This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile ground for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

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”.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, MA students in Comparative literature, Cultural studies and Film studies prepare for their final thesis. The group meets every two weeks during the semester. In the first half of the semester, the focus is on selecting a thesis topic, determining and searching primary sources, formulating a research question and other questions about getting started with a final thesis. Students then turn their attention to the theoretical background for their work and its theoretical basis. This work also involves critical reflection on search methods and approaches to texts. The third part of the course is dedicated to student presentations and discussion, where students and instructors come together to discuss research proposals, give feedback and get constructive criticism. The final product of the course is a report with a research proposal, partial bibliography and commentary on thesis aims, theory and methods. Students are also required to write a working diary describing their preparation process and readings and explaining the relation of different texts to their work. Course evaluation is based on this working diary (20%), class presentation (25%) and final paper (55%).

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

The course is intended for anyone interested in critically examining the role human rights can play in advancing social and ecological wellbeing. It aims to critically and collectively examine dominant systems and structures whose discriminatory and exclusive practices contribute to social and ecological vulnerability.

Students engage in discussions on current social and ecological concerns and apply a critical human rights lens to examine these. A case study approach will be used whereby students analyse relevant topics in local and global contexts that they identify at the start of the course. These may include matters related to asylum seekers and refugees, disability, gender, poverty, and sexuality, and the intersections of these.

 Critical analysis skills and the capacity to situate oneself in relation with diverse perspectives informed by diverse lived realities are encouraged through a relational pedagogical approach.  

 Although taught mainly in English, the universal design aims for accessibility of all students irrespective of language, cultural background, disability, and diverse learning needs. Different materials (written, spoken, visual) will be developed in both Icelandic and English using subtitling and easy read features. These materials will reflect local and global perspectives on human rights and draw on narratives and views of diverse scholars, practitioners, and activists.

The course will focus on fiction from the last 50 years or so that in one way or another straddles the borders of different literary genres, such as the novel and autobiography, historiography, journalism, etc. The students will read historical novels, photographic essays, autobiographical works, fakes and more. The course will introduce theories on literary genres, history of ideas and relationship with trends in literature and literary studies.

The course deals with Iceland's foreign affairs and foreign policy from 1940 to 2018. The aim of the course is to cover all major events in the history of Iceland's foreign affairs during this period such as membership of NATO, the defence and economic relationship with the USA, the cod wars and Nordic and European cooperation. The course also covers the most recent changes which are taking place in Iceland's foreign policy, i.e. more focus on developing aid and human rights. Theories in international studies and small-states studies will be used to analyse the case of Iceland.

The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

This course offers an introduction to inclusive education policy and practic. It explores examples from the history of (special) education, theories and perspectives from disability studies, stigma and othering, democracy and social justice. The course will provide students with basic understanding of heterogeneous group teaching and learning, and how teachers and schools can work with learners with special needs and their families in general education schools and society.

In a historical context art has been the facet of society where innovation and progressive thinking has been of most value. This forward-looking aspect of art has non-the-less always depended upon its historical precedents—previous art practice. It is in this context that contemporary artists are constantly renewing their previous premises. At the same time contemporary art worlds are by nature complex structures—an increasing mix of different media and influences, where artists of necessity are informed by theoretical, social, political, and economic premises. In accord with that, contemporary cultural premises are in constant flux, dependent upon changes in technology, urbanisation, globalisation, and climate, in addition to a more volatile political field. It is in response to these issues that the nature of artistic practice is constantly changing. For these reasons it is adamant to constantly re-conceptualise the analysis of art and its function in society, where novel ideas and definitions, such as the 'Anthropocene' and the 'posthuman', can be utilised to understand better the situation of art in human society. In this course we re-examine the theoretical premises of contemporary art practice via research of the field of art—historical and contemporary—through research based on the interplay of art with diverse fields of study: history, philosophy, literature, media and film studies, anthropology, political theory, geography, sociology.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

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 16 - 18th 2025 in Harpa, Reykjavík.  Attendance at the Assembly is mandatory as well as attendance in one pre (14th October), and one post Assembly session. 

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

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.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

In this module different approaches to the question of how critical theories can be used to better understand educational institutions, practices and policies will be explored.  The theoretical framework will draw on critical theory scholarship (including but not limited to critical race theory, critical feminist theory, queer theory and critical disability studies) to develop critical education lens with an emphasis on intersectionality and social justice. Educational policies and curricula will be analysed and placed in a human rights context. Special emphasis is placed on how this knowledge can be applied in a broad range of educational settings.

