Various incentives, policies and management initiatives are used to influence human behavior, to limit the ecological footprint (EF), and to promote sustainable development. This course focuses on environmental and resource management and policy - in the context of sustainable development (SD). The course is broken to three sessions. In the first session we assess the concept SD from various perspectives - followed by an attempt to operationalize the concept. We compare the concepts growth and SD and ask if the two are compatible and discuss sustainability indicators. In the second session we critically examine various tools that are frequently used in environmental and resource decision-making, such as formal decision analysis, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis in addition to valuing ecosystem services. In the third session we examine the ideological foundations behind environmental and resource policy, and assess various policy and management initiatives for diverse situations in a comparative international context. Examples are much based on student interests but possible examples include bottle-deposit systems, ITQ's, voluntary approaches and multi-criteria management.

The increase in human numbers and the scale of economic activity has put humans in a position to greatly influence environmental and resource change. Explaining the extent and impact of this influence or selecting and designing appropriate management methods is well beyond the theory and analytical tools of individual disciplines, such as economics, ecology, social or physical sciences. Before introducing the perspective and tools of various disciplines students must have at a minimum a basic understanding of the driving forces behind in addition to the physical and ecological principles of environmental and resource change. The aim of this course is to provide such a background. Some of the topics covered are:the ecological footprint, population growth, economic growth, technology and the environment, natural capital and ecosystem services, diversity as a resource, soil degradation, Pollution and health, Air, water and soil pollution. Climate change and ozone depletion. Urban smog and pollution from heavy industry. Municipal and hazardous waste. Freshwater resources, Marine resources. Forests and wetlands. Energy resources and Energy and the environment.

Ecological economics is poised to play a leading role in the on-going effort to reconcile economic theory and policy with accepted knowledge from other disciplines. Neoclassical welfare economics dominates economic policy discourse in the U.S. and Europe, but is currently in a state of crisis over the dismantling of its two fundamental pillars: (1) a theory of human behavior embodied in a narrow view of rationality and selfishness, and (2) a theory of economic production embodied in an equally narrow view of competition, efficiency, and a marginal productivity theory of distribution. Many neoclassical theorists have largely abandoned rational choice and perfect competition as characterizations of the economic process; however, policy recommendations of economists are still based on these outdated representations of human behavior and commodity production. Neoclassical welfare economics continues to offer unfounded advice in dealing with some of the most pressing environmental and social issues faced in the twenty-first century, including growing income disparity, global climate change, and biodiversity loss.

This intensive course will address the major points of contention between neoclassical welfare economics and ecological economics. By virtue of being the only heterodox school of economics focusing on both the human economy as a social system, and as one constrained by the biophysical world, ecological economics is poised to play a leading role in recasting the scope and method of economic science. Ecological economic models of economic behavior encompass consumption and production in the broadest sense, including their ecological, social, and ethical dimensions, as well as their market consequences. As such it is a field of inquiry encompassing much of contemporary neoclassical economics and heterodox schools of thought including behavioral economics, evolutionary economics, institutional economics, post Keynesian economics, radical economics and social economics. Ecological economics has particularly distinguished itself by its problem-based approach to methodological development and inquiry. The course will first define the ends of economic cooperation, then the means that make economic production possible. We'll then turn to the social mechanisms of meeting desirable ends with biophysical means, and end with a review of macroeconomics and the design of policy that promotes sustainable scale, just distribution, and efficient allocation.

The course will be taught over the weekend September 29- 01 október.

Climate change is a global issue and one of the more challenging environmental problems of the present and near future. Since 1992 there have been many meetings and agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

This course will cover the topic of climate change from several angles. Starting with the basic evidence and science behind climate change and modeling of future scenarios, then through impacts and vulnerability to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Issues such as climate refugees, gender aspects and negotiations are addressed.

Grading is based on a writing assignment, short quiz, course participation and presentations, in addition to group assignments where mitigation, future scenarios and basic processes are examined further. Students taking this course generally have very different backgrounds and you will have a chance to learn about climate change from different viewpoints.

This course seeks to explore the responsibility of companies towards the environment. Active participation of students is required by analysing issues related to companies, the natural environment and various stakeholders, but that is for instance done through a simulation and case studies.

The aim of the course is to create an understanding of and teach students to choose and employ the necessary tools to assess goals and make decisions when it comes to environmental and resource management in the context of sustainable development. Among the tools used are the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative and more.

The course is divided into three parts. In part one, we will explore the origins and meaning of corporate liability. The second part focuses on how to manage and implement corporate responsibility. In the third part, we will learn about corporate responsibility from the perspective of impact, criticism, and future prospects.

At a minimum, the successful completion of this course assumes that students have acquired a theoretical understanding of the subject, are able to apply the methods that have been taught and are literate in case of information related to companies and their environmental issues, outcomes, and impacts.

Sustainable energy development requires a transition to low-carbon and environmentally benign energy resources.  This introductory course will;  i) provide an overview of the history energy use in the world and status of energy use today.  It in addition will provide an overview of various alternative energy futures derived from IEA scenarios, with focus on low-carbon energy resources and sustainability ii) provide an overview of conventional and alternative energy resources, such as hydropower, geothermal power, wave- , solar- and wind-power in addition to biomass with focus on physical and engineering perspectives, iii) given an introduction to electricity production iv) provide an overview over the environmental impact of energy use and v) provide an introduction to energy policy in the context of sustainable energy futures and other pressing issues such as climate change. 

The structure of the course consists of lectures and field trips.

The course is only open for students registered in the specialization renewable energy.

This course will introduce fundamental concepts of energy economics and policy in the context of sustainability. Topics covered include the role of energy in the economy and sustainable development; forecasting alternative energy futures; economics of non-renewable energy resources; economics of renewable energy resources including hydropower, geothermal power, wind, solar and biomass; dynamic optimization; energy markets e.g. electricity markets; economic dynamics of energy transitions; environmental and social impact; energy policy and sustainable energy development; policy instruments e.g. command and control and market based policy instruments; comparative perspective on energy policy in Iceland, EU, and other states; cross cutting issues between climate and energy policy.

Conservation and sustainable use of the world oceans and marine resources is one of the biggest challenges of our time. The course offers a broad and comprehensive overview of the marine environment in a global perspective, in relation to the three pillars of sustainable development. The course will cover an overview of major oceanography features globally and locally. The course covers biological and fisheries science definitions that are important in marine resource management in relation to biological and ecological processes that may influence the resources such as stock size or distribution. The impact of climate change and large-scale changes in the marine environment will be covered and set in context with related variation in marine resources. The course covers multiple processes and environmental change impacting Oceans and their sustainability, such as pollution, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and trophic cascades. The role of different policies for the marine environment and its sustainable development will be explored with a focus on their multi-level nature and diverse ecosystem services, connecting global commitments to local realities. The role and implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) will be discussed in international and local context. The course offers basic training in the theory of and practice of resources management of Ocean resources such as fisheries. Different management tools are explored, along with natural and institutional requirements. Appropriate management choices for different management problems are discussed. The student is provided with a solid understanding of the basic principles of sustainable marine resource policy and practical training in the design and implementation of such a policy.

The course focuses on the different perspectives of sustainability applied to cities and other human settlements, and ultimately to the question of what a sustainable city as a concept means. The concepts of one planet boundary and safe operating space are brought into city-level to depict the role of cities in the quest for sustainable living, and to show the conditions to be met for a city to be truly sustainable. The course familiarizes the students with the key items of the three areas of sustainability in the context of human settlements. What is ecological sustainability when it comes to cities and other human settlements? Social? Economic? How can we combine these three to create truly sustainable human settlements? Wellbeing, economic growth, direct and indirect ecological impacts, technological and societal solutions and the feedback loops between these are introduced and critically discussed.

