The third semester has ended, so it is time to look back and evaluate—what was good, what was bad, and what was ugly of the third semester Risk Analysis, Governance track at UIS.
AS-302 Arctic Safety at the UNIS
It was a great experience, and I am very glad I went on this program. The courses at UNIS are given in sequence, not parallel, like at most other universities. This means that the course at UNIS was full-time, and the other two courses came in addition to that. I also worked about 15 hours a week, and I wanted to explore Svalbard as well. This made it an intense seven weeks, but it was definitely worth it.
The Good
The technical or ‘logistics’ team, as they call it at UNIS, is very experienced and eager to share their knowledge. It was a pleasure to work with them in the field.
The atmosphere was great. Students and staff all wanted to have a good and safe experience. Everyone was very like-minded and helpful to one another.
Input from students on is appreciated. Evaluations are taken seriously.
Good and modern campus facility. Good student housing and helpful staff.
The Bad
The organisation, especially the communication with students at UNIS, is not so good. From what I understand, this is mainly because UNIS doesn’t have access to the management systems that universities have (UNIS is a campus, not a university). This causes information to arrive late. Also, the course content was changed at the last minute, so you don’t really know what you sign up for.
The teaching was better than UIS’s, but it was still not as good as in the Netherlands (University of Groningen). Simple things, such as incomplete slides, spelling mistakes, and long, irrelevant anecdotes, have, in my opinion, no place in a master’s course.
Although UIS promotes the UNIS courses, there is little to no support for combining courses at UIS with UNIS. Some professors will be very helpful, while others simply state that you can not follow their course if you are not physically present.
The Ugly
Longyearbyen is not the prettiest town. The local government prohibits almost all new buildings, so all businesses use shipping containers for ‘temporary’ expansion. In this way, Norway can exercise influence over who can live in Longyearbyen. It is not an international visa-free safe haven, as it might initially seem to be.
”Climate change is the most visible on Svalbard, and living on Svalbard contributes the most to it”
The nature on Svalbard is amazing to experience, but living on Svalbard or even only visiting has a significant ecological footprint. Almost all the food is flown in, the sewage goes straight into the sea, and the whole town is heated by diesel. Climate change is the most visible on Svalbard, and living on Svalbard contributes the most to it.
RIS 650 Enterprise Risk Management
It’s an interesting topic, but the teaching was below par. Enterprise Risk Management is a highly relevant topic. It is a sought-after skill and a great subject to have followed before working life.
The Good
Relevant and sought-after in work life. Good skill to have when looking for jobs in the risk management field.
Practical. Guest lectures provided tools and methods that can be implemented right away.
Freedom to pick a subject. We could pick the organisation we wanted to analyse ourselves.
The Bad
The professor showed up late for class multiple times. The lectures ‘red tread’ were hard to follow. Course information was communicated late and incompletely.
The Ugly
Making money and preventing losses are what it comes down to in this course. It makes sense; this is what businesses want to know from their risk officer. But it’s not necessarily the most fulfilling subject of analysis.
RIS-615 Applied Risk Management
I haven’t attended many courses, most of which took place while I was still on Svalbard. However, the professor was very supportive by providing digital guiding sessions. The course literature focuses on ISO norms, which are relevant to working life.
The Good
Relevant and sought-after in work life. Good skill to have when looking for jobs in the risk management field.
Practical. Guest lectures provided tools and methods that can be implemented right away.
Guidance. Well-organised, to-the-point guidance and feedback.
The Bad
There is not much to say here; the course focuses on one of two fictitious cases. This might not be ideal if one finds it hard to analyse something that isn’t real, but it can be a plus if one doesn’t mind using a bit of creativity.
The Ugly
Groupwork, gotta love groupwork.
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