Critical Theories is a required course for graduate students the Department of International studies in education in the Faculty of Education and Diversity at the University of Iceland.

This master-level course provides an in-depth exploration of qualitative research methodologies, with a particular emphasis on their application in social and educational contexts. The course is designed to address students’ methodological needs and equip them with the skills and best practices necessary to design and conduct an original research project, such as an MA thesis. Through a combination of foundational readings, interactive workshops, and collaborative discussions, students will examine and practice different approaches to qualitative methods, with emphasis on data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

‘Violence’ is a common term of everyday life, yet it is not an easy concept to define or understand. The purpose of this course is to explore the manifold manifestations of violence from anthropological perspectives. The anthropologists Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois (2004) argue that violence “can be everything and nothing; legitimate and illegitimate; visible or invisible; necessary or useless; senseless and gratuitous or utterly rational and strategic.” The emphasis of the course is the cultural contexts in which violence occurs and gives it meaning. The focus of the course is the violence of everyday life and its varied manifestations beyond just the physical to consider other forms, such as structural, verbal, textual and representational manifestations of violence. The course will consider theoretical conceptualizations of violence, but also ethical and practical matters of confronting violence in ethnographic research.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

The aim of this course is to make students familiar with new research and discourse in translation studies; regarding for example the role of translation in a globalized world; the function of the translator; the translating process and participants; pros and cons of new translation technology; social, political, cultural and linguistic impact of translation; historical research on translators archives etc. 

This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile ground for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

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”.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, MA students in Comparative literature, Cultural studies and Film studies prepare for their final thesis. The group meets every two weeks during the semester. In the first half of the semester, the focus is on selecting a thesis topic, determining and searching primary sources, formulating a research question and other questions about getting started with a final thesis. Students then turn their attention to the theoretical background for their work and its theoretical basis. This work also involves critical reflection on search methods and approaches to texts. The third part of the course is dedicated to student presentations and discussion, where students and instructors come together to discuss research proposals, give feedback and get constructive criticism. The final product of the course is a report with a research proposal, partial bibliography and commentary on thesis aims, theory and methods. Students are also required to write a working diary describing their preparation process and readings and explaining the relation of different texts to their work. Course evaluation is based on this working diary (20%), class presentation (25%) and final paper (55%).

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

The course is intended for anyone interested in critically examining the role human rights can play in advancing social and ecological wellbeing. It aims to critically and collectively examine dominant systems and structures whose discriminatory and exclusive practices contribute to social and ecological vulnerability.

Students engage in discussions on current social and ecological concerns and apply a critical human rights lens to examine these. A case study approach will be used whereby students analyse relevant topics in local and global contexts that they identify at the start of the course. These may include matters related to asylum seekers and refugees, disability, gender, poverty, and sexuality, and the intersections of these.

 Critical analysis skills and the capacity to situate oneself in relation with diverse perspectives informed by diverse lived realities are encouraged through a relational pedagogical approach.  

 Although taught mainly in English, the universal design aims for accessibility of all students irrespective of language, cultural background, disability, and diverse learning needs. Different materials (written, spoken, visual) will be developed in both Icelandic and English using subtitling and easy read features. These materials will reflect local and global perspectives on human rights and draw on narratives and views of diverse scholars, practitioners, and activists.

The course will focus on fiction from the last 50 years or so that in one way or another straddles the borders of different literary genres, such as the novel and autobiography, historiography, journalism, etc. The students will read historical novels, photographic essays, autobiographical works, fakes and more. The course will introduce theories on literary genres, history of ideas and relationship with trends in literature and literary studies.

The course deals with Iceland's foreign affairs and foreign policy from 1940 to 2018. The aim of the course is to cover all major events in the history of Iceland's foreign affairs during this period such as membership of NATO, the defence and economic relationship with the USA, the cod wars and Nordic and European cooperation. The course also covers the most recent changes which are taking place in Iceland's foreign policy, i.e. more focus on developing aid and human rights. Theories in international studies and small-states studies will be used to analyse the case of Iceland.

The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

This course offers an introduction to inclusive education policy and practic. It explores examples from the history of (special) education, theories and perspectives from disability studies, stigma and othering, democracy and social justice. The course will provide students with basic understanding of heterogeneous group teaching and learning, and how teachers and schools can work with learners with special needs and their families in general education schools and society.

