First year Geographer chosen to join Arctic Expedition

First-year BA Geography student Dan Nicholson writes about his upcoming trip.

The sun setting over the Arctic.

The following article was written by first-year BA Geography student Dan Nicholson:

Dan Nicholson in sunglasses

Dan Nicholson

I am currently in the first year of my BA Geography and enjoy it thoroughly. I have been given an opportunity by the organisation Students on Ice to travel to the Arctic on an expedition. The programme consists of educators and students from all over the globe, with the aim of giving a transformative education experience with students taking the skills and knowledge they’ve learned back to their everyday lives.

The expedition involves two weeks on and off a ship exploring the Arctic, starting in Greenland and finishing in the Canadian Arctic. On the trip, we will be exploring the fjords, tundra and communities of the Arctic. This will be carried out through workshops, presentations and hands-on activities. We will work with the Indigenous people of the Arctic, learn about their way of life and understand how their knowledge contributes to the sustainability of the Arctic and planet. The programme also aims to illustrate the global interconnectedness of the human and natural world through many different themes such as geopolitics, history, culture, arts, social sciences and earth sciences. While on the expedition to the Arctic I hope to observe and fully understand the issues I’ve learned about at the University of Sheffield, especially the direct effect of climate change on the region.

I was informed of the Arctic expedition by the Geography department, which suggested to apply if we want a chance to get involved with the amazing experience. The application process required thought out answers to questions about myself, the Arctic and why I wanted to get involved with the expedition. I am very grateful to my friends, family and the Geography staff, who have helped me with the application of the expedition and supported me throughout. I look forward to reporting back on how it goes this summer.

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