On March 14, 2024, NordicHouse was visited by Hannes Heimisson – Iceland’s ambassador to Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania based in Warsaw. The aim of the visit was to establish closer contacts with NordicHouse, and especially to explore the possibilities of promoting trade cooperation between Poland and Iceland through NordicHouse. During the meeting, the partners discussed joint involvement in projects related to environmental protection and renewable energy, especially in the use of energy from hydropower and geothermal power plants.
Iceland is the world leader in obtaining energy from renewable energy sources and is unlikely to lose its position to another country in the near future. There are two reasons for this state of affairs. The first is related to the level of results currently achieved by Iceland. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), a few years ago (2018) the electricity produced on the island came almost entirely from renewable sources. The second reason is the location and the related hydrographic and geological conditions of the island.
In Iceland, energy is produced essentially 100% from renewable sources. Electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants (approximately 73%) and geothermal power plants (27%). Thermal energy comes mainly from geothermal power plants (approximately 85%). It is noteworthy that only 4.5% of the electricity produced in Iceland is consumed by households. The rest of the energy produced (about 77%) is mainly used to power industry (aluminum smelters and ferro-silicon factories). The remaining amount of energy is used by other industries, agriculture, media and public and administrative service activities.
After the meeting at NordicHouse, ambassador Hannes Heimisson and consul Janusz Kahl met at Collegium Novum with representatives of the Jagiellonian University, vice-rector of the Jagiellonian University for international cooperation, prof. Dorota Malec and the dean of the Faculty of Philology of the Jagiellonian University, prof. Władysław Witalisz.
Dean of the Faculty, prof. Witalisz emphasized that there was a clear interest in learning Icelandic at the University. Emiliana Konopka, an officer at the embassy who accompanied the ambassador, mentioned that translations from Icelandic into Polish are also very successful.
As noted by prof. Dorota Malec, Jagiellonian University has good cooperation with Icelandic universities, and the country itself is increasingly becoming a destination for students and employees of the Jagiellonian University. Hannes Heimisson expressed his belief that good cooperation concerns primarily the exchange of experiences at the interpersonal level, and Poland and Iceland are also connected by the history of Polish emigration – currently, Poles are increasingly settling on the island, where they come mainly for work purposes. – Currently we already have Icelanders of Polish origin – added the ambassador.
The meeting participants, including Consul General Janusz Kahl, agreed that joint involvement in the creation and development of many international university networks and associations, research projects, bilateral exchanges or the Erasmus+ program is also important. In addition, existing cooperation in the field of medical sciences with the Collegium Medicum and the Faculty of Chemistry of the Jagiellonian University also play an important role.
Hannes Heimisson expressed his belief that Polish-Icelandic relations will develop as best as possible, and then suggested that perhaps more meetings between Icelandic youth and their Polish peers should also be ensured, especially since it is possible to take charter flights between both countries.
Immediately after the meeting, the diplomats went to the Collegium Maius, and then a previously planned meeting with representatives of the academic staff and students of the Faculty of Philology of the Jagiellonian University took place.