In a historical context art has been the facet of society where innovation and progressive thinking has been of most value. This forward-looking aspect of art has non-the-less always depended upon its historical precedents—previous art practice. It is in this context that contemporary artists are constantly renewing their previous premises. At the same time contemporary art worlds are by nature complex structures—an increasing mix of different media and influences, where artists of necessity are informed by theoretical, social, political, and economic premises. In accord with that, contemporary cultural premises are in constant flux, dependent upon changes in technology, urbanisation, globalisation, and climate, in addition to a more volatile political field. It is in response to these issues that the nature of artistic practice is constantly changing. For these reasons it is adamant to constantly re-conceptualise the analysis of art and its function in society, where novel ideas and definitions, such as the 'Anthropocene' and the 'posthuman', can be utilised to understand better the situation of art in human society. In this course we re-examine the theoretical premises of contemporary art practice via research of the field of art—historical and contemporary—through research based on the interplay of art with diverse fields of study: history, philosophy, literature, media and film studies, anthropology, political theory, geography, sociology.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

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 16 - 18th 2025 in Harpa, Reykjavík.  Attendance at the Assembly is mandatory as well as attendance in one pre (14th October), and one post Assembly session. 

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

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.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

In this module different approaches to the question of how critical theories can be used to better understand educational institutions, practices and policies will be explored.  The theoretical framework will draw on critical theory scholarship (including but not limited to critical race theory, critical feminist theory, queer theory and critical disability studies) to develop critical education lens with an emphasis on intersectionality and social justice. Educational policies and curricula will be analysed and placed in a human rights context. Special emphasis is placed on how this knowledge can be applied in a broad range of educational settings.

Critical Theories is a required course for graduate students the Department of International studies in education in the Faculty of Education and Diversity at the University of Iceland.

This master-level course provides an in-depth exploration of qualitative research methodologies, with a particular emphasis on their application in social and educational contexts. The course is designed to address students’ methodological needs and equip them with the skills and best practices necessary to design and conduct an original research project, such as an MA thesis. Through a combination of foundational readings, interactive workshops, and collaborative discussions, students will examine and practice different approaches to qualitative methods, with emphasis on data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

‘Violence’ is a common term of everyday life, yet it is not an easy concept to define or understand. The purpose of this course is to explore the manifold manifestations of violence from anthropological perspectives. The anthropologists Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois (2004) argue that violence “can be everything and nothing; legitimate and illegitimate; visible or invisible; necessary or useless; senseless and gratuitous or utterly rational and strategic.” The emphasis of the course is the cultural contexts in which violence occurs and gives it meaning. The focus of the course is the violence of everyday life and its varied manifestations beyond just the physical to consider other forms, such as structural, verbal, textual and representational manifestations of violence. The course will consider theoretical conceptualizations of violence, but also ethical and practical matters of confronting violence in ethnographic research.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

The aim of this course is to make students familiar with new research and discourse in translation studies; regarding for example the role of translation in a globalized world; the function of the translator; the translating process and participants; pros and cons of new translation technology; social, political, cultural and linguistic impact of translation; historical research on translators archives etc. 

This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile ground for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

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”.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course examines the influence and outputs of three intellectual currents in Icelandic cultural history from 1975 to 2025. Central to this history is a group of artists and cultural actors who are directly or indirectly associated with the publishing collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd.) and who, each in their own way, have been prominent and influential in Icelandic culture over the past decades. The course will address several key aspects of the artistic and social activities of individuals and smaller groups that can be understood through the concepts named in the course title. The course will discuss, among other things, the literary roots of the group and its connections to surrealism and the avant-garde, as well as the group’s musical roots in the punk scene of the late 1970s. Attention will also be given to the group’s activity in film-making, visual art, and media, as well as their entry into public participation and politics. Finally, the course will examine the paradox between the idea of artistic experimentalism within a small local scene and the rise of an international superstar who works across artistic fields and whose practice bridges popular music and progressive experimental music, as well as music, visual art, technology, and the natural sciences.

The nineteenth century saw the highpoint of colonial expansion around the globe. A handful of European countries owned almost every available inch of the planet´s landmass as well much of its waters. While the European industrial revolutions brought wealth and prosperity to sagging economies, they were founded on the backs of colonial loot and forced market. Many of these dichotomies of wealth and extractionism, burgeoning democracies and impositions of colonial/imperial rule, technological advancement and poverty ridden backwardness, indicate the schizophrenic nature of imperial Europe and the hidden massacres and brutally put down rebellions in its colonies. European nationalism can be read through the crisis of identity as each nation confronts its colonial other and struggles to establish its own self in the wake of its colonial anxieties of race, religion, gender, and body.

