Welcome to Sarah – our new student representative at UNIS!

Hi, my name is Sarah Alicia Frericks and I am currently an exchange student, taking Arctic biology courses at UNIS this summer and fall. I grew up in Berlin, Germany and decided to come to Norway in 2021 to start my biology bachelor’s degree at Nord University in Bodø. Now, I am excited to be in Svalbard to broaden my horizon and to learn more about the Arctic and its beauty we should protect. My main interest lays in physiology and in the understanding of the connections within on system as a whole; specifically, in how a certain species and preferably vertebrates, are adapted and connected to it. I enjoy learning science in an applied and vivid way through fieldwork, being outside to see the connections and learning theory with my own eyes instead of sitting inside listening to it only. bioCEED gives me the chance to get more insights of the learning environment, which is a quite unique system and positively add on to the learning atmosphere here on Svalbard. I enjoy a lot that professors and other people working/studying at UNIS including their knowledge are so easily accessible for us students which expands the learning outcome significantly.

I would like to get to know more from master and PhD students who have a story to tell, to get a better insight in the professional world of research and other opportunities for an academic career. Therefore, I am happy to organise UNISbreakfast to make sure other students get to hear it too.