Global health priorities are the focus of this course. The global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized, as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from a global perspective, as well as health systems designed to provide good and timely services. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

In some settings, humans interact with the environment and use natural resources sustainably, but not in others. What explains such differences arising from human-environment interactions is the role of governance. Environmental governance can in its most basic form be understood as a social function centered on efforts to steer or guide the action of humans – being an individual, a small local user groups or the international community – towards desired outcomes and away from outcomes regarded as undesirable (Young, 2013).

This course has a focus on the introduction and understanding of different dimensions of environmental and natural resources governance in the context of sustainability.

It is divided into four interconnected sections:

1. Environmental Governance: The basics. What is governance? The environment as an arena for coordination and conflict. How do we understand actors, their roles and decision making? Power and power relations. Institutions and institutional change. Social-ecological systems. Governance structures. Public goods.
2. International and Domestic Environmental Governance. International environmental governance and institutions, e.g. EU, UN, UN Environment, FAO, World Bank etc. North-South issues. Environmental regimes; ozone, climate change, desertification, etc. Synergies. Introduction to environmental governance in Iceland and how it relates to decision-making with regard to environment and resources. Governance structure, central, local decision-making. Relationship between various levels of governance, parliament, ministries, agencies.
3. Public Responsibility and the Environment. Public participation. How can the public affect decision-making? Domestic and international environmental Non-governmental organizations.
4. Corporate Governance in the sustainability context. This part of the course focuses on corporate governance, such as outlined in the Nasdaq Corporate Governance Guidelines in the context of corporate sustainability. Relevant to the discussion is fiduciary duty, the ESRS Governance Standards (ESRS 1 and 2; ESRS G1), the SDGs 8-10, 12, 13, 17, the UN Global Compact Principle number 10, GRI Universal Standards and 200 Series, the Economic layer canvas, and more.

This course covers the basic elements of environmental economics. The properties of optimal environmental use are examined and the ability or inability of the market system to generate the optimal utilization investigated. Environmental management, i.e. methods for inducing optimal environmental use, are discussed both generally and in the context of particular examples. Finally, various methods for environmental valuation and their use in environmental cost-benefit analysis are discussed.

Mankind depends heavily on energy for virtually every aspect of daily life. The main energy source is currently fossil fuels, but the associated pollution (greenhouse gasses, particulate matter, ...), and the fact that it is a limited resource, has lead to an increased interest in other energy resources. Sustainable energy development is the requirement, and in this course we will look at different energy options. For example, we will consider hydropower, geothermal energy, wave-, wind- and solar-energy and biomass energy (nuclear energy).  An overview of current energy use in the world and fossil fuels will be given.

The physical principles behind each energy source will be explained. Also the environmental impact, the associated risks, policy and economics of different energy options.

Climate change, human population growth (>8 billion and growing), and globalization among others are having dramatic effects on plant and animal species, their habitats, and ecosystems. One major effect is the loss of biodiversity, with about one million species threatened with extinction. Conservation biology aims to alleviate this loss of biodiversity by understanding the impacts that humans have on biodiversity and drawing from multiple fields including ecology, evolution, economics, and resource management to generate conservation solutions. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the principles of conservation biology, the value of biodiversity, the threats to biodiversity, and the approaches to solve conservation issues. Among the topics covered are the history of conservation biology; patterns and processes of biodiversity; environmental economics; conservation ethics; extinction; habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation; climate change; overexploitation; invasive species; disease; conservation genetics; conservation of populations, species, and ecosystems; protected areas; restoration; sustainable development; and future challenges. Links between biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals are shown, e.g., goals 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Goals: Students should be able to apply the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to calculate the environmental impacts of products, production systems and services to identify and assess environmental impact. Students will learn to give recommendations on how to reduce environmental impacts based on a hot-spot analysis of the evaluated product, production system or service, and deliver results including sensitivity analysis.

Last but not least, students will be trained in the systems thinking competency, one of key competencies for sustainability.

Content: The course teaches the analysis of products and product systems from cradle to grave using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework as defined by 14040/14044:2006 ISO standards. LCA is used to assess the environmental impact of a specific product, production system and services. The reason for doing LCA is commonly to compare different products, product systems or services based on environmental impact. Additionally, the goal is often to identify where in a life cycle most of the impacts are occurring so that e.g. eco-design can be applied in development of new products, or if production methods are to be changed with the aim of reducing environmental impacts. In the course, students will learn to analyse systems from cradle-to-grave, from defining goal and scope, calculate e.g. raw material consumption and emissions to the environment (air, water and soil) to interpretation of results and application of sensitivity analysis. Different methods for conducting LCAs will also be introduced along with LCA calculation software and  related databases to support the analysis. Course evaluation is based on participation in class, and both individual and group assignments.

This course contributes to increase student competencies  within SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Teaching methods: It is taught with lectures, in class assignments, and individual and group projects.

This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view. 

Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.

The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.   

This course examines the aims, interests, opportunities, and challenges of states, non-state actors, regional fora, and international organizations in a changing Arctic region. With a focus on policy, politics, and current issues, it analyses the contemporary dilemmas posed by Arctic governance, cooperation, and imaginaries of the region.

Building on the fundamentals taught in ‘Introduction to Arctic Studies’, this course investigates the Arctic policies of the ‘Arctic Eight’ states, as well as states located outside the region. Five of the ‘Arctic Eight’ are Nordic small states, and so this angle is also considered. The role and achievements of other relevant entities such as the Arctic Council, the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, NATO, the EU, and the UN is also analyzed. The course has an international focus and provides an in-depth examination of the major political contours in today’s Arctic

The purpose of Cost benefit analysis is to facilitate social decision making. The purpose of the course in Cost benefit analysis is to introduce to the student the foundation of CBA. CBA is used in many applications where governmental agencies at all evels are involved. CBA is routinely used to assist in making decisions regarding highway projects, health-care projects and so on. CBA is also useful to evaluate projects involving environmental damage or renewal. Topics include: Conceptually correct measures of social surplus vs. measures actually used. Estimating consumer surplus, producer surplus, and government revenue (i.e., social surplus) in primary and secondary markets, the social discount rate, uncertainty and the value of information. Existence value, contingent valuation and the value of time,crime, life, noise, and other pleasures and pains.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Organization and management systems. The systems approach. Quality management, quality concepts. Historical development of quality management. Quality cost. Quality in manufacturing. x, R, p, c and cusum-chart. Statistical quality control. Tests of hypotheses. Acceptance sampling - OC curves. Inspection planning. Quality systems and quality assurance. Quality handbook and organizing for quality. ISO 9001. Total Quality Management, improvement step by step, motivations theories. Quality tools. Practical assignment: Designing a quality system for a company.

Heat budget of the Earth, heat transport to the Earth´s surface. Geothermal systems and their structure, renewability of geothermal systems, methodology in geothermal development, estimation of resource size, fluid origin and chemistry, water-rock interaction, environmental impact of utilization, well testing and well data integration.  The coruse is taught during 7 week period first part of the fall semester.  It consists of lectures, practical, student lectures, student posters, essay and exams.  The course is taught in English.

sustainable development.  To approach sustainability we need a holistic vision which takes into account three major foundations: environment, economy and society.  The course will give an overview of Earth´s energy resources, generation and use of fossil fuels, non-renewable and renewable energy sources - including the non-renewable resources of coal, oil, gas, uranium and thorium. The course will cover resources that need to be carefully exploited such as geothermal, hydro- and bio-energy. Other topics of the course include renewable energy based on the sun, wind, tides and waves. The course will also outline the most important natural resources that are used for technology, infrastructue of society and in agriculture, including metals, fertilizers, soil and water. The course will cover how resources are formed, are used, how long they will last and what effect the use has on the environment, the economy and society.  Understanding the socio-economic system that drives natural resource consumption patterns is key to assessing the sustainability of resource management. Thus, recycling of non-renewable resources is also discussed in addition to recent prosperity thinking based on the circular economy and wellbeing economy.

A 7-week intensive course (first 7 weeks of fall term). 

Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.

