Björn Þorsteinsson as Rector - A visionary leader uniting disciplines and driving innovation Marianne Elisabeth Klinke skrifar 14. mars 2025 12:32 The final days before the University of Iceland elects its new rector are fast approaching. Next week, staff members and students will have the opportunity to cast their votes for their preferred candidate. As for me, I know exactly where my vote will go—Björn Þorsteinsson. Here are just a few of the many reasons why. Björn has been a guiding force throughout my academic journey. We first crossed paths when I was a master’s student, and he later became a co-supervisor on my Ph.D. project. Today, we collaborate as peers—me as a professor of nursing, him in philosophy. Having worked closely with him, I can confidently say that Björn has always championed interdisciplinary collaboration, creating space for diverse perspectives to shape both research and teaching. Our work—bridging philosophy and nursing—is just one example of how he fosters dialogue across disciplines to drive innovation and progress. When Björn sets a goal, he pursues it with determination and delivers tangible results. His ability to unite fields and individuals has helped cultivate an academic community where inclusivity is more than a value, it’s a practice! As a mentor Björn has been instrumental in shaping my academic and professional journey. His support goes beyond just academic guidance – he empowers individuals to think critically, pursue their goals and contribute meaningfully to their fields. His dedication to professional (and personal) development has inspired me and many others to reach our full potential. His leadership as a dean would help the university to nurture future forward thinking academic leaders. As I have experienced through my collaboration with Björn he is leader with clear vision for the future of the University of Iceland. He is capable of balancing tradition with innovation and pushing the boundaries of thought and practice - ensuring that academic excellence thrives while also having the ambition to ensure optimal conditions for faculty. This is important for the university to remain a hub for cutting edge research and intellectual development. Höfundur er prófessor á hjúkrunar- og ljósmóðurfræðideild, Háskóla Íslands. Viltu birta grein á Vísi? Sendu okkur póst. Senda grein Háskólar Rektorskjör við Háskóla Íslands Heilbrigðismál Mest lesið Greiðsla með Vísakorti tryggir ekki endurgreiðslu – forfallatryggingar gagnslausar þegar mest á reynir Erna Guðmundsdóttir Skoðun Þau eru framtíðin – en fá ekki að njóta nútímans Sigurður Kári Skoðun „Já, hvað með bara að skjóta hann!“ Þórhildur Hjaltadóttir Skoðun Trump les tölvupóstinn þinn Mörður Áslaugarson Skoðun Feluleikur ríkisstjórnarinnar? Lárus Guðmundsson Skoðun Hvers vegna þegir kristin, vestræn menning? Ómar Torfason Skoðun Ísrael – brostnir draumar og lygar Ingibjörg Þóra Haraldsdóttir Skoðun Heimar sem þurfa nýja umræðu! Sigurður Árni Reynisson Skoðun 52 milljarðar/ári x 30 ár = EES Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson Skoðun Í minningu sonar – og allra þeirra sem aldrei komu heim Kristín Dýrfjörð,Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun Þau eru framtíðin – en fá ekki að njóta nútímans Sigurður Kári skrifar Skoðun Greiðsla með Vísakorti tryggir ekki endurgreiðslu – forfallatryggingar gagnslausar þegar mest á reynir Erna Guðmundsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Hvers vegna þegir kristin, vestræn menning? Ómar Torfason skrifar Skoðun Trump les tölvupóstinn þinn Mörður Áslaugarson skrifar Skoðun „Já, hvað með bara að skjóta hann!“ Þórhildur Hjaltadóttir skrifar Skoðun Heimar sem þurfa nýja umræðu! Sigurður Árni Reynisson skrifar Skoðun Sársauki annarra og samúðarþreyta Guðrún Jónsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Í minningu sonar – og allra þeirra sem aldrei komu heim Kristín Dýrfjörð,Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Alþjóðalög eða lögleysa? Urður Hákonardóttir skrifar Skoðun Truman-ríkið: Tilraunir raunheimsins að komast í gegnum gervihvelfinguna Svala Magnea Ásdísardóttir skrifar Skoðun GPT‑5 kemur í ágúst – áskoranir og tækifæri fyrir Ísland Sigvaldi Einarsson skrifar Skoðun Við tölum um vöxt — en gleymum því sem vex Þórdís Hólm Filipsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Verri framkoma en hjá Trump Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Landið talar Davíð