News and Events
Staff Member's Erasmus visit to Alta, Norway - 400km north of the Artic Circle.
Dr. Patricia Kennedy recently visited the world's northernmost settlement, 1000km from the North Pole, as well as Unviersity of Tromsø, in Norway.
Dr. Patricia Kennedy, from the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC recently visited the Dept. of Child Welfare and Social Work in the University of Tromsø (UiT The Arctic University of Norway Campus) in Alta, Norway. Alta is 400km north of the Arctic Circle.
Her objective was to develop links with scholars in Alta, to explore shared interests regarding teaching, research and publication with a particular focus on synergies between those interested in marginalised people including minorities/ethnicity/migration and social and human rights. She gave a lecture on participatory research with Roma in Ireland. Last year she spent time in Norway including volunteering at Riddu Riddu International Indigenous festival, in Kåfjord, Norway where she met with people to discuss Sámi culture. Patricia's own research involves conducting participatory research with Irish Travellers and Roma.
Patricia lectures on the UCC's Early Years & Children Studies degree and co-ordinates a module on Creative Spaces and Places. Her lectures focus on 'blue' and 'green' health and the Norwegian philosophy of Friluftsliv - 'open air living' .
In Alta she visited the university's kindergarden to experience first hand 'Friluftsliv', where the children were playing happily in minus 4 degrees. The children ranged in age from 2 to 6 years.
She travelled further north to Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost settlement, 1000km from the North Pole where children were playing outdoors in minus 8 degrees.
For more on this story contact:
For further information email Patricia - patricia.kennedy@ucc.ie