ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

PhD
University of Liverpool (2009 - 2013)
Arts and Humanities Research Council

PhD funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, titled “Media Coverage of International Climate Negotiations: Assessing the Ethical Dimension of the Global Debate”.

Master of Arts (Politics and the Mass Media)
University of Liverpool (2008 - 2009)

Selected modules: Political Communication, Research and Methods for Media and Politics, British Press and Broadcasting og Media and Human Rights. MA thesis was titled: Anti-terrorism legislation in the United Kingdom and its implications for human rights: An Examination of National Newspaper Coverage of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 and the Terrorism Act 2006.

Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Politics & Spanish)
University of Liverpool (2004 - 2008)

Selected modules: Political analysis, International Political Economy, Twentieth Century Political Thought, History of Political Thought: Burke to Marx, Comparative Peace Processes, Terror Remembered Post-Dictatorship Representation in Latin America and Europe; Language, Culture and identity

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2025

Oliveira, B., Álvaro, N. V., Asif, F., Botelho, A. Z., Canning-Clode, J., Casimiro, D., Cecilia-Ruano, C., Chambers, C., Costa, A. C., Dinis, A., García, J. P., Haroun, R., Laksá, U., Martins, G. M., McGrath, A. H., Mintrone, C., Olsen, M. C., Parente, M. I., Parretti, P., Pouso, S., Ravaglioli, C., Ventura, M. A. M., Weissang, T., Rybicki, S., Woods, P. J., Olafsdóttir., Borja, A. (2025). A multi-dimensional approach to improve validation practices for qualitative models of marine social-ecological systems. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 9, 100273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2024.100273

2023

Agnalt, A. L., Cooper, A., Dam, R., Gaard, E., Jensen, K. H., Laksáfoss, M., Laksá, U., Mørkøre, B., á Norði, G., Ojaveer, H. (2023). Workshop on the Faroes Ecoregion Aquaculture Overview (WKFaroesAO). ICES Scientific Reports. 5:28. 87 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.21551541

2022

Laksáfoss, M., og Laksá, U. (2022) ‘Tilfeingisbúskapur’ in Sólsker, S. (ed) Tilfeingisfrøði B. Tórshavn: Nám

Arias, J., Laksá, U, Fonseca, B.D, Diallo, M., Brahim, K., Rodríguez, A., Doblado, S. M., Doblado, Juliana Antunes Galvão J.A., Viðarsson, J. Friðriksdóttir, R. (2022) ‘Results-based management in practice: Lessons learnt and policy recommendations from the implementation of RBM in European fisheries outside Europe’, Marine Policy, Vol. 139,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105038.

2021

Thuy Thi Thanh Pham, Ragnhildur Friðriksdóttir, Charlotte T. Weber, Jónas R. Viðarsson, Nikos Papandroulakis, Alan R. Baudron, Petter Olsen, Juliana A. Hansen, Unn Laksá, Paul G. Fernandes, Tarub Bahri, Sigurður Ö. Ragnarsson & Michaela Aschan (2021) Guidelines for co-creating climate adaptation plans for fisheries and aquaculture, Climatic Change, Vol. 164 (62) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03041-z

2020

Asplin, L., Boyd, A., Ellis, T., Keeley, N., Moberg, O., Burgetz, I., Engler, C., Falconer, L., Focken, U., Grefsrud, E. Hui, L., Jakobsen, G., Laksá, U., Lock, E. Mckindsey, C., Moore, A., Morris, D., Norði, G., O'Beirn, F.X., Viegas, I. (2020). Working Group on Environmental Interactions of Aquaculture (WGEIA). ICES Scientific Reports. 2:112 187p. http://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.7619

2018

Ballesteros, M.; Chapela, R.; Ramirez-Monsalve, P.; Raakjaer, J.; Hegland, T.J..; Nielsen, K.N.; Laksa, U.; Degnbol, P. (2018) ‘Do not Shoot the Messenger: ICES Advice for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management in the European Union, ICES Journal of Marine Science. Vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 519 – 530..

Viðarsson, J. et al., 2018. Nordic Coastal Fisheries and Communities, Nordic Co-operation | Nordic Council & Nordic Council of Ministers. Retrieved from https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1148993/nordic-coastal-fisheries-and-communities/ on 17 Jan 2023. CID: 20.500.12592/f544zk.

2016

Ramirez-Monsalve, P., Raakjær, J., Nielsen, K.N., Laksá, U., Danielsen, R., Degnbol, D., Ballesteros, M. and Degnbol, P. (2016) ‘Institutional challenges for policy making and fisheries advice to move to a full EAFM approach within the current governance structures for marine policies’, Marine Policy, Vol. 69, pp.1-12

Ramirez-Monsalve, P., Raakjær, J., Nielsen, K.N., Santiago, J.L Ballesteros, M., Laksá, U. and Degnbol, P. (2016) ‘Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in the EU: Current science–policy–society interfaces and emerging requirements’, Marine Policy, Vol. 66, pp. 83 – 92.

Laksá, U., Laksáfoss, M., Gregersen, Ó., Viðarsson, J.R., Danielsen, R., Jónsson, Á and Iversen, A. (2016) Everything Ashore: A Feasibility Study. Nordic Council of Ministers. Tøk á: http://syntesa.fo/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=177:nordic-project-everything- ashore-completed&catid=81&Itemid=481

2014

Laksá, U. (2014) ‘National Discussions, Global Repercussions: Ethics in British Newspaper Coverage of Global Climate Negotiations’, Environmental Communication, Vol. 8, no. 3. pp. 368- 387.

