I’m very grateful to Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) students Erika Tonhauser and Jessica Greig for their lovely comments about our first Scotland Model Arctic Council (SCOTMAC), in which they participated as delegates—as well as for their recommendation to fellow students to take part in the second SCOTMAC this coming March!  In a recent GCU article, Erika had this to say:

I feel very honoured; I was celebrating a little when I learned I got a place.  SCOTMAC is an incredible networking and knowledge sharing opportunity which I gained a lot from.  Meeting students from Scottish, Irish as well as Oxford and Cambridge universities who are studying a wide range of subjects from politics to marine science and many other, and debating with them on such important issues was a fantastic learning curve for me. SCOTMAC was probably one of the best things I got involved in through my degree so far.

And Jessica had this to say:

It was great to be involved and I learned so much about the Arctic.  It was pointed out at the beginning that most people regard the Arctic as a sort of barren wasteland with starving polar bears, without understanding there are many Indigenous communities that live there and call it home.  I have to say, I was guilty of just thinking of the polar bears prior to taking part in this event, and now I have such a deeper understanding of the Arctic, the people that inhabit it, and the challenges it faces from climate change.

If you’re an undergraduate student, I hope you’ll take Erika and Jessica’s advice and apply for your place in SCOTMAC 2!  Many thanks once again to the Scottish Government for supporting SCOTMAC 2 through the Arctic Connections Fund.