A Strong International University Kolbrún Þ. Pálsdóttir skrifar 18. mars 2025 10:45 The University of Iceland is a vibrant democratic academic community and today, and tomorrow, students and faculty elect a new rector. The online election will take place on the platform Ugla on March 18th and 19th. Over the past seven years, I have served as the Dean of the School of Education, and I am determined to use my extensive experience of working with stakeholders within and outside the university to lead our university in the coming years. Therefore, I am running for the office of rector of the University of Iceland. As a rector I will be dedicated to implementing effective policies to support our international staff and students, their academic and professional success, as well as their overall well-being. The University of Iceland has transformed during the last two decades and is now a leading international academic community. Nearly 2.400 international students from 113 countries and 360 academic staff and doctoral students from all around the world study and work at the university. My Emphasis on Support Services for International Students As the dean of the School of Education I have a wide experience of organizing international education. Our school has offered the International Studies in Education at undergraduate and graduate level which has gained wide recognition. Most recently we initiated a new joint diploma program in partnership with the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Icelandic as a Second Language, specifically for international students who aim to work and study within the field of education and teaching. We have also arranged workshops for international students to strengthen academic writing and helped them navigate our curriculum and course platforms. Improving International Staff Services As a rector I will focus on strengthening the specific administrative unit within the International Staff Services, which was set up to provide strategic services for international staff members. The team aimsto provide international staff members with support before, during and after arrival in Iceland. It is vital to assist people from outside of the European Union and the European Economic Area to handle work permits and immigration processes, including obtaining visa, which can be challenging. It is also crucial to support new international academic staff in navigating the complex work environment of the university. It is vital to provide sufficient funding to secure such support and services. Academic and Language Support: Language barriers and different educational backgrounds pose challenges. There is a clear call from international students and staff for accessible language courses, tutoring, and academic counselling to facilitate their adaption to new academic environments and success in their studies and work. As a rector I will strive to answer these calls. One way could be to, for example, set up strategic mentorship systems, for international staff members and graduate students. Mental Health and Well-being: Balancing study and life issues is often stressful. I aim to strengthen the university's counseling services, support groups, and wellness programs. We also need to make sure that such support is always available in English to make it better accessible to international students and staff. Career Opportunities: To support professional development, it is important to offer career counselling, job placement services, and workshops, for example on CV writing and interview skills. Promoting such services will help international students and staff navigate the Icelandic labour market and secure employment opportunities. We Need to do Better in an Inclusive and Diverse University As a rector I will strive to give international students and staff members the opportunities they need to connect, contribute, and collaborate within the academic community. We have taken various steps in the past few years to make it easier for international staff and students to work at the university. But it is clear that we can do better. During my campaign I have met with many of you and heard a clear need for improvements when it comes to our international profile and services to international students and staff. It is quite clear that language barriers and a lack of accessible information is still, for many of you, complicating your engagement within the university environment. Of course, the main interests of international students and staff align with the interests of all our students and staff. We need to secure funding for the university, strengthen cooperation among faculties, increase opportunities for students to engage and work within the larger society on practical problems and real-life challenges. I invite you to support me in the upcoming rector elections at the University of Iceland. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our academic community. The author is a Rector candidate and Dean of the School of Education. Viltu birta grein á Vísi? Sendu okkur póst. Senda grein Rektorskjör við Háskóla Íslands Kolbrún Þ. Pálsdóttir Mest lesið Pólitískt hugrekki og pólitískt hugleysi: ólík stefna tveggja systurflokka Birgir Finnsson Skoðun Sniðgangan á Rapyd slær öll met Björn B. Björnsson Skoðun Augnablikið Magnús Jóhann Hjartarson Skoðun Sættir þú þig við þetta? Jón Pétur Zimsen Skoðun Það þarf ekki að biðjast afsökunar á því að segja satt Þórður Snær Júlíusson Skoðun Tölum um stóra valdaframsalsmálið Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson Skoðun Listnám er lífsbjörg – opið bréf til ráðherra mennta, félags og heilbrigðismála, til stuðnings Söngskóla Sigurðar Demetz Dagbjört Andrésdóttir Skoðun Gott frumvarp, en hvað með verklagið? Bogi Ragnarsson Skoðun Litla landið sem kennir heiminum – Ísland og þróunarsamvinna í gegnum menntun GRÓ skólanna Verena Karlsdóttir,Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson,Þór Heiðar Ásgeirsson Skoðun Alþingi gleymir aftur fötluðum börnum Lúðvík Júlíusson Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun Sættir þú þig við þetta? Jón Pétur Zimsen skrifar Skoðun Alþingi gleymir aftur fötluðum börnum Lúðvík Júlíusson skrifar Skoðun Lægri gjöld, fleiri tækifæri Bragi Bjarnason skrifar Skoðun Tölum um stóra valdaframsalsmálið Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Litla landið sem kennir heiminum – Ísland og þróunarsamvinna í gegnum menntun GRÓ skólanna Verena Karlsdóttir,Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson,Þór Heiðar Ásgeirsson skrifar Skoðun Öflugar varnir krefjast stöndugra fréttamiðla Sigríður Dögg Auðunsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Gott frumvarp, en hvað með verklagið? Bogi Ragnarsson skrifar Skoðun Augnablikið Magnús Jóhann Hjartarson skrifar Skoðun Listnám er lífsbjörg – opið bréf til ráðherra mennta, félags og heilbrigðismála, til stuðnings Söngskóla Sigurðar Demetz Dagbjört Andrésdóttir skrifar Skoðun Það þarf ekki að biðjast afsökunar á því að segja satt Þórður Snær Júlíusson skrifar Skoðun Lífeyrissjóðirnir og Íslandsbanki, hluthafafundur á mánudag Bolli Héðinsson skrifar Skoðun „Þegar arkitektinn fer á flug“ - opinber umræða á villigötum Eyrún Arnarsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Heilbrigðiskerfið þarf stjórnvöld með bein í nefinu Svandís Svavarsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Börn eru hvorki veiðigjöld né öryggis- og varnarmál Grímur Atlason skrifar Skoðun Í vörn gegn sjálfum sér? Ólafur Stephensen skrifar Skoðun Mig langar að byggja heim með frið og umlykja með ást Guðmunda G. Guðmundsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Þjóðin stendur með sjúkraliðum Sandra B. Franks skrifar Skoðun Vegið að íslenska lífeyriskerfinu Björgvin Jón Bjarnason,Þóra Eggertsdóttir,Halldór Kristinsson,Guðmundur Svavarsson,Elsa Björk Pétursdóttir,Jón Ólafur Halldórsson,Arnar Hjaltalín skrifar Skoðun Ísland gjaldþrota vegna fatlaðs fólks? Alma Ýr Ingólfsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Veiðigjöld, gaslýsingar og valdníðsla Kristinn Karl Brynjarsson skrifar Skoðun Sniðgangan á Rapyd slær öll met Björn B. Björnsson skrifar Skoðun Pólitískt hugrekki og pólitískt hugleysi: ólík stefna tveggja systurflokka Birgir Finnsson skrifar Skoðun Árið 2023 kemur aldrei aftur Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Trumpistar eru víða Trausti Breiðfjörð Magnússon skrifar Skoðun Fasteignagjöld eru lág í Reykjavík Sara Björg Sigurðardóttir skrifar Skoðun Gerræðisleg áform í anda Ráðstjórnarríkjanna Guðmundur Fertram Sigurjónsson skrifar Skoðun Opið svar til formanns Samleik- Útsvarsgreiðendur borga leikskólann í Kópavogi! Rakel Ýr Isaksen skrifar Skoðun Nýbakaðir foreldrar og óbökuð loforð Ingveldur Anna Sigurðardóttir skrifar Skoðun Þegar bráðamóttakan drepur þig hraðar Hólmfríður Ásta Hjaltadóttir skrifar Skoðun Samkeppnin tryggir hag neytenda Hanna Katrín Friðriksson skrifar Sjá meira
The University of Iceland is a vibrant democratic academic community and today, and tomorrow, students and faculty elect a new rector. The online election will take place on the platform Ugla on March 18th and 19th. Over the past seven years, I have served as the Dean of the School of Education, and I am determined to use my extensive experience of working with stakeholders within and outside the university to lead our university in the coming years. Therefore, I am running for the office of rector of the University of Iceland. As a rector I will be dedicated to implementing effective policies to support our international staff and students, their academic and professional success, as well as their overall well-being. The University of Iceland has transformed during the last two decades and is now a leading international academic community. Nearly 2.400 international students from 113 countries and 360 academic staff and doctoral students from all around the world study and work at the university. My Emphasis on Support Services for International Students As the dean of the School of Education I have a wide experience of organizing international education. Our school has offered the International Studies in Education at undergraduate and graduate level which has gained wide