Islands Matter Faroes and Shetland Research Symposia

We held a series of online research symposia jointly developed by colleagues at the Institute for Northern Studies, UHI Shetland and the University of the Faroe Islands.

The first of a series of research symposia jointly developed by colleagues in UHI Shetland and the University of the Faroe Islands was held on the 22 September 2023 1pm to 4pm Online.

The Islands Matter Symposium brings together researchers from the Faroe Islands and from Shetland. The first symposium focused on the history, culture and heritage of the two island groups, exploring relationships, similarities and differences. There was a series of presentations of current research, and the opportunity for questions and lively discussion. It will be the springboard for further research and the development of research partnerships, reconnecting the two archipelagos.

On the 3 November, 1pm to 4pm Online, there was a second symposium, which took a more contemporary slant, exploring current research into fish science, island education, migration and politics.

Speakers 22 September 2023

• Viveka Velupillai - Shaetlan and its status as a mixed language.
• Mark Smith - Jakob Jakobsen’s sister, Anna Horsbøl.
• Brian Smith – Shetlanders’ attitudes to the Faroes over the past 200 years
• Simon Clarke – Archaeology on the Edge of Europe
• John Goodlad - The cultural connection between the Faroese and Shetlanders during the time of the Faroe cod smacks
• Jenny Murray – St Magnus in Shetland and Faroe
• Erling Isholm - Shetland as a model for Faroese modernisation
• Jógvan í Lon Jacobsen - Consequences of purism in language in the Faroes