University of Iceland

Daytime sleepiness can be life-threatening

Good sleep is immensely important as it is considered one of the main pillars of good health and well-being, along with good nutrition and physical activity.

People who have not slept enough frequently experience daytime sleepiness,which can have multiple effects on their health, as well as reducing quality of life and productivity. Lack of sleep can, furthermore, diminish focus and reflexes and even cause distortion of the senses. Not enough sleep can in some instances affect peoples temper. There is thus much to gain by analysing the problems causing daytime sleepiness and finding ways to improve sleep and minimising the perils to peoples' health.

The University of Iceland still among the best worldwide in social impact

24/04/2020 - 09:28

The University of Iceland is ranked between places 201-300 according to the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, assessing universities in social and economic impact against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).

The UN goals are 17 in total and in place for the period of 2015-2030 as the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.
University Impact Rankings uses criteria to evaluate the social and economic impact of universities all over their world and their contribution to all of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Impact Rankings were published for the first time last year, but then the criteria were limited to eleven out of the 17 goals.

Online teaching with the possibility of some on-campus learning

12/08/2020 - 14:30

Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, sent the following announcement to students and staff today:

"Dear students and colleagues,

Teaching for the new semester is about to begin, along with other operations across all UI schools. It is a challenge to organise work at the University in these uncertain times when the situation can change at short notice.

Our goal is to plan the semester so that operations continue uninterrupted despite the potential for sudden changes and so that everything is as close to normal as possible. This means that teaching at the University of Iceland for the 2020 autumn semester will be planned as online teaching – and may become fully online at short notice if the situation changes. At the same time, we will seek to use classrooms for on-campus learning as far as circumstances allow.

Access to Ugla and the IT system

Elves in the labour market

13/01/2020 - 11:28

The volunteer advertisements are almost always for jobs that are subject to collective wage agreement and are thus supposed to be paid employment. It is most often young people looking for adventure in Iceland who do these jobs. This is one of the research findings of a study conducted by Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir, professor in sociology and pro-rector of science, and Jónína Einarsdóttir, professor in anthropology at the University of Iceland.

Grants available for PhD students at the School of Humanities

28/01/2020 - 11:09

The School of Humanities Education Fund is now accepting scholarship applications. The purpose of the Fund is to support PhD students in the final stages of their studies at the School of Humanities.

The application deadline is 17 February 2020.

The total sum to be awarded is ISK 2.1 million, which will be divided between three projects.

Grants for PhD students at the School of Education

24/02/2020 - 14:16

The Þuríður J. Kristjánsdóttir Scholarship and Research Fund calls for applications. The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to PhD students at the School of Education, especially to fund pedagogical research. Grants may be used to fund conference trips, courses, international collaboration, research equipment, payroll expenses and research expenses.

The total sum of allocated grants is up to ISK 1,000,000.

The application deadline is 15 March 2020.

Grant applications must include the following details:

We all need to change the way we think

27/02/2020 - 16:07

"All the work of the University of Iceland, from its foundation, has been focused on increasing prosperity and wellbeing in Iceland. It was therefore another valuable affirmation of our success when it was recently announced that the University of Iceland is among the very best universities in the world when it comes to impact on society and immediate environment."

So said Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, at the graduation ceremony for almost 400 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University Cinema last Saturday. The graduates numbered 250 women and 149 men. Students graduated from 24 faculties across all schools at the University of Iceland.

Images of the graduation ceremony by Kristinn Ingvarsson
Images from the photo booths in the foyer

Application deadlines and weekend openings of buildings

02/04/2020 - 15:43

Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, sent the following announcements to students and staff today:

"Dear students and colleagues,

The application deadline for the University of Iceland has been extended to 20 May for graduate programs and 15 June for undergraduate studies. This decision was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and other universities in Iceland. The goal is to improve access to Icelandic universities in light of growing unemployment caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. The University of Iceland has previously experienced a surge in the number of new students when the nation was suddenly faced with austerity and high unemployment. The University thereby played a part in alleviating economic depression in Iceland, as well as providing education that helped people in taking on new challenges.

Interest predicts direction in life better than personality

08/04/2020 - 13:00

Interest has more impact on our life goals than personality according to a new study involving a researcher from the University of Iceland. The results were recently published by the Journal of Research in Personality and covered by Forbes, the widely-read business magazine, last month.

"Student and career counsellors have the role to assist people in finding a job that suits them and is fulfilling. The rationale for the research was to get a step closer to understanding the factors that impact career development for young people; our focus in this study was was thus on relationship of interest and personality to people's life goals," says Sif Einarsdóttir, professor of career counselling and guidance at the University of Iceland, who was one of the researchers.

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