Smáradóttir, S.E., Magnúsdóttir, L., Smárason, B.Ö., Þórðarson, G., Johannessen, B. Stefánsdóttir, E.K., Jacobsen, B. Laksá, U., Jörundsdóttir, H.Ó.; Solberg, S.O. Djurhuus, R., Erbs-Maibing, S., Björnsdóttir, B. Gunnarsdóttir, R., Hoydal, K., Hreggviðsson, G.Ó., Ingvarsson, G.B., Jesse, A, Kristinsson, H.G., Kristófersson, D.M., Levermann, N., Lund, N.M., Nymand, J., Reykdal, Ó., Vang, J., Paulsen, H., Margeirsson, S. (2014) Future Opportunities for Bioeconomy in the West Nordic Countries, Skyrsla Matís, Report no. 37.14, Matís: Reykjavík, December 2014. Available at: http://www.matis.is/media/matis/utgafa/Bioeconomy-in-the-West-Nordic-countries-37-14.pdf

2013

Laksá, U. (2013) Media Coverage of International Climate Negotiations: Assessing the ethical dimension of the global debate, PhD Thesis, September 2013. Available at: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Media+Coverage+of+International+Climate+Negotiations: +Assessing+the+Ethical+Dimension+of+the+Global+Debate&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart

2011

Laksá, U. (2011). Review of Climate Ethics: Essential Readings, by S. M. Gardiner, S. Caney, D. Jamieson, & H. Shue. Environmental Values, 20(3), 442–444.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

CEO
Sjókovin (April 2020 – )

• Co-founder and CEO of Blue Resource – a private, not-for-profit research institution with the mission to foster sustainable development and innovation within Faroese fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Research Project Manager
Syntesa (October 2013 – March 2020)

• Project manager of several international projects.

• Obtained funding for several Faroese, Nordic and European Research projects

Lecturing
University of Liverpool (September 2010 – June 2012)

• Mainly taught on the course Media and Human Rights, where I delivered lectures and seminars, prepared exam questions and supervised students. I also delivered some individual lectures on media and climate change on other modules.

Real Estate Analysis
Montebalito – Grupo Meridional (September 2006 – June 2007)

• Year abroad as part of the BA degree, where I worked in a real estate company in Madrid

SELECTED RESEARCH PROJECTS

SeaMark: Horizon Europe:

• Grant agreement ID: 101060379 - DOI 10.3030/101060379 (July 2022 – June 2026)

• Total cost of the project: € 10 117 990 - Allocated funding to institution € 504 286

• WP leader for techno-economic and socio-economic assessment and member of project management group

  Marine Sabres: Horizon Europe:

• Grant agreement ID: 101058956 DOI: 10.3030/101058956 (September 2022 to August 2026)

• Total cost of the project: € 8 755 389 - Allocated funding to institution € 368 181

• Task leader and member in Arctic Northeast Atlantic Demonstration Area

  Aquavitae: Horizon2020:

• Grant agreement ID: 818173 – DOI: 10.3030/818173 (June 2019 – November 2023)

• Total cost of the project: € 8 748 035 - Allocated funding to institution € 228 122

• Work package leader for Business and socio-economic analysis, profitability and exploitation

  NextGenProteins Horizon 2020:

• Grant agreement ID: 862704 DOI: 10.3030/862704 (October 2019 – September 2023)

• Total cost of the project: € 9 257 320 - Allocated funding to institution: € 209 383

• Contribution towards WP on Safety and Legal Requirements and development of policy recommendations
  

FarFish: Horizon2020:

• Grant agreement ID: 727891 DOI 10.3030/727891 (June 2017 -November 2021)

• Total cost of the project: € 5 098 062 - Allocated funding to institution: € 201 939

• WP leader on evaluation and implementation of management plans and member of project management group
  

ClimeFish (Horizon 2020):

• Grant agreement ID: 677039 DOI: 10.3030/677039 - (April 2016 – March 2020)

• Total cost of the project: € 5 195 216 Allocated funding to institution: € 331 231

• WP leader on identification of risks and opportunities and development of early warning methodologies; member of project management group
  

MareFrame (EU FP7):

• Grant agreement ID 613571 (Jan 2014 – December 2017)

• Overall cost of the project: € 7 748 208 - Allocated funding to institution € 380 648

• WP leader on socio-economic impact assessment, synthesis and training development

OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DISTINCTIONS

Sustainable Growth Forum: Expert working group on the Ocean (February 2021 – September 2021)
Invited expert appointed by Faroese Prime Minister’s Office

Sustainable Growth Forum: Expert working group on the green transition (February 2022 – June 2022)
Invited expert appointed by Faroese Prime Minister’s Office

Working group on fisheries reform (January – October 2016) Invited expert appointed by the Faroese Ministry of Fisheries

Awarded Best European Learning Materials Silver Award (BELMA) for educational material on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture created for Faroese school children in 4th – 6th grade (2021).

CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEA (ICES)

ICES workshop on the Aquaculture overviews for the Faroes (WKFAROESAO) (2021 – 2022)
Chair-invited member

Working Group on Balancing Economic, Social and Ecological Objectives (WKBESEO) (2022 - )
Chair-invited member

Working Group on Environmental Interactions of Aquaculture (WGEIA) (2020 – 2022)
Chair-invited member

Working Group on Risk assessment of Environmental Interactions of Aquaculture (WGREIA) (2022 - )
Chair-invited member

ICES advice drafting group for the Aquaculture Overview for the Faroe Islands (February 2023)
Invited expert