University of Iceland’s philosophy students

We welcomed a group of philosophy students from the University of Iceland to one of our regular vísindaferð gatherings to chat about university studies in the U.S., the role of embassies, and any other topic that comes up. We had an interesting and wide-ranging discussion on topics such as alleged U.S. monitoring of e-mails, Syria, the role of technology, the U.S. role in the world, democracy, and we even got into video gaming. All in all, it was an excellent exchange and an opportunity for these students to raise questions directly with us and to have a fair hearing of our views. These events are always thought provoking and good opportunity for reflection.

En Islandia se habla español

We welcomed a group of students from the University of Iceland. They are majoring in Spanish and it gave me an opportunity to test their skills and practice mine. The group was diverse and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them. I was impressed by their skill level. We used the opportunity to encourage them to consider advancing their education in the United States, as well as to talk to them about the strength of U.S.-Icelandic relations.

A visit to the Song of the Whale

 I had the pleasure of paying a visit to the Song of the Whale, a research ship owned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).  The Song of the Whale works around Iceland on a regular basis to conduct and demonstrate the effectiveness of non-lethal cetacean research.   We were treated to some of the recordings made by whales and dolphins.  Much of the ship’s work in Iceland is conducted in cooperation with the University of Iceland.