Occurrence of groundwater, the water content of soil, properties and types of aquifers (porosity, retention, yield, storage coefficients; unconfined, confined, leaky, homogeneous, isotropic aquifers). Principles of groundwater flow. Darcy's law, groundwater potential, potentiometric surface, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, permeability, determination of hydraulic conductivity in homogeneous and anisotropic aquifers, permeability, flow lines and flow nets, refraction of flow lines, steady and unsteady flow in confined, unconfined and leaky aquifers, general flow equations. Groundwater flow to wells, drawdown and recovery caused by pumping wells, determination of aquifer parameters from time-drawdown data, well loss, capacity and efficiency. Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers. Mass transport of solutes by groundwater flow. Quality and pollution of groundwater. Case histories from groundwater studies in Iceland. Numerical models of groundwater flow.   Students carry out an interdisciplinary project on groundwater hydrology and management.

This module will focus on nature and landscape as resources for tourism. Emphasis will be on the interaction between man and nature. Introduction to the history, planning and management of national parks and protected areas will be given and discussed in an international context. Impact of tourism on the environment will be discussed with emphasis on tourism pressure and tourism carrying capacity. The ideology and practices of sustainable tourism and ecotourism will be given special attention. Students will further gain insight into the ethics of nature as well as some methods of estimating the value of nature. The course will include theoretical lectures and practical exercises. Students taking this course as a part of their post-gratuate study will as well as obtain substantial reading material and dissertation. Students must pass all sections of the evaluation.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.                 
• Soil classification and global distribution.         
• Soil erosion and land degradation.             
• Human impact on soils and vegetation        
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Soil quality indicators.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.
• Laboratory practices for assessing soil quality.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

• Sea ice melt and extreme weather
• Polar law: treaties and agreements
• The role and rights of indigenous peoples
• Security in the Arctic
• Shipping and transportation infrastructure
• The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
• Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
• Arctic resources
• Human rights and gender equality
• Business cooperation in the Arctic
• The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
• Greenland in the new Arctic
• Fisheries and ecosystem management
• The science of ice: global research cooperation
• Arctic tourism
• Arctic identity and cultures
• The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
• Politics in the Arctic

This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

The course runs for five weeks in the beginning of the semester, including a five day field excursion to Vatnajökull National Park and other protected areas. 

The main focus of the course is on holistic and critical analyses of the goals and methods of management in nature areas that have been designated for protection by the relevant authorities. Special emphasis is placed on Vatnajökull National Park, in particular the park´s connections with neighbouring rural communities in South and Southeast Iceland. Issues to be discussed e.g. include the genesis and development of the park´s management plan, the intellectual background of protected area categories both in IUCN guidelines and Icelandic law, the designation of criteria for conservation and utilisation with protected areas, difficulties in implementing management plans, participation of local stakeholders in protected area governance and the role of the national park in the sustainable development of adjacent communities. The course mainly takes place on site in the South region of Vatnajökull National Park but other protected areas will also be visited. At the beginning of the course, a series of lectures will be held in Reykjavik, to introduce the central issues to be dealt with in the course. Speakers will include both the instructors and specialists from various subjects and institutions. The field course itself will last for five days and involves a number of field trips, short and long, to various sites of interest in the national park, as well as lectures and discussion sessions. Overnight stays will be in Reynivellir. Students should expect to cover the cost of accommodation and food during the field course themselves.

Lectures/classes: 2 times per week: 21 August - 22 September
Field trip (5 days): 5. - 9. September

In this course students develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between environmental science and financial markets. Students learn current methods for structuring green and sustainable finance frameworks, issuance process, certification. This course covers main methods and concepts related to impact reports. Students learn how sustainable finance frameworks are used in practice after issuance within financial institutions. This course covers ESG risk assessments, main methods and practical use in the investment process and portfolio structuring. This course covers main indicators reported by financial institutions regarding their loan and investment portfolios, i.e., GAR (green asset ratio) and BTAR (book taxonomy aligned ratio). This course covers different types of climate risks as defined by the TCFD (Task force on climate related financial disclosures). Students learn about responsible and impact investment methodologies and the goals investors seek using such methodologies. This course covers the legal requirements regarding disclosures, in particular the EU Taxonomy and related regulations. Students learn about financed emissions using the PCAF methodology (Partnership for carbon accounting financials). This course will also cover the relationship between the insurance sector and sustainability.

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with opportunities to work with institutional and systems approaches in working with sustainability and sustainability education with regards to institution and/or systems. Classes are online and built on informed debate and active participation (80% attendance). Few written major assignments will be expected together with student participation. 

To pass the course students need to get minimum grade 5,0 for each assignment and fulfil obligatory attendance and participation in classes. Further information and instructions will be on Canvas (the learning environment).

Examples of issues to be dealt with:

• Education for sustainability in formal and informal settings (e.g. in workplaces)
• Leadership for sustainability (e.g. whole school or leisure activity change)
• Relations between science and sustainability (e.g. tactic/principle)
• Wicked problems
• Rural development and sustainability
• Creating shared values (including corporate social responsibility) 
• Curriculum change

Aim: To give an overview of the principles of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of anthropogenic activities and to introduce the procedures and methods used in the environmental assessment process. At the end of the course, students should have gained an understanding of the main principles of EIA and the methods used for its application.  After having completed the course, students should be able to actively participate in the making of EIA. Subject: Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects is the main subject of the course.  EIA is a systematic process meant to streamline development projects by minimizing environmental effects. The first part of the course is an introduction to the global context and history of EIA, the subject of EIA, and an introduction to the EIA methodology.  The second part of the course focuses on processes. The aim, subject, and process of EIA will be explained, including a discussion on the various stages and aspects of the EIA procedure (such as screening, scoping, participants, stakeholders and consultation, impact prediction and assessment, reporting and monitoring).  Although the examples of processes, definitions and methods introduced in the course will be based on the Icelandic legislation, the learning outcome will be of practical use for all students, without regard to their nationality. Through individual assignments, each student will be able to explore the EIA process in context with an area of their choice.  

Objectives: Students understand the main environmental burdens arising from using and developing the built environment. Students are able to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) on a certain good or system and understand the complex interdependencies and rebound effects related to urban systems.

Topics: The course introduces the students to life cycle thinking and life cycle assessments enabling the students to understand the local and global environmental impacts of using and developing the built environment over time. The main methods for conducting an LCA are presented through examples and cases from the built environment. A lot of emphasis is given for understanding and evaluation of the complex interdependencies and rebound effects which tend to hinder the effectiveness of any efforts to reduce the environmental impacts; e.g. how increasing the energy efficiency of a certain good may result in an increase in the overall energy consumption, or how reducing private driving may lead to elevated greenhouse gas emissions through increased flying. As the overall outcome of the course, the students learn to design goods and systems which advance sustainability of the built environment taking into account the life cycle and systemic constraints. The course also familiarizes the students to reading academic studies and writing academic papers.

 Teaching: Lectures, individual home assignments and a group work. Lectures introduce the concepts of life cycle thinking and conducting an LCA on a good or a system in the context of the built environment. Students also read academic studies related to lecture topics and write reflective discussion writings along the course. At the lectures, reading academic papers and writing such are also taught, and the main graded output is an academic paper of an LCA of a chosen good or system conducted as a group work over the course. The best paper(s) may be offered for publication in an academic journal or a conference.

 The course is also suitable for students not specializing in Civil or Environmental Engineering, e.g. other Engineering fields, Environment and Natural Resources, Economics, other Environmental fields.

Special Comments
The course is only offered in English. The course is different from UAU215F and both courses can be taken to complement one another. In UMV119F the focus is mainly on assessing the environmental consequences of developing and using the built environment, and less on individual product or process assessments.

The aim of the course is:- To give students overview of processes in materials engineering;- To encourage students to think about feasible ways to utilize renewable energy. The course will cover the industrial processes in some of the larger Icelandic companies, including the production of ferro-alloys, aluminium smelting, rockwool production, recycling of steel, algea and diatomitemining, and production of sodium chlorine, fertilizers, cement. The course will also cover some of the larger material engineering processes that are not in practice in Iceland but may be a feasible option for Icelandic industry. Students will get good overview of the processes, required materials, source of power and power consumption, pollution, products etc. Discussions will be held on the financial background for individual processes, covering aspects such as production cost, profit and the influences of market share changes. Grades are based on 2 larger projects the students work on through the semester. Field trips are an important part of the course.

