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 Ursula Von der Leyen styður stríðsglæpamenn - Ísland á ekki að þegja Helen Ólafsdóttir Skoðun Aftur á byrjunarreit Hörður Arnarson Skoðun Norðurlandamet í fúski! Kristinn Karl Brynjarsson Skoðun „Að skrifa söguna“ Var of mikið undir hjá kvennalandsliðinu? Viðar Halldórsson Skoðun Fröken þjóðarmorð: Þér er ekki boðið! Linda Ósk Árnadóttir,Yousef Ingi Tamimi Skoðun Flugnám -Þriðji hluti: Samtvinnað (Integrated) eða áfangaskipt (Modular) ATPL flugnám Matthías Arngrímsson Skoðun Tvöföld bið eftir geislameðferð er of löng Katrín Sigurðardóttir Skoðun Netöryggi til framtíðar Unnur Kristín Sveinbjarnardóttir Skoðun Þversögn Íslands í Palestínumálinu: Um fullveldi, samsekt og réttarríkið Gína Júlía Waltersdóttir Skoðun Gervigreind í skólum: Tækifæri til byltingar eða hætta á nýjum ójöfnuði? Sigvaldi Einarsson Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun Þversögn Íslands í Palestínumálinu: Um fullveldi, samsekt og réttarríkið Gína Júlía Waltersdóttir skrifar Skoðun Tvöföld bið eftir geislameðferð er of löng Katrín Sigurðardóttir skrifar Skoðun Fröken þjóðarmorð: Þér er ekki boðið! Linda Ósk Árnadóttir,Yousef Ingi Tamimi skrifar Skoðun Linsa Lífsins Matthildur Björnsdóttir skrifar Skoðun „Að skrifa söguna“ Var of mikið undir hjá kvennalandsliðinu? Viðar Halldórsson skrifar Skoðun Gervigreind í skólum: Tækifæri til byltingar eða hætta á nýjum ójöfnuði? Sigvaldi Einarsson skrifar Skoðun Netöryggi til framtíðar Unnur Kristín Sveinbjarnardóttir skrifar Skoðun Aftur á byrjunarreit Hörður Arnarson skrifar Skoðun Norðurlandamet í fúski! Kristinn Karl Brynjarsson skrifar Skoðun Flugnám -Þriðji hluti: Samtvinnað (Integrated) eða áfangaskipt (Modular) ATPL flugnám Matthías Arngrímsson skrifar Skoðun Ursula Von der Leyen styður stríðsglæpamenn - Ísland á ekki að þegja Helen Ólafsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Ursula von der Leyen styður þjóðarmorð! Hjálmtýr Heiðdal skrifar Skoðun Hvert er markmið fulltrúalýðræðis? Hlynur Orri Stefánsson,Vilhjálmur Árnason skrifar Skoðun Ég vona að þú gleymir mér ekki Hlynur Már Vilhjálmsson skrifar Skoðun Hvaða einkunn fékkst þú á bílprófinu? Grétar Birgisson skrifar Skoðun Að koma út í lífið með verri forgjöf, hvernig tilfinning er það? Davíð Bergmann skrifar Skoðun Tjaldið fellt í leikhúsi fáránleikans Vésteinn Ólason skrifar Skoðun Heilbrigðisreglugerð WHO: Hagsmunir eða heimska? Júlíus Valsson skrifar Skoðun Málþófs klúður Sægreifa-flokkanna Jón Þór Ólafsson skrifar Skoðun Græna vöruhúsið setur svartan blett á íslenskt samfélag Davíð Aron Routley skrifar Skoðun Dæmt um efni, Hörður Árni Finnsson,Elvar Örn Friðriksson,Snæbjörn Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Flugnám - Annar hluti: Afskiptaleysi stjórnvalda Matthías Arngrímsson skrifar Skoðun Sóvésk sápuópera Franklín Ernir Kristjánsson skrifar Skoðun Á hvaða vegferð er ríkisstjórn Kristrúnar Frostadóttur gagnvart sjávarútvegssveitarfélögunum? Anton Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Dæmir sig sjálft Jón Pétur Zimsen skrifar Skoðun Mega blaðamenn ljúga? Páll Steingrímsson skrifar Skoðun Ákall um nægjusemi í heimi neyslubrjálæðis Hólmfríður Jennýjar Árnadóttir skrifar Skoðun Hvað hefur áunnist á 140 dögum? Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir,Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir,Sanna Magdalena Mörtudóttir,Helga Þórðardóttir,Líf Magneudóttir skrifar Skoðun Samstarf er lykill að framtíðinni Magnús Þór Jónsson skrifar Skoðun Kjarnorkuákvæði? Dagur B. Eggertsson 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.
Flugnám -Þriðji hluti: Samtvinnað (Integrated) eða áfangaskipt (Modular) ATPL flugnám Matthías Arngrímsson Skoðun
Þversögn Íslands í Palestínumálinu: Um fullveldi, samsekt og réttarríkið Gína Júlía Waltersdóttir Skoðun
Gervigreind í skólum: Tækifæri til byltingar eða hætta á nýjum ójöfnuði? Sigvaldi Einarsson Skoðun
Skoðun Þversögn Íslands í Palestínumálinu: Um fullveldi, samsekt og réttarríkið Gína Júlía Waltersdóttir skrifar
Skoðun Gervigreind í skólum: Tækifæri til byltingar eða hætta á nýjum ójöfnuði? Sigvaldi Einarsson skrifar
Skoðun Flugnám -Þriðji hluti: Samtvinnað (Integrated) eða áfangaskipt (Modular) ATPL flugnám Matthías Arngrímsson skrifar
Skoðun Ursula Von der Leyen styður stríðsglæpamenn - Ísland á ekki að þegja Helen Ólafsdóttir skrifar
Skoðun Á hvaða vegferð er ríkisstjórn Kristrúnar Frostadóttur gagnvart sjávarútvegssveitarfélögunum? Anton Guðmundsson skrifar
Skoðun Hvað hefur áunnist á 140 dögum? Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir,Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir,Sanna Magdalena Mörtudóttir,Helga Þórðardóttir,Líf Magneudóttir skrifar
Flugnám -Þriðji hluti: Samtvinnað (Integrated) eða áfangaskipt (Modular) ATPL flugnám Matthías Arngrímsson Skoðun
Þversögn Íslands í Palestínumálinu: Um fullveldi, samsekt og réttarríkið Gína Júlía Waltersdóttir Skoðun
Gervigreind í skólum: Tækifæri til byltingar eða hætta á nýjum ójöfnuði? Sigvaldi Einarsson Skoðun