On Friday, 9 May 2025, biologist Alessandra Schnider successfully defended her PhD thesis at Hólar University, “Phenotypic plasticity in Mývatn threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus): response to temperature and diet within and across generations”. Through an ambitious multi-generation rearing experiment, she showed how the interplay of temperature, food availability and genetics shapes morphology, behaviour and gene expression—not only in individual fish but also in their descendants. Her results provide fresh insight into the adaptive capacity of organisms in a changing world and will aid more targeted conservation and management of wild fish populations.

On April 7–8, 2025, the Department of Equine Studies at Hólum University hosted a small conference in the newly renovated sports hall of the main building. The event also served as a harvest festival for the students. Eleven students in their final year of the BS program in riding and riding instruction, along with one master's student, presented their research findings from their final projects. Diverse and informative discussions emerged on topics related to the Icelandic horse and riders, and the university warmly thanked all who attended the event for their participation.

Ph.D. student Deisi Maricato and Associate Professor Dr. Jessica Aquino from Hólar University have released a report on international higher education competencies and teaching frameworks. Part of the Heimahöfn project and funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Iceland, the study reviews global practices and evaluates educator training in Iceland... The findings of this study emphasize the importance of supporting professional development in both formal and informal environments, particularly in enhancing and developing pedagogical competencies. Furthermore, the results suggest the need for more structured professional development programs that improve teaching skills and contribute to the quality of higher education in Iceland. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the discussion on the significance of promoting professional development of higher education teachers, both in formal and informal settings, while encouraging critical reflection on the current state of professional development frameworks in Iceland.

The project „Nám í lagareldi“ (Education in Aquaculture) was funded with 65 million ISK.

The Teaching Academy of the Public Universities will hold its annual conference in Veröld – House of Vigdís, on Friday 22 November 2024 from 9:00 to 16:00.

The Nordic Biodiversity Framework is a new collaborative project that examines the implementation of the COP15 Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework targets in policy in the Nordic region.

Meghan came to Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. She also worked on a project with Youth for Arctic Nature led by Dr. Jessica Aquino (of Hólar University) in Iceland and in Norway.

Here's a note from Gabrielle Ladurée, Ph.D. student, about her summer fieldwork experience in the Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology at Hólar University.