International organizations (IOs) are ubiqitous on the global stage and collectively engage with virtually every aspect of international relations. This course will provide an introduction to the empirical study of international organizations and the politics and processes that govern their operations.

Rather than organizing around specific organizational histories or issue areas, the course will focus on investigating the political structures that underpin the system and how they fit together. To what extent can we think of IOs as independent actors? Who are the actors that influence them and how do they do it? How are IOs financed and what implications does that have for their operations? Who are the staff that work in IOs and how do they matter? These are the types of questions that will guide our analysis over the course of the semester.

In answering these questions, students will be exposed to a range of approaches for the study of international organizations. Readings will comprise historical narratives, case studies, and both qualitative and quantitative journal articles and book chapters. However, we will pay particular attention to recent scholarship on IOs so that students get a sense of the current state of affairs in IO research. The goal of the course is thus twofold: first, to help students understand and analyze the political and administrative dynamics that guide the operations of IOs, and second, to enable students to engage with a variety of scholarly work on IOs in pursuit of their own research topics and ideas.

The course builds on major theories of international relations but no substantive expertise is expected on individual IOs beyond what an informed news consumer might have. Where appropriate, background reading will be provided for students who need a refresher on particular topics/IOs. Our organizational focus will largely be on global organizations, such as the United Nations agencies, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, but we will also spend some time exploring regional organizations, such as the Council of Europe, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and private actors.

Theory and fundamentals of remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation, interaction with atmosphere and surface of the Earth. Reflection and emission. Properties of optical, thermal, passive and active microwave images. Overview over other fields of remote sensing: LIDAR, INSAR, multibeam images, GPR and planetary RS.

Data collection, remote sensing systems and platforms: aircraft and spacecraft. Geometric resolution, spectral resolution, signal strength, time resolution. History of remote sensing in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Image processing and interpretation. Rectification, enhancement, supervised and unsupervised classification, data merging, change detection, GPS, modelling.

Environmental monitoring and application of remote sensing data in geography, geology and biology. Environmental monitoring systems due to rapid and long time changes, natural hazards, events and cartography. Real time data acquisition and processing.

Lectures, discussion sessions and weekly projects on obtaining, analysing and interpreting remote sensing data. Geographical Information Systems (ArcGIS, Quantum GIS) and Images processing software. Independent research project on remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

The objectives of the course are to introduce students to important pollutants, their characteristics and distribution, with emphasis on their effects on organisms. The first part of the course deals with the major classes of pollutants (Metals, Organic pollutants, Radioactivity), their origin, behaviour and characteristics. The second part focuses on bioavailability, bioaccumulation and bioconcentration and the effects of the pollutants on organisms. Biomarkers and bioassays will be discussed. The third part of the course deals with pollutants in arctic and subarctic areas, with emphasis on Iceland. Practical classes consist of four large projects.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

The course objective is to provide theoretical foundation and practical training in strategic management. An emphasis is on its application in public organizations. Students are to develop a strategic plan for a state or local agency. The John M. Bryson's strategic planning model will be used for this purpose. Students will structure a mission statement, identify strategic issues, establish a performance management system and they will be introduced to tools for organizational change and reassessment.

The aim of the course is provide insight into public government and the methods goverment employs to reach its goals. The course covers the various tools of government, including direct government, contracting, financial incentives, economic and social regulation, insurance and grants, with emphasis on evaluating the appropriateness of each tool in achieving different objectives. The examination of each tool emphasizes equally theoretical aspects and its use within Icelandic government. While the course OSS101F Microeconomics, Market Failure and the Role of Government is not a prerequisite, it is a recommended precursor. 

In this course students develop skills to estimate corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Students will understand main methods when estimating the emissions, how external data is obtained and used and which platforms are available for corporate disclosures such as the CDP, Nasdaq and GRI. Students will furthermore learn the implications of scopes, the use of life-cycle assessments, which indicators are material, how those indicators are selected and how carbon offset programs work in relation to corporate emissions. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is a foundation in this course, as the guidance serves as a key tool for multiples disclosure platforms. Upon completion, students can independently estimate the greenhouse gas emission from corporations through the supply chain and present the information in a standard format, using a relevant disclosure platform. Students will furthermore understand current methodological developments in greenhouse gas emission accounting, particularly in relation to financial market participants. Students will furthermore understand how the information generated is used externally, for example by rating agencies conducting ESG risk assessments. 

The aim of this course is to develop the students' critical thinking and leadership skills for a sustainable future.  The material that will be introduced will show actions that can be taken to reduce individual/organisational/community/ country ecological/environmental footprints. The students will master scientific framework for sustainability - based on systems thinking. They will learn to link science/economics/social sciences to underpin policy, become aware of skills and methods needed to lead change, understanding carbon trading schemes, become aware of necessities of developing new economic, policy and legal systems and understand the components needed for building sustainable communities.  At the end of the course the students will be equipped to lead change towards a sustainable future, understand economic consequences of "business as usual", be able to detail measures to avert dangerous climate change, understand the legal framework for simultaneous policy and be fully aware of societal and economic consequences of "peak oil". Students will also be able to organise and run workshops on topics relating to sustainability, learn about successful cradle to cradle good practice, understand the meaning of embedded water and embedded energy and be aware of system's adaptation to climate change. Evaluation will be through workshops, presentations and group projects.

Intensive course, taught in modules over four weekends: Dates for spring semester 2023: January 20-21, February 10-11, March 3-4, and March 24-25.

Marine protected areas provide an important tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity and fisheries management. Many MPAs are planned and managed by national governments in collaboration with local communities. Yet fully protected areas remain scarce: currently 8% of the ocean is in implemented MPAs. When they are well designed, with durable management and compliance, MPAs can achieve their conservation goals. But many MPAs fail to reach their full potential, especially when they are subject to illegal harvesting and poor regulations. Good design along with investments in human and financial capacity are essential to MPA success. The class will discuss the theory and practice of marine protected area design and management.

The course will be held 13th - 17th May in Stykkshólmur Town, next to the large Breiðafjörður Conservation Area that is an excellent venue of mixing in class-teaching, group work and discussions and field visits in the area. We will have a strong focus on the fieldwork part and make good use of the location in Stykkishólmur.

The students are supposed travel themselves to Stykkishólmur, but there is public transport available (Strætó). The students are supposed to pay for their accommodation the four nights and food during their stay. The University has made pre-booking at good and quite affordable hostel in Stykkishólmur for the period. There students can make their own food as they like or use the local cafes and resturants.

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with opportunities to focus on learning, teaching and leisure activities for sustainability. The on-line and campus sessions will be built on informed debate. Three major assignments will be expected together with student participation in organising classes, leading discussions plus a final assignment. The course is taught online and it is obligatory to attend 80% of classes during according to the course plan.

Examples of issues to be dealt with:

• Activism in learning and teaching
• Place-based and experiential education
• Behavioural change
• Science learning, technology and sustainability
• Creativity, creation of knowledge and social sustainability
• University education, adult learning
• Formal, informal and non-formal learning
• Sustainability as an emerging curriculum area

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The aim of this course is to introduce water supply systems design and operation, and how to secure drinking water safety.  Also to introduce simple solutions for water supply in rural areas.

Course content: Legal framework for water supply. Drinking water quality requirement, threats to water quality and preventive management to secure public health. Water demand estimate for design. Water resources, water harnessing and water supply solutions.  Main elements of water treatment. Storage tanks and their design. Pumps and pumps selections. Design of supply network. Pipes, valves and hydrants.

The course includes design project of a small water supply from catchment to consumer, project in water safety planning including risk assessment and planning of preventive measures to secure water safety, and a field visit.

