CLIMATE AND EARTH
SYSTEM SCIENCES
Photo: UHH/Denstorf
21 April 2022
Photo: private
Amruta Vurakaranam, one of our students in the Master's program Integrated Climate System Sciences, spent the past semester on Spitsbergen in Norway. Read here about her exciting experiences!
I came across UNIS before I even applied to SICCS. I checked with the then master’s program
coordinator, Katja Grannis, if I would be able to go there in case I got selected. It was a pleasant
surprise to find out that a few students from SICCS had already gone to Spitsbergen. I got some
really helpful advice from Lena Nicola and Alec Sherril, both of whom were in the 2nd year of
their master’s program, about the application process and going there too. The UNIS office was
also quick in replying to my queries.
Since I am an international student, the preparations began quite early as I had to check for my
finances and resident permit status. With the pandemic, things were a bit uncertain too. But my
preparation started about 6 months before I went to Spitsbergen, in terms of application,
acceptance, and administrative work. I also had to make some personal preparation with
respect to permits, health insurance etc.
UNIS does not have a tuition fee, but one does have to look after their own living expenses.
Unfortunately, they do not have a scholarship for this. But one can also take up part time jobs in
the town if they have the time to cover some of their expenses.
I had classes from 9 to 4 almost everyday except for when we had fieldwork. I lived with my
peers in the student dorms close to the university. It was no surprise that my peers and I
became a tight-knit group as we cooked, attended classes and hung out together pretty much
all the time. Our coursework was quite intense but we managed to find some time to do hikes on
the weekends and also involve ourselves in various sports. This was quite different from my life
in Hamburg because when I started the master’s, Germany was in full lockdown. Although, my
SICCS classmates and I managed to get to know each other during this time, all our classes
were online. It was great to be able to go for classes in person again :)
Living in a cold, sometimes all-night, sometimes-all-day environment changes your perspective.
Seeing the ice, polar animals and the northern lights was super fascinating. Going hiking in such
cold temperatures was also a first for me. But what struck me the most was that the children
who grow up in the town don’t get to climb or see trees as much, as the soil is entirely
permafrost!
We had field work as part of our courses for a couple of weeks. We took simple measurements
such as temperature and wind speed. This gave us a whole lot of information about the
processes occurring in that area. We used this data for our own projects. To be able to do
practical work in a special place like Svalbard was quite grounding. It was a great introduction to
field sciences and ethics as well. Plus, it made me confident about my choice to pursue climate
physics.
I ended up making some amazing friends with whom I have shared unforgettable experiences.
I don’t think I would have enjoyed the spectacle that Svalbard is without any of them. I also
started appreciating the sun and light more :)