Qiteraq was a real estate agent – now he’s studying to be a biologist
May 7, 2025|Written by Christine Hyldal
Written by Christine Hyldal
Five years ago, Qiteraq Eugenius woke up with a nosebleed and chest pain. Now, he goes grouse hunting – it’s part of the new SILA biology program at Ilisimatusarfik.
The phone rang from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. Real estate agent Qiteraq Eugenius answered every time.
It was 2020. Qiteraq was a newly qualified real estate agent who had just moved back home to Nuuk, where he had secured a permanent job. He had bought his apartment, and new high-rise buildings were popping up like mushrooms in the capital. Qiteraq was hungry for success: now was the time to make money in the city’s booming housing market.
But things didn’t go as planned.
“I was probably given a little too much responsibility at once,” he says today, recalling how it wasn’t long before he felt responsible for running the office.
Qiteraq Eugenius loves to go hunting. Now, it is part of his education at SILA. Photo: Private
Couldn’t sleep
It’s only been five years, but Qiteraq’s life has turned upside down. The real estate office has been replaced by classrooms, laboratories, and life as a student – version 2.0. This time, he’s the oldest in the new biology program, SILA, at Ilisimatusarfik.
“I don’t know if you have to be a bit cynical to be a real estate agent. You definitely need to have some blinders on to be able to handle it – and I don’t,” says 34-year-old Qiteraq Eugenius.
Qiteraq found it increasingly difficult to “just“ be professional. Clients demanded his empathy and his time. The questions from buyers and sellers didn’t stop when he got home from work – and soon, he had trouble sleeping. Then, one night in 2022, he woke up with chest pains and a nosebleed.
Stress was the diagnosis.
“When you wake up with chest pains and nosebleeds at night, money is not the most important thing.” – Qiteraq Eugenius
Qiteraq quit his job, sold his apartment, and moved back in with his parents.
“I still live there. I cost-minimized myself so I wouldn’t have to depend on working. I wanted freedom and to be in nature. And that’s the essence of the SILA program,“ he says.
The first biologists made in Greenland
One day, while scrolling through Instagram in his room at home, a post caught his eye – a post about a new bachelor’s degree in biology offered in Greenland. The program was called SILA and was accepting its first group of students.
“I followed the link and read the entire curriculum. Just the title ‘Bachelor in Biology’… biology has interested me all my life,“ he says.
“It was as if it was written for me. I’ve been fishing at the beach since I was a kid, and I used to open the fish to see what was inside. The program combines theory with nature and lab work. I already have lots of practical experience, but I’m learning so much more now – both theoretically and in the lab.“
The SILA program began on February 1 2025
It is a new bachelor’s degree in biology offered in collaboration between Ilisimatusarfik and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.
The program builds on the practical experience and knowledge many Greenlanders already have.
It is rooted in Greenlandic realities, with course titles such as Tuttu (reindeer), Appa (guillemot), Siku (ice), Puisi (seal), and Imaq (sea).
12 students started
He speaks fast and loud, laughing as the words pour out. There’s no modesty here – Qiteraq clearly loves his new life, even if he’s nervous about exams. But that’s part of the journey, and the way the future biologists are taught suits him well. It’s practical, above all.
“I think it’s very natural for us Greenlanders who study biology to see things and talk to people who know something before reading a book,“ he says.
“It feels like I’m studying my hobby right now.” – Qiteraq Eugenius
The program began on February 1 this year with 12 students. One has since dropped out. All are locals with experience in nature, just like Qiteraq. Some come from North Greenland, others from various parts of West Greenland.
“I’m totally Nuummioq – I know nothing about sea ice or whales. But we share our knowledge with each other.“
“We’ve also been grouse hunting, and it was a really great trip. I’mreally looking forward to our fieldwork where we’ll be sleeping out in nature.”
In May 2025, during his visit to Nuuk, the Danish King met with Qiteraq Eugenius and the other SILA students.
Photo: Ilisimatusarfik
“I study my hobby”
Qiteraq hasn’t left the real estate office entirely. He still works there part-time a few days a week to support himself during his studies.
What’s the biggest contrast between your life now and your life then?
He raises his hands to his head and shakes it.
“It feels like I’m studying my hobby right now – and if you can make a living from your hobby, that’s amazing. I used to think I should be a real estate agent to make money. But I’ve realized that money means really, really little if you’re not happy. When you wake up with chest pains and nosebleeds at night, money is not the most important thing.”