Various incentives, policies and management initiatives are used to influence human behavior, to limit the ecological footprint (EF), and to promote sustainable development. This course focuses on environmental and resource management and policy - in the context of sustainable development (SD). The course is broken to three sessions. In the first session we assess the concept SD from various perspectives - followed by an attempt to operationalize the concept. We compare the concepts growth and SD and ask if the two are compatible and discuss sustainability indicators. In the second session we critically examine various tools that are frequently used in environmental and resource decision-making, such as formal decision analysis, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis in addition to valuing ecosystem services. In the third session we examine the ideological foundations behind environmental and resource policy, and assess various policy and management initiatives for diverse situations in a comparative international context. Examples are much based on student interests but possible examples include bottle-deposit systems, ITQ's, voluntary approaches and multi-criteria management.

The increase in human numbers and the scale of economic activity has put humans in a position to greatly influence environmental and resource change. Explaining the extent and impact of this influence or selecting and designing appropriate management methods is well beyond the theory and analytical tools of individual disciplines, such as economics, ecology, social or physical sciences. Before introducing the perspective and tools of various disciplines students must have at a minimum a basic understanding of the driving forces behind in addition to the physical and ecological principles of environmental and resource change. The aim of this course is to provide such a background. Some of the topics covered are:the ecological footprint, population growth, economic growth, technology and the environment, natural capital and ecosystem services, diversity as a resource, soil degradation, Pollution and health, Air, water and soil pollution. Climate change and ozone depletion. Urban smog and pollution from heavy industry. Municipal and hazardous waste. Freshwater resources, Marine resources. Forests and wetlands. Energy resources and Energy and the environment.

Ecological economics is poised to play a leading role in the on-going effort to reconcile economic theory and policy with accepted knowledge from other disciplines. Neoclassical welfare economics dominates economic policy discourse in the U.S. and Europe, but is currently in a state of crisis over the dismantling of its two fundamental pillars: (1) a theory of human behavior embodied in a narrow view of rationality and selfishness, and (2) a theory of economic production embodied in an equally narrow view of competition, efficiency, and a marginal productivity theory of distribution. Many neoclassical theorists have largely abandoned rational choice and perfect competition as characterizations of the economic process; however, policy recommendations of economists are still based on these outdated representations of human behavior and commodity production. Neoclassical welfare economics continues to offer unfounded advice in dealing with some of the most pressing environmental and social issues faced in the twenty-first century, including growing income disparity, global climate change, and biodiversity loss.

This intensive course will address the major points of contention between neoclassical welfare economics and ecological economics. By virtue of being the only heterodox school of economics focusing on both the human economy as a social system, and as one constrained by the biophysical world, ecological economics is poised to play a leading role in recasting the scope and method of economic science. Ecological economic models of economic behavior encompass consumption and production in the broadest sense, including their ecological, social, and ethical dimensions, as well as their market consequences. As such it is a field of inquiry encompassing much of contemporary neoclassical economics and heterodox schools of thought including behavioral economics, evolutionary economics, institutional economics, post Keynesian economics, radical economics and social economics. Ecological economics has particularly distinguished itself by its problem-based approach to methodological development and inquiry. The course will first define the ends of economic cooperation, then the means that make economic production possible. We'll then turn to the social mechanisms of meeting desirable ends with biophysical means, and end with a review of macroeconomics and the design of policy that promotes sustainable scale, just distribution, and efficient allocation.

The course will be taught over the weekend September 29- 01 október.

Climate change is a global issue and one of the more challenging environmental problems of the present and near future. Since 1992 there have been many meetings and agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

This course will cover the topic of climate change from several angles. Starting with the basic evidence and science behind climate change and modeling of future scenarios, then through impacts and vulnerability to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Issues such as climate refugees, gender aspects and negotiations are addressed.

Grading is based on a writing assignment, short quiz, course participation and presentations, in addition to group assignments where mitigation, future scenarios and basic processes are examined further. Students taking this course generally have very different backgrounds and you will have a chance to learn about climate change from different viewpoints.

This course seeks to explore the responsibility of companies towards the environment. Active participation of students is required by analysing issues related to companies, the natural environment and various stakeholders, but that is for instance done through a simulation and case studies.

The aim of the course is to create an understanding of and teach students to choose and employ the necessary tools to assess goals and make decisions when it comes to environmental and resource management in the context of sustainable development. Among the tools used are the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative and more.

The course is divided into three parts. In part one, we will explore the origins and meaning of corporate liability. The second part focuses on how to manage and implement corporate responsibility. In the third part, we will learn about corporate responsibility from the perspective of impact, criticism, and future prospects.

At a minimum, the successful completion of this course assumes that students have acquired a theoretical understanding of the subject, are able to apply the methods that have been taught and are literate in case of information related to companies and their environmental issues, outcomes, and impacts.

Sustainable energy development requires a transition to low-carbon and environmentally benign energy resources.  This introductory course will;  i) provide an overview of the history energy use in the world and status of energy use today.  It in addition will provide an overview of various alternative energy futures derived from IEA scenarios, with focus on low-carbon energy resources and sustainability ii) provide an overview of conventional and alternative energy resources, such as hydropower, geothermal power, wave- , solar- and wind-power in addition to biomass with focus on physical and engineering perspectives, iii) given an introduction to electricity production iv) provide an overview over the environmental impact of energy use and v) provide an introduction to energy policy in the context of sustainable energy futures and other pressing issues such as climate change. 

The structure of the course consists of lectures and field trips.

The course is only open for students registered in the specialization renewable energy.

This course will introduce fundamental concepts of energy economics and policy in the context of sustainability. Topics covered include the role of energy in the economy and sustainable development; forecasting alternative energy futures; economics of non-renewable energy resources; economics of renewable energy resources including hydropower, geothermal power, wind, solar and biomass; dynamic optimization; energy markets e.g. electricity markets; economic dynamics of energy transitions; environmental and social impact; energy policy and sustainable energy development; policy instruments e.g. command and control and market based policy instruments; comparative perspective on energy policy in Iceland, EU, and other states; cross cutting issues between climate and energy policy.

Conservation and sustainable use of the world oceans and marine resources is one of the biggest challenges of our time. The course offers a broad and comprehensive overview of the marine environment in a global perspective, in relation to the three pillars of sustainable development. The course will cover an overview of major oceanography features globally and locally. The course covers biological and fisheries science definitions that are important in marine resource management in relation to biological and ecological processes that may influence the resources such as stock size or distribution. The impact of climate change and large-scale changes in the marine environment will be covered and set in context with related variation in marine resources. The course covers multiple processes and environmental change impacting Oceans and their sustainability, such as pollution, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and trophic cascades. The role of different policies for the marine environment and its sustainable development will be explored with a focus on their multi-level nature and diverse ecosystem services, connecting global commitments to local realities. The role and implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) will be discussed in international and local context. The course offers basic training in the theory of and practice of resources management of Ocean resources such as fisheries. Different management tools are explored, along with natural and institutional requirements. Appropriate management choices for different management problems are discussed. The student is provided with a solid understanding of the basic principles of sustainable marine resource policy and practical training in the design and implementation of such a policy.

The course focuses on the different perspectives of sustainability applied to cities and other human settlements, and ultimately to the question of what a sustainable city as a concept means. The concepts of one planet boundary and safe operating space are brought into city-level to depict the role of cities in the quest for sustainable living, and to show the conditions to be met for a city to be truly sustainable. The course familiarizes the students with the key items of the three areas of sustainability in the context of human settlements. What is ecological sustainability when it comes to cities and other human settlements? Social? Economic? How can we combine these three to create truly sustainable human settlements? Wellbeing, economic growth, direct and indirect ecological impacts, technological and societal solutions and the feedback loops between these are introduced and critically discussed.