This course will follow these themes as they are reflected in the nineteenth century Realist novel in Europe and the newly established US. Through this literature we will follow the trope of marriage as an analogy for the nation, analysing the nature of its heroines, their several suitors, the shadow of colonial rebellions, the constant absent-presence of the ´oriental´ other. Close reading and analysis of the literary texts will be accompanied by critical and theoretical material covering postcolonial and decolonial approaches, theories of violence, and social and cultural contextualisations, all converging on the multiple anxieties that resulted in the invention of ´Europe´.

Students are expected to participate fully in class discussion and will be required to make short presentations and write a final paper.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

This course offers an opportunity to a group of students to take part directly in a democratic consultation and engagement process on ecological restoration in the Icelandic highlands.  Students will be given the task to form proposals on a normative framework for the Icelandic government in policy-making on revegetation and the protection of vegetation in the highlands where questions and concerns about ecological restoration will be in the foreground. The group works with a group of instructors and meets with specialists who will talk about what research tells us about soil, vegetation, grazing and other uses of the highlands. Students will also learn about the differences of opinion about revegetation in Iceland, which have been the source of lively debates for decades. One field trip will be organized for students and the course will end with a deliberative meeting where students are given the common task of forming proposals for the government.  The approach is based on the methodology of citizen juries, which has been used and experimented with in public consultation processes for some time, but there is little experience with them in Iceland.  Evaluation will be based on working diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in meetings and discussion as well as in preparing the final product of the course, proposals for the government

In this course, MA students in Comparative literature, Cultural studies and Film studies prepare for their final thesis. The group meets every two weeks during the semester. In the first half of the semester, the focus is on selecting a thesis topic, determining and searching primary sources, formulating a research question and other questions about getting started with a final thesis. Students then turn their attention to the theoretical background for their work and its theoretical basis. This work also involves critical reflection on search methods and approaches to texts. The third part of the course is dedicated to student presentations and discussion, where students and instructors come together to discuss research proposals, give feedback and get constructive criticism. The final product of the course is a report with a research proposal, partial bibliography and commentary on thesis aims, theory and methods. Students are also required to write a working diary describing their preparation process and readings and explaining the relation of different texts to their work. Course evaluation is based on this working diary (20%), class presentation (25%) and final paper (55%).

In this course, students engage with the works of Jóhann Páll Árnason, whose work has had a major impact on philosophical sociology and contributed to an understanding of modernity and civilization that is gaining growing scholarly attention and recognition. The course is organized around discussions of Árnason’s conception of civilization and modernity, and his writings are read to refine students’ understanding of the nature of modern societies. Students are also encouraged to approach Árnason’s work as an attempt to offer an analysis of contemporary politics and international affairs that is not bound by the theoretical frameworks of either liberalism or Marxism.

The period from the end of the 17th century to the late 19th century has been described in terms of an Oriental Renaissance, a revolution importance  of equal to the Renaissance following the end of the Middle Ages. The research seminar will explore the extensive translations and scholarly publications of the period, thus shedding light on how publications of the narrative, poetic and religious literature of the East by European scholars came to shape the modern concept of literature during the era of Romanticism. Students will deal with translations of works such as Bhagavad-Gītā, Śakuntalā, Zend-Avesta, The Arabian Nights and Tao Te Ching, focusing on their reception history. Students will furthermore read recent writings of scholars as well as shorter texts and textual fragments by authors such as Goethe, Schlegel, Schopenhauer, Novalis, Chateaubriand, Max Müller, Abraham Anquetil and William Jones..

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

A project is selected in consultation with a teacher, and that teacher must approve the student's research plans before she or he is permitted to register for a study of this kind.

The course is intended for anyone interested in critically examining the role human rights can play in advancing social and ecological wellbeing. It aims to critically and collectively examine dominant systems and structures whose discriminatory and exclusive practices contribute to social and ecological vulnerability.

Students engage in discussions on current social and ecological concerns and apply a critical human rights lens to examine these. A case study approach will be used whereby students analyse relevant topics in local and global contexts that they identify at the start of the course. These may include matters related to asylum seekers and refugees, disability, gender, poverty, and sexuality, and the intersections of these.

 Critical analysis skills and the capacity to situate oneself in relation with diverse perspectives informed by diverse lived realities are encouraged through a relational pedagogical approach.  