recognition. Most recently we initiated a new joint diploma program in partnership with the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Icelandic as a Second Language, specifically for international students who aim to work and study within the field of education and teaching. We have also arranged workshops for international students to strengthen academic writing and helped them navigate our curriculum and course platforms. Improving International Staff Services As a rector I will focus on strengthening the specific administrative unit within the International Staff Services, which was set up to provide strategic services for international staff members. The team aimsto provide international staff members with support before, during and after arrival in Iceland. It is vital to assist people from outside of the European Union and the European Economic Area to handle work permits and immigration processes, including obtaining visa, which can be challenging. It is also crucial to support new international academic staff in navigating the complex work environment of the university. It is vital to provide sufficient funding to secure such support and services. Academic and Language Support: Language barriers and different educational backgrounds pose challenges. There is a clear call from international students and staff for accessible language courses, tutoring, and academic counselling to facilitate their adaption to new academic environments and success in their studies and work. As a rector I will strive to answer these calls. One way could be to, for example, set up strategic mentorship systems, for international staff members and graduate students. Mental Health and Well-being: Balancing study and life issues is often stressful. I aim to strengthen the university's counseling services, support groups, and wellness programs. We also need to make sure that such support is always available in English to make it better accessible to international students and staff. Career Opportunities: To support professional development, it is important to offer career counselling, job placement services, and workshops, for example on CV writing and interview skills. Promoting such services will help international students and staff navigate the Icelandic labour market and secure employment opportunities. We Need to do Better in an Inclusive and Diverse University As a rector I will strive to give international students and staff members the opportunities they need to connect, contribute, and collaborate within the academic community. We have taken various steps in the past few years to make it easier for international staff and students to work at the university. But it is clear that we can do better. During my campaign I have met with many of you and heard a clear need for improvements when it comes to our international profile and services to international students and staff. It is quite clear that language barriers and a lack of accessible information is still, for many of you, complicating your engagement within the university environment. Of course, the main interests of international students and staff align with the interests of all our students and staff. We need to secure funding for the university, strengthen cooperation among faculties, increase opportunities for students to engage and work within the larger society on practical problems and real-life challenges. I invite you to support me in the upcoming rector elections at the University of Iceland. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our academic community. The author is a Rector candidate and Dean of the School of Education.
Listnám er lífsbjörg – opið bréf til ráðherra mennta, félags og heilbrigðismála, til stuðnings Söngskóla Sigurðar Demetz Dagbjört Andrésdóttir Skoðun
Litla landið sem kennir heiminum – Ísland og þróunarsamvinna í gegnum menntun GRÓ skólanna Verena Karlsdóttir,Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson,Þór Heiðar Ásgeirsson Skoðun
Skoðun Litla landið sem kennir heiminum – Ísland og þróunarsamvinna í gegnum menntun GRÓ skólanna Verena Karlsdóttir,Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson,Þór Heiðar Ásgeirsson skrifar
Skoðun Listnám er lífsbjörg – opið bréf til ráðherra mennta, félags og heilbrigðismála, til stuðnings Söngskóla Sigurðar Demetz Dagbjört Andrésdóttir skrifar
Skoðun Vegið að íslenska lífeyriskerfinu Björgvin Jón Bjarnason,Þóra Eggertsdóttir,Halldór Kristinsson,Guðmundur Svavarsson,Elsa Björk Pétursdóttir,Jón Ólafur Halldórsson,Arnar Hjaltalín skrifar
Skoðun Pólitískt hugrekki og pólitískt hugleysi: ólík stefna tveggja systurflokka Birgir Finnsson skrifar
Skoðun Opið svar til formanns Samleik- Útsvarsgreiðendur borga leikskólann í Kópavogi! Rakel Ýr Isaksen skrifar
Listnám er lífsbjörg – opið bréf til ráðherra mennta, félags og heilbrigðismála, til stuðnings Söngskóla Sigurðar Demetz Dagbjört Andrésdóttir Skoðun
Litla landið sem kennir heiminum – Ísland og þróunarsamvinna í gegnum menntun GRÓ skólanna Verena Karlsdóttir,Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson,Þór Heiðar Ásgeirsson Skoðun