2nd Partner Presentation (UW)

We would like to introduce the partners involved in the LostToClimate Research Project. The 2nd partner to be presented is the University Centre of the Westfjords (UW Iceland).

📍 Location

The University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) is located in Ísafjörður, the capital of Iceland’s remote and stunning Westfjords region. This location places UW at the heart of Arctic coastal communities, making it uniquely positioned to contribute to climate-related research and education.

🎓 About UW

UW is a dynamic and independent higher education institution offering international master’s programs focused on sustainability, coastal development, and marine management. Its programs include Coastal and Marine Management (MRM) and Coastal Communities and Regional Development (MA). These programs are designed to be modular and flexible, allowing students to engage deeply with local and global sustainability challenges. UW emphasises field-based learning, community engagement, and interdisciplinary approaches, making it a transformative academic environment.

🌿 Role in LostToClimate

UW is a key partner in the LostToClimate project, which investigates unavoidable non-economic losses due to climate change in Arctic communities. These losses include impacts on cultural heritage, psychosocial well-being, and community identity. UW contributes its regional expertise, community connections, and research capacity to help understand and address these complex issues. 

The Icelandic team in LostToClimate consists of Matthias Kokorsch and Johanna Gisladottir.

Matthias Kokorsch is the research specialist at UW. He is the former Academic Director of the Coastal Communities and Regional Development program at UW. With a PhD in Geography from the University of Iceland, his research focuses on community resilience, place attachment, and climate adaptation in remote Nordic regions. He leads and contributes to several Nordic-funded projects, including CliCNord. His work bridges academic inquiry with real-world impact, particularly in small communities facing environmental and socio-economic challenges.

Johanna Gisladottir is an assistant professor affiliated with the Agricultural University of Iceland. She holds a joint PhD in Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Iceland’s Faculty of Political Science and in Geography from Stockholm University. With an interdisciplinary background, her research focuses on the interface between policy and environmental issues. In collaboration with Dr. Kokorsch, she has employed innovative methods to examine how climate change influences remote communities.