UHI Institute for Northern Studies Welcomes New Scholars: Advancing Research in Island Studies
The University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies is pleased to announce the appointment of two new UHI Visiting Associate Professors and one UHI Visiting Research Fellow to Island Studies.
Dr Laurie Brinklow, Assistant Professor, University of Prince Edward Island, and Dr Gerard Prinsen, Associate Professor, University of New Zealand, have been appointed UHI Visiting Professors, while Dr Laufey Haraldsdóttir, Assistant Professor at Hólar University in Iceland, has been appointed as UHI Visiting Research Fellow.
Dr Laurie Brinklow is a writer, editor, and former book publisher of Charlottetown’s Acorn Press. She is the Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) programme at the University of Prince Edward Island and Chair of the Institute of Island Studies Executive Committee. Her research focuses on islandness and island identity, including the power of place and story.
In 2018, Dr Brinklow was awarded the Hessian Merit Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Sessional Instructor at the University of Prince Edward Island. In 2022, her second book of poetry, ‘ My island’s the house I sleep in at night’, received the Prince Edward Island Book Award for Poetry.
Dr Gerard Prinsen is an Associate Professor at the School of People, Environment, and Planning at the University of New Zealand. His research focuses on bridging the gap between practitioners and researchers in development programs. He is particularly interested in development policies and politics, as well as teaching and researching development work.
Dr Laufey Haraldsdóttir is an Assistant Professor at Hólar University in Iceland, specialising in Qualitative Social Sciences, Rural Tourism Studies, and Ethnology. Her latest research focuses on Culinary Tourism in Northern Iceland, examining how external changes have driven internal transformations in small island communities. She has also investigated visitor behaviours and resident perspectives in remote Arctic island destinations, as well as the meaning and manifestations of sustainable coastal tourism in northwest Iceland.
UHI Institute for Northern Studies Professor in Island Studies, Andrew Jennings added, “I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues on further developing the profile of Island Studies within INS, collaborating in the coming years on a range of innovative research projects. Our goal is to contribute to the development of effective policy frameworks that support sustainable island communities around the globe. By combining our expertise and resources, we aim to address the unique challenges faced by these communities, while also exploring new strategies that promote environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and social equity. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the future of island sustainability and share our findings with stakeholders and policymakers worldwide.”