 Although taught mainly in English, the universal design aims for accessibility of all students irrespective of language, cultural background, disability, and diverse learning needs. Different materials (written, spoken, visual) will be developed in both Icelandic and English using subtitling and easy read features. These materials will reflect local and global perspectives on human rights and draw on narratives and views of diverse scholars, practitioners, and activists.

The course will focus on fiction from the last 50 years or so that in one way or another straddles the borders of different literary genres, such as the novel and autobiography, historiography, journalism, etc. The students will read historical novels, photographic essays, autobiographical works, fakes and more. The course will introduce theories on literary genres, history of ideas and relationship with trends in literature and literary studies.

The course deals with Iceland's foreign affairs and foreign policy from 1940 to 2018. The aim of the course is to cover all major events in the history of Iceland's foreign affairs during this period such as membership of NATO, the defence and economic relationship with the USA, the cod wars and Nordic and European cooperation. The course also covers the most recent changes which are taking place in Iceland's foreign policy, i.e. more focus on developing aid and human rights. Theories in international studies and small-states studies will be used to analyse the case of Iceland.

The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

This course offers an introduction to inclusive education policy and practic. It explores examples from the history of (special) education, theories and perspectives from disability studies, stigma and othering, democracy and social justice. The course will provide students with basic understanding of heterogeneous group teaching and learning, and how teachers and schools can work with learners with special needs and their families in general education schools and society.

In a historical context art has been the facet of society where innovation and progressive thinking has been of most value. This forward-looking aspect of art has non-the-less always depended upon its historical precedents—previous art practice. It is in this context that contemporary artists are constantly renewing their previous premises. At the same time contemporary art worlds are by nature complex structures—an increasing mix of different media and influences, where artists of necessity are informed by theoretical, social, political, and economic premises. In accord with that, contemporary cultural premises are in constant flux, dependent upon changes in technology, urbanisation, globalisation, and climate, in addition to a more volatile political field. It is in response to these issues that the nature of artistic practice is constantly changing. For these reasons it is adamant to constantly re-conceptualise the analysis of art and its function in society, where novel ideas and definitions, such as the 'Anthropocene' and the 'posthuman', can be utilised to understand better the situation of art in human society. In this course we re-examine the theoretical premises of contemporary art practice via research of the field of art—historical and contemporary—through research based on the interplay of art with diverse fields of study: history, philosophy, literature, media and film studies, anthropology, political theory, geography, sociology.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

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 16 - 18th 2025 in Harpa, Reykjavík.  Attendance at the Assembly is mandatory as well as attendance in one pre (14th October), and one post Assembly session. 

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

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.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

In this module different approaches to the question of how critical theories can be used to better understand educational institutions, practices and policies will be explored.  The theoretical framework will draw on critical theory scholarship (including but not limited to critical race theory, critical feminist theory, queer theory and critical disability studies) to develop critical education lens with an emphasis on intersectionality and social justice. Educational policies and curricula will be analysed and placed in a human rights context. Special emphasis is placed on how this knowledge can be applied in a broad range of educational settings.

Critical Theories is a required course for graduate students the Department of International studies in education in the Faculty of Education and Diversity at the University of Iceland.

This master-level course provides an in-depth exploration of qualitative research methodologies, with a particular emphasis on their application in social and educational contexts. The course is designed to address students’ methodological needs and equip them with the skills and best practices necessary to design and conduct an original research project, such as an MA thesis. Through a combination of foundational readings, interactive workshops, and collaborative discussions, students will examine and practice different approaches to qualitative methods, with emphasis on data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

‘Violence’ is a common term of everyday life, yet it is not an easy concept to define or understand. The purpose of this course is to explore the manifold manifestations of violence from anthropological perspectives. The anthropologists Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois (2004) argue that violence “can be everything and nothing; legitimate and illegitimate; visible or invisible; necessary or useless; senseless and gratuitous or utterly rational and strategic.” The emphasis of the course is the cultural contexts in which violence occurs and gives it meaning. The focus of the course is the violence of everyday life and its varied manifestations beyond just the physical to consider other forms, such as structural, verbal, textual and representational manifestations of violence. The course will consider theoretical conceptualizations of violence, but also ethical and practical matters of confronting violence in ethnographic research.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

The aim of this course is to make students familiar with new research and discourse in translation studies; regarding for example the role of translation in a globalized world; the function of the translator; the translating process and participants; pros and cons of new translation technology; social, political, cultural and linguistic impact of translation; historical research on translators archives etc.