UHI Institute for Northern Studies welcomed Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy Stephen Gethins MSP to Orkney on Thursday 13 August.

During the visit, the minister heard about the institute’s internationally significant research and teaching across areas including sustainable development, Scottish heritage and island studies.

Professor Donna Heddle, Director of UHI Institute for Northern Studies, welcomed the minister alongside Dr Beth Mouat, UHI Dean of Research and Innovation; Professor Alex Sanmark and Professor Andrew Jennings from the institute; Ali Hepburn from UHI Orkney; and Inga Burton from Orkney Islands Council.

Professor Heddle said: 

“It was a pleasure to welcome Minister Stephen Gethins to the UHI Institute for Northern Studies and share some of the important work our staff are undertaking across the Highlands and Islands and beyond.

“We have forged strong relationships with universities, researchers and organisations across Europe and the North Atlantic. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to discuss these partnerships and demonstrate how our research is contributing to a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing northern and island communities.”

The minister received an update on the institute’s recent and ongoing work with the University of the Arctic Thematic Networks, including its OCEAN Workshop. The event brought together speakers from around the world to examine the challenges facing island communities and help shape plans for a major research project.

Topics explored during the workshop included innovative marine planning, science tourism, youth engagement in fishing and other ocean-related activities, renewable energy, conflict resolution and community involvement. Participants also considered how interdisciplinary collaboration could strengthen connections between northern and Arctic Island communities.

The visit also highlighted UHI’s work in Arctic pedagogy, Orkney Islands Council’s Arctic priorities and the institute’s partnerships with universities across Europe.

These include Heritage in Depopulated European Areas, a collaborative research project involving Charles University in Prague and Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania.

The project examines how population decline in Europe’s peripheral areas contributes to the loss of intangible culture and the abandonment and deterioration of buildings and landscapes. It also explores how communities adapt to changing circumstances and power structures, and how policy, regulation and access to economic resources influence people’s experiences and interactions.

Find out more about UHI Institute for Northern Studies.