2025 Summer School: Remote Communities in Transition

Spatial Analysis & Geovisualisation Research Group at the University of Iceland

2025 Summer School: Remote Communities in Transition

Islands as Laboratories for Sustainability (ISLAs)
Remote Communities in Transition

Methodologically and scientifically, islands serve as ideal ‘laboratories’ for examining the intricate interplay of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Moreover, their isolated nature makes them key sites for exploring how remote communities adapt to the pressures of modern transitions, from environmental changes to socio-economic shifts.
Co-organised by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Islands and Sustainability (ISLANDS), the University Centre of the Westfjords, and the University of Iceland, the ISLAs Summer School 2025 will take place in person in the Westfjords of Iceland from June 28th to July 6th 2025.


During the summer school, participants will explore key topics around the transitions faced by remote island communities, with a focus on socio-economic adaptations, environmental sustainability, and cultural resilience. The Westfjords region of Iceland, with its striking natural beauty, sparse population, and history of remote community life, provides a compelling backdrop for this summer school. Participants will study these concepts academically and experience firsthand the realities of communities in transition. This immersive experience will deepen their understanding of sustainability, resilience, and the cultural challenges of remote living.
The main teaching activities will take place in the University Centre of the Westfjords in the town on Isafjörður, with excursions to local villages and natural sites. This provides a unique combination of academic engagement and real-world application, giving participants insights into the complex issues surrounding sustainability and resilience in remote island communities.
The main part of the ISLAs Summer School 2025 will take place from Saturday, June 28th to Sunday, July 6th starting in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland. The programme will also include a series of preparatory virtual tasks and meetings in June, and will formally conclude with the submission of a report due at the end of July.

Application Deadline: 23 February 2025
(rolling admission, spaces are limited to 20 participants)

More information and application form:
Islands as Laboratories for Sustainability Summer School 2025