Arnar Oddgeirsson skrifar Skoðun Ætla þau að halda áfram að grafa sína eigin gröf? Kolbrún Áslaugar Baldursdóttir skrifar Skoðun Ísrael – brostnir draumar og lygar Ingibjörg Þóra Haraldsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Ein af hverjum fjórum Silja Höllu Egilsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Vertu drusla! Álfhildur Leifsdóttir,Hólmfríður Jennýjar Árnadóttir skrifar Skoðun Þegar hið smáa verður risastórt Sigurjón Þórðarson skrifar Skoðun Þú ert búin að eyðileggja líf mitt!!! Sandra Ósk Jóhannsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Tekur sér stöðu með Evrópusambandinu Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Feluleikur ríkisstjórnarinnar? Lárus Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Ég heiti Elísa og ég er Drusla Elísa Rún Svansdóttir skrifar Skoðun Grindavík má enn bíða Gísli Stefánsson skrifar Skoðun Aðventukerti og aðgangshindranir Kristín María Birgisdóttir skrifar Skoðun Lífið í tjaldi á Gaza Viðar Hreinsson,Israa Saed skrifar Skoðun Gaza og sjálfbærni mennskunnar Elva Rakel Jónsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Börnin og hungursneyðin í Gaza Sverrir Ólafsson skrifar Skoðun Kynbundið ofbeldi Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir,Steinunn Bragadóttir skrifar Skoðun Aðdragandi aðildar þarf umboð Erna Bjarnadóttir skrifar Sjá meira
The final days before the University of Iceland elects its new rector are fast approaching. Next week, staff members and students will have the opportunity to cast their votes for their preferred candidate. As for me, I know exactly where my vote will go—Björn Þorsteinsson. Here are just a few of the many reasons why. Björn has been a guiding force throughout my academic journey. We first crossed paths when I was a master’s student, and he later became a co-supervisor on my Ph.D. project. Today, we collaborate as peers—me as a professor of nursing, him in philosophy. Having worked closely with him, I can confidently say that Björn has always championed interdisciplinary collaboration, creating space for diverse perspectives to shape both research and teaching. Our work—bridging philosophy and nursing—is just one example of how he fosters dialogue across disciplines to drive innovation and progress. When Björn sets a goal, he pursues it with determination and delivers tangible results. His ability to unite fields and individuals has helped cultivate an academic community where inclusivity is more than a value, it’s a practice! As a mentor Björn has been instrumental in shaping my academic and professional journey. His support goes beyond just academic guidance – he empowers individuals to think critically, pursue their goals and contribute meaningfully to their fields. His dedication to professional (and personal) development has inspired me and many others to reach our full potential. His leadership as a dean would help the university to nurture future forward thinking academic leaders. As I have experienced through my collaboration with Björn he is leader with clear vision for the future of the University of Iceland. He is capable of balancing tradition with innovation and pushing the boundaries of thought and practice - ensuring that academic excellence thrives while also having the ambition to ensure optimal conditions for faculty. This is important for the university to remain a hub for cutting edge research and intellectual development. Höfundur er prófessor á hjúkrunar- og ljósmóðurfræðideild, Háskóla Íslands.
Greiðsla með Vísakorti tryggir ekki endurgreiðslu – forfallatryggingar gagnslausar þegar mest á reynir Erna Guðmundsdóttir Skoðun
Í minningu sonar – og allra þeirra sem aldrei komu heim Kristín Dýrfjörð,Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson Skoðun
Skoðun Greiðsla með Vísakorti tryggir ekki endurgreiðslu – forfallatryggingar gagnslausar þegar mest á reynir Erna Guðmundsdóttir skrifar
Skoðun Í minningu sonar – og allra þeirra sem aldrei komu heim Kristín Dýrfjörð,Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson skrifar
Skoðun Truman-ríkið: Tilraunir raunheimsins að komast í gegnum gervihvelfinguna Svala Magnea Ásdísardóttir skrifar
Greiðsla með Vísakorti tryggir ekki endurgreiðslu – forfallatryggingar gagnslausar þegar mest á reynir Erna Guðmundsdóttir Skoðun
Í minningu sonar – og allra þeirra sem aldrei komu heim Kristín Dýrfjörð,Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson Skoðun