Global health priorities are the focus of this course. The global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized, as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from a global perspective, as well as health systems designed to provide good and timely services. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

In some settings, humans interact with the environment and use natural resources sustainably, but not in others. What explains such differences arising from human-environment interactions is the role of governance. Environmental governance can in its most basic form be understood as a social function centered on efforts to steer or guide the action of humans – being an individual, a small local user groups or the international community – towards desired outcomes and away from outcomes regarded as undesirable (Young, 2013).

This course has a focus on the introduction and understanding of different dimensions of environmental and natural resources governance in the context of sustainability.

It is divided into four interconnected sections:

1. Environmental Governance: The basics. What is governance? The environment as an arena for coordination and conflict. How do we understand actors, their roles and decision making? Power and power relations. Institutions and institutional change. Social-ecological systems. Governance structures. Public goods.
2. International and Domestic Environmental Governance. International environmental governance and institutions, e.g. EU, UN, UN Environment, FAO, World Bank etc. North-South issues. Environmental regimes; ozone, climate change, desertification, etc. Synergies. Introduction to environmental governance in Iceland and how it relates to decision-making with regard to environment and resources. Governance structure, central, local decision-making. Relationship between various levels of governance, parliament, ministries, agencies.
3. Public Responsibility and the Environment. Public participation. How can the public affect decision-making? Domestic and international environmental Non-governmental organizations.
4. Corporate Governance in the sustainability context. This part of the course focuses on corporate governance, such as outlined in the Nasdaq Corporate Governance Guidelines in the context of corporate sustainability. Relevant to the discussion is fiduciary duty, the ESRS Governance Standards (ESRS 1 and 2; ESRS G1), the SDGs 8-10, 12, 13, 17, the UN Global Compact Principle number 10, GRI Universal Standards and 200 Series, the Economic layer canvas, and more.

This course covers the basic elements of environmental economics. The properties of optimal environmental use are examined and the ability or inability of the market system to generate the optimal utilization investigated. Environmental management, i.e. methods for inducing optimal environmental use, are discussed both generally and in the context of particular examples. Finally, various methods for environmental valuation and their use in environmental cost-benefit analysis are discussed.

Mankind depends heavily on energy for virtually every aspect of daily life. The main energy source is currently fossil fuels, but the associated pollution (greenhouse gasses, particulate matter, ...), and the fact that it is a limited resource, has lead to an increased interest in other energy resources. Sustainable energy development is the requirement, and in this course we will look at different energy options. For example, we will consider hydropower, geothermal energy, wave-, wind- and solar-energy and biomass energy (nuclear energy).  An overview of current energy use in the world and fossil fuels will be given.

The physical principles behind each energy source will be explained. Also the environmental impact, the associated risks, policy and economics of different energy options.

Climate change, human population growth (>8 billion and growing), and globalization among others are having dramatic effects on plant and animal species, their habitats, and ecosystems. One major effect is the loss of biodiversity, with about one million species threatened with extinction. Conservation biology aims to alleviate this loss of biodiversity by understanding the impacts that humans have on biodiversity and drawing from multiple fields including ecology, evolution, economics, and resource management to generate conservation solutions. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the principles of conservation biology, the value of biodiversity, the threats to biodiversity, and the approaches to solve conservation issues. Among the topics covered are the history of conservation biology; patterns and processes of biodiversity; environmental economics; conservation ethics; extinction; habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation; climate change; overexploitation; invasive species; disease; conservation genetics; conservation of populations, species, and ecosystems; protected areas; restoration; sustainable development; and future challenges. Links between biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals are shown, e.g., goals 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Goals: Students should be able to apply the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to calculate the environmental impacts of products, production systems and services to identify and assess environmental impact. Students will learn to give recommendations on how to reduce environmental impacts based on a hot-spot analysis of the evaluated product, production system or service, and deliver results including sensitivity analysis.

Last but not least, students will be trained in the systems thinking competency, one of key competencies for sustainability.

Content: The course teaches the analysis of products and product systems from cradle to grave using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework as defined by 14040/14044:2006 ISO standards. LCA is used to assess the environmental impact of a specific product, production system and services. The reason for doing LCA is commonly to compare different products, product systems or services based on environmental impact. Additionally, the goal is often to identify where in a life cycle most of the impacts are occurring so that e.g. eco-design can be applied in development of new products, or if production methods are to be changed with the aim of reducing environmental impacts. In the course, students will learn to analyse systems from cradle-to-grave, from defining goal and scope, calculate e.g. raw material consumption and emissions to the environment (air, water and soil) to interpretation of results and application of sensitivity analysis. Different methods for conducting LCAs will also be introduced along with LCA calculation software and  related databases to support the analysis. Course evaluation is based on participation in class, and both individual and group assignments.

This course contributes to increase student competencies  within SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Teaching methods: It is taught with lectures, in class assignments, and individual and group projects.

This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view. 

Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.

The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.   

This course examines the aims, interests, opportunities, and challenges of states, non-state actors, regional fora, and international organizations in a changing Arctic region. With a focus on policy, politics, and current issues, it analyses the contemporary dilemmas posed by Arctic governance, cooperation, and imaginaries of the region.

Building on the fundamentals taught in ‘Introduction to Arctic Studies’, this course investigates the Arctic policies of the ‘Arctic Eight’ states, as well as states located outside the region. Five of the ‘Arctic Eight’ are Nordic small states, and so this angle is also considered. The role and achievements of other relevant entities such as the Arctic Council, the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, NATO, the EU, and the UN is also analyzed. The course has an international focus and provides an in-depth examination of the major political contours in today’s Arctic

The purpose of Cost benefit analysis is to facilitate social decision making. The purpose of the course in Cost benefit analysis is to introduce to the student the foundation of CBA. CBA is used in many applications where governmental agencies at all evels are involved. CBA is routinely used to assist in making decisions regarding highway projects, health-care projects and so on. CBA is also useful to evaluate projects involving environmental damage or renewal. Topics include: Conceptually correct measures of social surplus vs. measures actually used. Estimating consumer surplus, producer surplus, and government revenue (i.e., social surplus) in primary and secondary markets, the social discount rate, uncertainty and the value of information. Existence value, contingent valuation and the value of time,crime, life, noise, and other pleasures and pains.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Organization and management systems. The systems approach. Quality management, quality concepts. Historical development of quality management. Quality cost. Quality in manufacturing. x, R, p, c and cusum-chart. Statistical quality control. Tests of hypotheses. Acceptance sampling - OC curves. Inspection planning. Quality systems and quality assurance. Quality handbook and organizing for quality. ISO 9001. Total Quality Management, improvement step by step, motivations theories. Quality tools. Practical assignment: Designing a quality system for a company.

Heat budget of the Earth, heat transport to the Earth´s surface. Geothermal systems and their structure, renewability of geothermal systems, methodology in geothermal development, estimation of resource size, fluid origin and chemistry, water-rock interaction, environmental impact of utilization, well testing and well data integration.  The coruse is taught during 7 week period first part of the fall semester.  It consists of lectures, practical, student lectures, student posters, essay and exams.  The course is taught in English.

sustainable development.  To approach sustainability we need a holistic vision which takes into account three major foundations: environment, economy and society.  The course will give an overview of Earth´s energy resources, generation and use of fossil fuels, non-renewable and renewable energy sources - including the non-renewable resources of coal, oil, gas, uranium and thorium. The course will cover resources that need to be carefully exploited such as geothermal, hydro- and bio-energy. Other topics of the course include renewable energy based on the sun, wind, tides and waves. The course will also outline the most important natural resources that are used for technology, infrastructue of society and in agriculture, including metals, fertilizers, soil and water. The course will cover how resources are formed, are used, how long they will last and what effect the use has on the environment, the economy and society.  Understanding the socio-economic system that drives natural resource consumption patterns is key to assessing the sustainability of resource management. Thus, recycling of non-renewable resources is also discussed in addition to recent prosperity thinking based on the circular economy and wellbeing economy.

A 7-week intensive course (first 7 weeks of fall term). 

Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.

