Fellows from the GRÓ Geothermal and Land Restoration Training Programmes and staff of the GRÓ centre and the two training programmes, were invited on the 18th of August to Bessastaðir, the Icelandic Presidential Residence to meet with the President Halla Tómasdóttir.

The year 2024 was an active and productive one for GRÓ – Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Change – and the four training programmes focusing on fisheries, gender equality, geothermal energy and land restoration. A total of 97 specialists graduated from the five to six-month training in 2024, bringing the total number of GRÓ alumni to 1,767. Seven GRÓ scholarship recipients graduated, two with a PhD and 5 with a Master’s degree. In addition, several short courses were held in the partner countries, and a new online course was launched.

The first official GRÓ alumni association, GRÓ Alumni Network Mongolia, was established at an inaugural meeting on the 4th of July in Ulaanbaatar. The meeting brought together 28 GRÓ alumni, including 22 participants that attended online and 6 in-person attendees.