It's week three of the Glaciology course, and that means the topic is computer modelling; I share the teaching with my colleague Dr Nick Hulton, from the University of Edinburgh. It's the third year we've been coming to UNIS to teach on the course, and it's always an enjoyable experience.
This year, we have 27 students from 10 countries, including, of course, six from Swansea. The Swansea contingent seem to have taken to Arctic life with great enthusiasm, and are really relishing everything you can do here – both work and recreation! And I can see they're enjoying meeting and working with so many other students who are doing the same kind of work.
Glaciology is a friendly field, and you certainly experience that at UNIS. The material we cover this week is pretty challenging, but everyone's really keen to get to grips with it, so it's fun to teach.
I arrived in Svalbard just in time for last week's excursion. It was pretty spectacular, and a good chance for me to get to know the group a bit before we began teaching yesterday. Everyone was terribly excited when we saw the sun, in some cases for the first time in three months. I'm not sure I'd cope very well with that!
The descent from the first pass, down the Bergmeisterbreen glacier, was stunning, and then we travelled along Reindalen, one of the many beautiful broad valleys that cut across Spitsbergen.
On Thursday, I had my chance to go on the UNIS Safety Course with some of the resident UNIS staff and postgraduates.
Because my research is focused on computer modelling of ice sheets and climate, I usually don't visit the Arctic, except when I come to UNIS. So, I need the safety training just like the students do.
Svalbard has many hazards – crevasses on glaciers, fragile sea ice, and the risk of avalanches – but I think the threat from polar bears is the one that exercises the imagination the most.
The chances of encountering a bear are small, but it's essential to be prepared, because, if you do meet one, escaping may not be an option. If a bear attacks, a rifle is the only effective defence.
So, the main practical part of the safety course is about using firearms, and we headed up the hill above the airport to have some hands-on experience. The shooting range was very cold, with a bitter wind, so I was glad when we were done.
I can't say I really feel happy handling firearms, but at least I know how to use a rifle safely, should the need arise. Of course, we all hope it won't be necessary. It's reassuring to know that the UNIS logistics staff who travel with us on excursions are experienced in all aspects of Arctic safety, including shooting.
Since then, Nick and I have been working hard, putting the finishing touches to the week's lectures and practicals, updating things from last year, and generally making sure everything goes smoothly.
We take a break from teaching tomorrow to go with the students on a trip to the Von Post Breen glacier. I'm looking forward to it!
Dr Ian Rutt is a Lecturer in Glaciology in Swansea University’s School of the Environment and Society. He is teaching parts of the glaciology course in Svalbard, alongside other specialists from Alaska, Edinburgh, and Norway.