Occurrence of groundwater, the water content of soil, properties and types of aquifers (porosity, retention, yield, storage coefficients; unconfined, confined, leaky, homogeneous, isotropic aquifers). Principles of groundwater flow. Darcy's law, groundwater potential, potentiometric surface, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, permeability, determination of hydraulic conductivity in homogeneous and anisotropic aquifers, permeability, flow lines and flow nets, refraction of flow lines, steady and unsteady flow in confined, unconfined and leaky aquifers, general flow equations. Groundwater flow to wells, drawdown and recovery caused by pumping wells, determination of aquifer parameters from time-drawdown data, well loss, capacity and efficiency. Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers. Mass transport of solutes by groundwater flow. Quality and pollution of groundwater. Case histories from groundwater studies in Iceland. Numerical models of groundwater flow.   Students carry out an interdisciplinary project on groundwater hydrology and management.

This module will focus on nature and landscape as resources for tourism. Emphasis will be on the interaction between man and nature. Introduction to the history, planning and management of national parks and protected areas will be given and discussed in an international context. Impact of tourism on the environment will be discussed with emphasis on tourism pressure and tourism carrying capacity. The ideology and practices of sustainable tourism and ecotourism will be given special attention. Students will further gain insight into the ethics of nature as well as some methods of estimating the value of nature. The course will include theoretical lectures and practical exercises. Students taking this course as a part of their post-gratuate study will as well as obtain substantial reading material and dissertation. Students must pass all sections of the evaluation.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.                 
• Soil classification and global distribution.         
• Soil erosion and land degradation.             
• Human impact on soils and vegetation        
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Soil quality indicators.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.
• Laboratory practices for assessing soil quality.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

• Sea ice melt and extreme weather
• Polar law: treaties and agreements
• The role and rights of indigenous peoples
• Security in the Arctic
• Shipping and transportation infrastructure
• The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
• Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
• Arctic resources
• Human rights and gender equality
• Business cooperation in the Arctic
• The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
• Greenland in the new Arctic
• Fisheries and ecosystem management
• The science of ice: global research cooperation
• Arctic tourism
• Arctic identity and cultures
• The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
• Politics in the Arctic

This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

The course runs for five weeks in the beginning of the semester, including a five day field excursion to Vatnajökull National Park and other protected areas. 

The main focus of the course is on holistic and critical analyses of the goals and methods of management in nature areas that have been designated for protection by the relevant authorities. Special emphasis is placed on Vatnajökull National Park, in particular the park´s connections with neighbouring rural communities in South and Southeast Iceland. Issues to be discussed e.g. include the genesis and development of the park´s management plan, the intellectual background of protected area categories both in IUCN guidelines and Icelandic law, the designation of criteria for conservation and utilisation with protected areas, difficulties in implementing management plans, participation of local stakeholders in protected area governance and the role of the national park in the sustainable development of adjacent communities. The course mainly takes place on site in the South region of Vatnajökull National Park but other protected areas will also be visited. At the beginning of the course, a series of lectures will be held in Reykjavik, to introduce the central issues to be dealt with in the course. Speakers will include both the instructors and specialists from various subjects and institutions. The field course itself will last for five days and involves a number of field trips, short and long, to various sites of interest in the national park, as well as lectures and discussion sessions. Overnight stays will be in Reynivellir. Students should expect to cover the cost of accommodation and food during the field course themselves.

Lectures/classes: 2 times per week: 21 August - 22 September
Field trip (5 days): 5. - 9. September

In this course students develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between environmental science and financial markets. Students learn current methods for structuring green and sustainable finance frameworks, issuance process, certification. This course covers main methods and concepts related to impact reports. Students learn how sustainable finance frameworks are used in practice after issuance within financial institutions. This course covers ESG risk assessments, main methods and practical use in the investment process and portfolio structuring. This course covers main indicators reported by financial institutions regarding their loan and investment portfolios, i.e., GAR (green asset ratio) and BTAR (book taxonomy aligned ratio). This course covers different types of climate risks as defined by the TCFD (Task force on climate related financial disclosures). Students learn about responsible and impact investment methodologies and the goals investors seek using such methodologies. This course covers the legal requirements regarding disclosures, in particular the EU Taxonomy and related regulations. Students learn about financed emissions using the PCAF methodology (Partnership for carbon accounting financials). This course will also cover the relationship between the insurance sector and sustainability.

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with opportunities to work with institutional and systems approaches in working with sustainability and sustainability education with regards to institution and/or systems. Classes are online and built on informed debate and active participation (80% attendance). Few written major assignments will be expected together with student participation. 

To pass the course students need to get minimum grade 5,0 for each assignment and fulfil obligatory attendance and participation in classes. Further information and instructions will be on Canvas (the learning environment).

Examples of issues to be dealt with:

• Education for sustainability in formal and informal settings (e.g. in workplaces)
• Leadership for sustainability (e.g. whole school or leisure activity change)
• Relations between science and sustainability (e.g. tactic/principle)
• Wicked problems
• Rural development and sustainability
• Creating shared values (including corporate social responsibility) 
• Curriculum change

Aim: To give an overview of the principles of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of anthropogenic activities and to introduce the procedures and methods used in the environmental assessment process. At the end of the course, students should have gained an understanding of the main principles of EIA and the methods used for its application.  After having completed the course, students should be able to actively participate in the making of EIA. Subject: Environmental Impact Assessment of Projects is the main subject of the course.  EIA is a systematic process meant to streamline development projects by minimizing environmental effects. The first part of the course is an introduction to the global context and history of EIA, the subject of EIA, and an introduction to the EIA methodology.  The second part of the course focuses on processes. The aim, subject, and process of EIA will be explained, including a discussion on the various stages and aspects of the EIA procedure (such as screening, scoping, participants, stakeholders and consultation, impact prediction and assessment, reporting and monitoring).  Although the examples of processes, definitions and methods introduced in the course will be based on the Icelandic legislation, the learning outcome will be of practical use for all students, without regard to their nationality. Through individual assignments, each student will be able to explore the EIA process in context with an area of their choice.  

Objectives: Students understand the main environmental burdens arising from using and developing the built environment. Students are able to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) on a certain good or system and understand the complex interdependencies and rebound effects related to urban systems.

Topics: The course introduces the students to life cycle thinking and life cycle assessments enabling the students to understand the local and global environmental impacts of using and developing the built environment over time. The main methods for conducting an LCA are presented through examples and cases from the built environment. A lot of emphasis is given for understanding and evaluation of the complex interdependencies and rebound effects which tend to hinder the effectiveness of any efforts to reduce the environmental impacts; e.g. how increasing the energy efficiency of a certain good may result in an increase in the overall energy consumption, or how reducing private driving may lead to elevated greenhouse gas emissions through increased flying. As the overall outcome of the course, the students learn to design goods and systems which advance sustainability of the built environment taking into account the life cycle and systemic constraints. The course also familiarizes the students to reading academic studies and writing academic papers.

 Teaching: Lectures, individual home assignments and a group work. Lectures introduce the concepts of life cycle thinking and conducting an LCA on a good or a system in the context of the built environment. Students also read academic studies related to lecture topics and write reflective discussion writings along the course. At the lectures, reading academic papers and writing such are also taught, and the main graded output is an academic paper of an LCA of a chosen good or system conducted as a group work over the course. The best paper(s) may be offered for publication in an academic journal or a conference.

 The course is also suitable for students not specializing in Civil or Environmental Engineering, e.g. other Engineering fields, Environment and Natural Resources, Economics, other Environmental fields.

Special Comments
The course is only offered in English. The course is different from UAU215F and both courses can be taken to complement one another. In UMV119F the focus is mainly on assessing the environmental consequences of developing and using the built environment, and less on individual product or process assessments.

The aim of the course is:- To give students overview of processes in materials engineering;- To encourage students to think about feasible ways to utilize renewable energy. The course will cover the industrial processes in some of the larger Icelandic companies, including the production of ferro-alloys, aluminium smelting, rockwool production, recycling of steel, algea and diatomitemining, and production of sodium chlorine, fertilizers, cement. The course will also cover some of the larger material engineering processes that are not in practice in Iceland but may be a feasible option for Icelandic industry. Students will get good overview of the processes, required materials, source of power and power consumption, pollution, products etc. Discussions will be held on the financial background for individual processes, covering aspects such as production cost, profit and the influences of market share changes. Grades are based on 2 larger projects the students work on through the semester. Field trips are an important part of the course.

