Crowd Gathers to Celebrate 20 Years of UW
Last Friday, UW marked its 20th anniversary with an open house at Vestrahús. Several other institutions in the building also participated in the celebration, which featured a diverse program and exceeded expectations for attendance. The day began with the annual meeting, which is typically held in May, but this time was scheduled closer to UW’s founding date to coincide with the anniversary and integrated with the open house.
At the general meeting, the usual agenda items were discussed, and a new board was elected. Marta Lilja M. Olsen stepped down from the board, and Harpa Grímsdóttir resigned as the chair of the board. They were replaced by Dr. Thomas Barry, nominated by the collaboration committee of the Icelandic universities, and Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir, nominated by the Ísafjörður Municipality. The board proposed keeping board compensation unchanged since UW’s founding—at 0.0 ISK, which the representative council approved.
To celebrate the anneversary, UW released a 20-year report in a new format. Instead of a traditional report, an anniversary publication was created, telling the story of UW from 2005 to 2025 in a visually engaging way. The publication features illustrations of Vestrahús by artist Ómar Smári Kristinsson, as well as watercolor paintings and other artwork by Nína Ivanova. Anyone interested can pick up a copy at UW or view a digital version online. (English version will be available at a later date).
After the general meeting, several speakers addressed the guests at the open house. Among them were Halldór Halldórsson, former mayor of Ísafjörður and former chair of UW’s board; Harpa Grímsdóttir, the now former board chair; and Sigríður Júlía Brynleifsdóttir, the mayor of Ísafjörður. Astrid Fehling, UW’s director of education, also spoke and announced that UW had received a generous donation that will improve the quality of teaching and remote learning. Peter Weiss, UW’s director, accepted the gift on behalf of the institution. The donation came from Þorsteinn Jóhannesson and his wife, Margrét Hreinsdóttir, and more details about the new equipment will be shared on UW’s website in a separate news article. After the speeches, guests were served a 20-meter-long anniversary cake, with Halldór Halldórsson and Harpa Grímsdóttir cutting the first slices from opposite ends.
One of the classrooms was transformed into a "cinema" for the occasion, where guests were treated to popcorn from Ísafjörður Cinema and shown videos about current and former master’s students of UW. Another classroom showcased student research, where visitors could examine microplastics in fish under a microscope. Later, the Women's Choir of Ísafjörður performed for the guests, and four master’s students gave presentations about student life in Ísafjörður.
Other institutions in the building also had events. At the Centre for Lifelong Learning in the Westfjords, Halla Signý presented the Give Icelandic a Chance project, and Íris Ösp taught a short yoga session. The Avalanche Research Centre of the Icelandic Meteorological Office displayed snow crystal cameras and avalanche models and gave a presentation on important safety equipment. The Westfjords Regional Development Office hosted a panel discussion titled From a Fishing Station to a Knowledge Hub – What’s Next?, focusing on the next steps in enhancing education in the Westfjords now that UW has been operating for 20 years. The panel included Gauti Geirsson, CEO of Háafell and chair of the Westfjords Development Plan; Guðmundur Fertram Sigurjónsson, CEO and founder of Kerecis; Ragnheiður Inga Þórarinsdóttir, rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland; Margrét Jónsdóttir Njarðvík, rector of Bifröst University; Peter Weiss, director of UW; and Dóróthea Einarsdóttir, deputy principal of Menntaskólinn á Ísafirði (Ísafjörður College). The discussion was moderated by Gylfi Ólafsson, chair of the Westfjords Regional Development Office.
We thank everyone who joined us at the open house and helped us celebrate this important milestone. Below are some photos from the event.
