Trial lecture and PhD defense for MSc Rafael Kenji Horota

Rafael has been following the PhD programme at the University of Bergen, and is defending his doctoral thesis at UNIS 8 December 2025:

«The Digital Geoscience Revolution»

The doctoral thesis is available for public review here:

Public summary:

In his doctoral research at the University of Bergen and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Rafael Kenji Horota has investigated how digital field experiences can be used to renew geoscience education in the Arctic. Through the development of the platforms VR Svalbard and Svalbox, the research demonstrates how drone-based 3D models, 360° images, and virtual map solutions can provide students and researchers with digital access to Svalbard’s unique geology.

The results show that such digital tools can enhance learning outcomes, strengthen spatial understanding, and make field teaching more inclusive and accessible—without replacing hands-on experience in the field. The study documents that combining physical and virtual field experiences creates a more robust and flexible learning model, especially in areas where weather, logistics, or safety limit fieldwork.

The dissertation introduces a pedagogical framework based on experiential learning and shows how digital field environments can support the entire learning process—from observation and reflection to conceptualization and practical application.

Through extensive drone-based field campaigns in Svalbard, Horota and his collaborators have developed open learning resources that are already being used in teaching at UNIS and other institutions. The research helps ensure continuity in field education, preserve valuable geological data, and make Arctic geoscience more accessible to future generations of students and researchers.