International organizations (IOs) are ubiqitous on the global stage and collectively engage with virtually every aspect of international relations. This course will provide an introduction to the empirical study of international organizations and the politics and processes that govern their operations.

Rather than organizing around specific organizational histories or issue areas, the course will focus on investigating the political structures that underpin the system and how they fit together. To what extent can we think of IOs as independent actors? Who are the actors that influence them and how do they do it? How are IOs financed and what implications does that have for their operations? Who are the staff that work in IOs and how do they matter? These are the types of questions that will guide our analysis over the course of the semester.

In answering these questions, students will be exposed to a range of approaches for the study of international organizations. Readings will comprise historical narratives, case studies, and both qualitative and quantitative journal articles and book chapters. However, we will pay particular attention to recent scholarship on IOs so that students get a sense of the current state of affairs in IO research. The goal of the course is thus twofold: first, to help students understand and analyze the political and administrative dynamics that guide the operations of IOs, and second, to enable students to engage with a variety of scholarly work on IOs in pursuit of their own research topics and ideas.

The course builds on major theories of international relations but no substantive expertise is expected on individual IOs beyond what an informed news consumer might have. Where appropriate, background reading will be provided for students who need a refresher on particular topics/IOs. Our organizational focus will largely be on global organizations, such as the United Nations agencies, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, but we will also spend some time exploring regional organizations, such as the Council of Europe, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and private actors.

Theory and fundamentals of remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation, interaction with atmosphere and surface of the Earth. Reflection and emission. Properties of optical, thermal, passive and active microwave images. Overview over other fields of remote sensing: LIDAR, INSAR, multibeam images, GPR and planetary RS.

Data collection, remote sensing systems and platforms: aircraft and spacecraft. Geometric resolution, spectral resolution, signal strength, time resolution. History of remote sensing in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Image processing and interpretation. Rectification, enhancement, supervised and unsupervised classification, data merging, change detection, GPS, modelling.

Environmental monitoring and application of remote sensing data in geography, geology and biology. Environmental monitoring systems due to rapid and long time changes, natural hazards, events and cartography. Real time data acquisition and processing.

Lectures, discussion sessions and weekly projects on obtaining, analysing and interpreting remote sensing data. Geographical Information Systems (ArcGIS, Quantum GIS) and Images processing software. Independent research project on remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

The objectives of the course are to introduce students to important pollutants, their characteristics and distribution, with emphasis on their effects on organisms. The first part of the course deals with the major classes of pollutants (Metals, Organic pollutants, Radioactivity), their origin, behaviour and characteristics. The second part focuses on bioavailability, bioaccumulation and bioconcentration and the effects of the pollutants on organisms. Biomarkers and bioassays will be discussed. The third part of the course deals with pollutants in arctic and subarctic areas, with emphasis on Iceland. Practical classes consist of four large projects.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

The course objective is to provide theoretical foundation and practical training in strategic management. An emphasis is on its application in public organizations. Students are to develop a strategic plan for a state or local agency. The John M. Bryson's strategic planning model will be used for this purpose. Students will structure a mission statement, identify strategic issues, establish a performance management system and they will be introduced to tools for organizational change and reassessment.

The aim of the course is provide insight into public government and the methods goverment employs to reach its goals. The course covers the various tools of government, including direct government, contracting, financial incentives, economic and social regulation, insurance and grants, with emphasis on evaluating the appropriateness of each tool in achieving different objectives. The examination of each tool emphasizes equally theoretical aspects and its use within Icelandic government. While the course OSS101F Microeconomics, Market Failure and the Role of Government is not a prerequisite, it is a recommended precursor. 

In this course students develop skills to estimate corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Students will understand main methods when estimating the emissions, how external data is obtained and used and which platforms are available for corporate disclosures such as the CDP, Nasdaq and GRI. Students will furthermore learn the implications of scopes, the use of life-cycle assessments, which indicators are material, how those indicators are selected and how carbon offset programs work in relation to corporate emissions. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is a foundation in this course, as the guidance serves as a key tool for multiples disclosure platforms. Upon completion, students can independently estimate the greenhouse gas emission from corporations through the supply chain and present the information in a standard format, using a relevant disclosure platform. Students will furthermore understand current methodological developments in greenhouse gas emission accounting, particularly in relation to financial market participants. Students will furthermore understand how the information generated is used externally, for example by rating agencies conducting ESG risk assessments. 

The aim of this course is to develop the students' critical thinking and leadership skills for a sustainable future.  The material that will be introduced will show actions that can be taken to reduce individual/organisational/community/ country ecological/environmental footprints. The students will master scientific framework for sustainability - based on systems thinking. They will learn to link science/economics/social sciences to underpin policy, become aware of skills and methods needed to lead change, understanding carbon trading schemes, become aware of necessities of developing new economic, policy and legal systems and understand the components needed for building sustainable communities.  At the end of the course the students will be equipped to lead change towards a sustainable future, understand economic consequences of "business as usual", be able to detail measures to avert dangerous climate change, understand the legal framework for simultaneous policy and be fully aware of societal and economic consequences of "peak oil". Students will also be able to organise and run workshops on topics relating to sustainability, learn about successful cradle to cradle good practice, understand the meaning of embedded water and embedded energy and be aware of system's adaptation to climate change. Evaluation will be through workshops, presentations and group projects.

Intensive course, taught in modules over four weekends: Dates for spring semester 2023: January 20-21, February 10-11, March 3-4, and March 24-25.

Marine protected areas provide an important tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity and fisheries management. Many MPAs are planned and managed by national governments in collaboration with local communities. Yet fully protected areas remain scarce: currently 8% of the ocean is in implemented MPAs. When they are well designed, with durable management and compliance, MPAs can achieve their conservation goals. But many MPAs fail to reach their full potential, especially when they are subject to illegal harvesting and poor regulations. Good design along with investments in human and financial capacity are essential to MPA success. The class will discuss the theory and practice of marine protected area design and management.

The course will be held 13th - 17th May in Stykkshólmur Town, next to the large Breiðafjörður Conservation Area that is an excellent venue of mixing in class-teaching, group work and discussions and field visits in the area. We will have a strong focus on the fieldwork part and make good use of the location in Stykkishólmur.

The students are supposed travel themselves to Stykkishólmur, but there is public transport available (Strætó). The students are supposed to pay for their accommodation the four nights and food during their stay. The University has made pre-booking at good and quite affordable hostel in Stykkishólmur for the period. There students can make their own food as they like or use the local cafes and resturants.

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with opportunities to focus on learning, teaching and leisure activities for sustainability. The on-line and campus sessions will be built on informed debate. Three major assignments will be expected together with student participation in organising classes, leading discussions plus a final assignment. The course is taught online and it is obligatory to attend 80% of classes during according to the course plan.

Examples of issues to be dealt with:

• Activism in learning and teaching
• Place-based and experiential education
• Behavioural change
• Science learning, technology and sustainability
• Creativity, creation of knowledge and social sustainability
• University education, adult learning
• Formal, informal and non-formal learning
• Sustainability as an emerging curriculum area

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The aim of this course is to introduce water supply systems design and operation, and how to secure drinking water safety.  Also to introduce simple solutions for water supply in rural areas.

Course content: Legal framework for water supply. Drinking water quality requirement, threats to water quality and preventive management to secure public health. Water demand estimate for design. Water resources, water harnessing and water supply solutions.  Main elements of water treatment. Storage tanks and their design. Pumps and pumps selections. Design of supply network. Pipes, valves and hydrants.

The course includes design project of a small water supply from catchment to consumer, project in water safety planning including risk assessment and planning of preventive measures to secure water safety, and a field visit.