the University Centre of the Westfjords continues with focus on ocean modeling and science communication Five marine engineering students from SeaTech Toulon in France are now in the final weeks of a four-month internship in Ísafjörður, set to conclude on August 1st. The group is part of a long-running collaboration between the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) and SeaTech Toulon, a Mediterranean-based engineering school specializing in marine and coastal systems.

As tradition holds, the University Centre of the Westfjords' graduation ceremony took place on Iceland's National Day at Hrafnseyri. This year, the event was particularly festive in celebration of UW’s 20th anniversary. The keynote speaker was former President of Iceland (2016–2024), Guðni Th. Jóhannesson. Margrét Hallmundsdóttir, acting site manager at Hrafnseyri, introduced the old custom of the Fjallkona (Lady of the Mountain), who made a special appearance. Around 150 guests attended the event, which, as always, included soup and bread followed by coffee and refreshments.

The University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) is a partner in the “Máltæknikjarni” project, or "Language Technology Development Initiative" led by the University of Iceland. The project aims to develop accessible, cost-effective, and location-independent methods for language acquisition — including remote learning, testing, and skill certification. Part of this work is directly connected to the Westfjords and UW.

We're pleased to share that the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW), the Municipality of Strandabyggð, and Fine Foods Íslandica ehf. in Hólmavík have received a grant from the European Union amounting to 70,000 euros, to support the implementation of the IceKelp project during the period 2024–2026. The aim is to develop a model for sustainable kelp farming and a blue economy in rural areas. The announcement was published on the website of Strandabyggð.

The Annual General Meeting of UW's Student Housing Association (hses.) for the year 2024 will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 13:00 at the University Centre of the Westfjords.

With Háskólahátið we celebrate the graduation of students from the master’s programmes at the University Centre of the Westfjords, as well as the graduation of distance learning students in the Westfjords.

Easter is just around the corner, and like every year, UW will be taking a short spring break! The building will be closed on Good Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19. During these days, the Suðurgata entrance will be locked and access with key cards won’t be available — even the most dedicated students and staff will need to take a well-deserved pause. If something urgent comes up, you can reach us at 844 3148.