This document discusses how education and research activities impact rural areas in Iceland. It examines the knowledge society system, rural development system, and sustainability system individually and together in Westfjords and East Iceland. While higher education and research institutions have increased, migration from rural areas has not stopped. The conclusion is that concepts of quality of life and social sustainability should be considered, not just linking education and research to economic goals. Rural women in particular experience barriers that limit their opportunities and access to power.

1. Do education and research activities
matter in rural areas?
Anna Guðrún Edvardsdóttir
Ph.D student at School of Education
University of Iceland

2. Myself
• Born in Reykjavík
• Lived in a small town (Bolungarvík) in
Northwest Iceland for 24 years
• Was a teacher and a principal at the local
compulsory school
• Was chairman of the municipality
• Was chairman of the Association of the
municipalities of the Westfjords

3. The research questions – main study
• The guiding research question:
What aspects of the knowledge society system have an effect on
the rural development system and sustainability system in rural
communities in Iceland and Scotland?
• The subquestions are:
1. How do the knowledge society system, the rural development system and the
sustainability system work individually and together and how do they affect each
other?
2. What is the educational, sociological and political discourse about the three
systems in Iceland and in Scotland?
3. Do East Iceland and Westfjords in Iceland and the Highlands and Islands in
Soctland function differently in any way? If yes/no, how and why?

4. The research areas in Iceland

5. The research area in Scotland

6. Westfjords
10000
10500
9722
6955
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1971 1981 1991 2011
population
College
established
in Ísafjörður
1970
1976 -1980: Stern
trawlers in every
fishing community.
Snow-avalances
in Patreksfjörður
1982
Establishment of
the quota system
in 1983
1987 – 1993:
Difficulties in the
fishing industry, several
businesses go bankrupt
In 199 1transfer of quota between
companies allowed
In 1995 snow
avalances in
Súðavík and
Flateyri
First research
institute, Natural
History
Institute, established
The University
Center of the
Westfjords
established in 2005

7. East Iceland
11,316
12953 13187
13975
12360
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
1971 1981 1991 2007 2011
College
established in
Egilsstaðir in
1979
Snow avalances in
Neskaupstaður 1974
1976 - 1980.
Stern trawlers in
every
community
Establishment of
the quota system
in 1983
In 1991 transfer of
quota between
companies allowed
First research
institute, Natural
History Institute
established in 1995
The East Iceland
Knowledge
Network
established in 2006
The power plant and the
aluminium plant was
launched in 2007

8. Westfjords
• Fishing industry relies on
demersal fish
• Agriculture small
• Other natural resources
limited
• Tourist sector small

9. East Iceland
• Fishing industry relies
both on demersal fish
and pelagic
• Agriculture substantial
• Waterfalls suitable for
electricity
• Aluminium plant
• Tourist industry bigger
than in the Westfjords

10. University students in Iceland
1997 - 2011
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
N
u
m
b
e
r

11. Distance learning students in Iceland
1997 - 2011
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
N
u
m
b
e
r

12. Distance learning students in
Westfjords and East Iceland 1997-2006
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Westfjords
East Iceland

13. Knowlege and research institutions in
Iceland
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
N
u
m
b
e
r
Westfjords
East Iceland

14. The knowledge society s development
• Development of KS has been used as a
governmental tool for rural development
• Is believed to be a foundation for powerful economy
• Is linked to employment matters
• Is presented as a tool to reverse migration from rural
areas
– What about sustainable rural communities and well-being
of rural people?

15. Sustainability
The radical view of a nested systems for
understanding factors of sustainability.
Re-interpretation of the nested model of
sustainable development

16. Social sustainability, higher education and
rural development
• Involves an individual‟s capacity to contribute to his/her
own and the community‟s well-being.
• Involves a community‟s capacity to engage in collective
action in order to improve and sustain a quality of life.
• All this happens in the framework the environment sets.
• The environment can both be a challenge and a
resource.

17. Social sustainability, higher education and
rural development
• Higher education and research can play a big role in
social sustainability.
• Universities need to have distance learners in mind when
they plan research projects and study lines, not only what
is “suitable” for the rural areas.
• Universities need to develop a curriculum which nurtures
sustainable knowledge, skills and values.
• Sustainable education - transformative learning

18. Population in Westfjords 1998 - 2012
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Total
Males
Females

19. Population in East Iceland 1998 - 2012
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
Total
Males
Females

20. University students – gender
perspectives 1997 - 2010
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
Alls
Karlar
Konur

21. Distance learning students in
Westfjords 1997 - 2006
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Total
Males
Females

22. Distance learning students in East
Iceland 1997 - 2006
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Total
Males
Females

23. Rural women
• Research has shown that rural women:
– live in communities that favour male values
– have more responsibility for the household
– have less „action space‟
– have fewer opportunities
– have limited access to the area‟s rescources
– do not have the same access to power in local politics
– use higher education to strengthen their status
– decide on the family residence

24. Conclusions
• The RDP emhasise higher education and research
activities as key players in regional development.
• In spite of increased number of research institutions
and development of distance learning the migration
from rural areas has not stopped.
• We need to look at the concept “quality of life” or “the
good life”.
• Stop linking higher education and research activities
to the economy.
• Consider social sustainability.