University of Iceland

Mink dealt a serious blow to the eider duck population

20/12/2023 - 08:00

"Anyone who wants to introduce an invasive species to Iceland should read this article to see for themselves what a terrible mistake it was to introduce mink. It was an absolute travesty that the warnings of the Chief Veterinary Officer, the ornithologist Finnur Guðmundsson, and many others were ignored."

So says Jón Einar Jónsson, research scientist and director of the UI Research Centre in Snæfellsnes. The article he refers to is a paper he recently published with his colleagues about changes to the ecosystems of islands in Breiðafjörður fjord after the arrival of the mink.

In particular, the team researched the breeding success of the common eider (Somateria mollissima), which has been an important species for Breiðafjörður farmers for centuries. The article was published in the respected journal Ecology Letters.

Holiday Greetings from the Rector of the University of Iceland 2023

20/12/2023 - 08:50

Holiday Greetings from the Rector of the University of Iceland 2023 to students, staff and other friends of the University:

"Dear Friend of the University of Iceland,

Dear students and colleagues, We are fast approaching the end of 2023, a year which has been defined by significant challenges both in Iceland and across the world. Time and again we have the importance of leading scientists who can support the government to make decisions that affect not just the economy but our lives and safety. The most pertinent are the events currently happening on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Research is the cornerstone of the higher education sector across the world. Teaching is based on the vital knowledge created by research. We must unite to defend the importance of research and education, since knowledge is the currency that never loses its value.

Doctoral Defense in Physics - Mohammad H. Badarneh

21. February 2024 - 13:00 to 15:00

Aðalbygging

The Aula

Doctoral candidate:
Mohammad H. Badarneh

Title of thesis:
Energy-efficient control of magnetic states

Opponents:
Dr. Vitaliy Lomakin, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, dr. Elton Santos, Professor at the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, University of Edinburgh..

Advisor:
Dr. Pavel F. Bessarab, Associate Professor at Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Iceland.

Also in the doctoral committee:
Dr. Hannes Jónsson, Professor at the Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland,dr. Cecilia Holmqvist, Associate professor at the department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Linnaeus University, Unnar Bjarni Arnalds, Professor at the Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Iceland.

Doctoral defence in Biology - Rosanne Beukeboom

26. October 2023 - 13:00 to 15:00

Aðalbygging

The Aula

Live stream

Doctoral candidate: Rosanne Beukeboom

Dissertation title: Can personality predict movement patterns and space use in fishes?
A study case on partial-migrating Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and stream-dwelling Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Opponents: Dr.Alison M. Bell, Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, USA
Dr. Filipa Isabel Pereira Samarra, Research Specialist at the University of Iceland Research Center, Vestman Islands

Advisor: Dr. David Benhaïm, Professor at Hólar University

Supervisor: Dr. Snæbjörn Pálsson, Professor at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland

Using artificial intelligence to identify the sex and species of freshwater fish in rivers

23/08/2023 - 14:51

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the University community and wider society about the potential applications of artificial intelligence. Scientists have been discovering and testing new ways to use AI in research and other academic work. At the University of Iceland, Hafsteinn Einarsson, lecturer at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, has been particularly active in this area. Along with his students and colleagues at the Marine Research Institute, he is exploring how AI can be used to identify fish species.

Doctoral defense in education science: Björk Ólafsdóttir

3. October 2023 - 13:00 to 16:00

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

Björk Ólafsdóttir defends her PhD thesis in Educational Sciences from the Faculty of Education and Pedagogy, University of Iceland.

The oral defence takes place Tuesday, October 3, at 1:00 pm in the Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland as well as in live stream.

Link to live stream

Dissertation title: The origin, use and perceived impact of the external evaluation of compulsory schools in Iceland.

Opponents: Dr Melanie Ehren at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Elisabet Nihlfors Professor emerita at Uppsala University.

Main supervisor: Dr Jón Torfi Jónasson at the School of Education, University of Iceland

Co-supervisor: Dr Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir Professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland.

Doctoral defense in education science: Kolfinna Jóhannesdóttir

12. October 2023 - 13:00 to 16:00

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

Kolfinna Jóhannesdóttir defends her PhD thesis in Educational Sciences from the Faculty of Education and Pedagogy, University of Iceland:

Policy on school autonomy over curriculum development: A case study of four upper secondary schools in Iceland

The oral defence takes place Thursday, October 12, at 1:00 pm in the Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland as well as in live stream.

Link to live stream

Opponents are Dr Gunnlaugur Magnússon associate professor at Uppsala University, Sweden and Dr Gita Steiner Khamsi at Columbia University, New York.

Main supervisor was Dr Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir Professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland, and co-supervisor Dr Andrew Townsend Professor at The University of Nottingham.

Doctoral defense in education science: Megumi Nishida

5. December 2023 - 13:00 to 16:00

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

Megumi Nishida defends her PhD thesis in Educational Sciences, University of Iceland. The oral defence takes place Tuesday, December 5, at 1:00 pm in the Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland as well as in live stream.

Link to live stream

Dissertation title: Becoming a hybrid educator within the global context: Self-study for empowerment.

Opponents: Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan, Professor at the University of Nottingham, England, and Dr Monica Taylor Professor at Montclair State University, USA.

Main supervisor: Dr Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Professor emerita at the School of Education, University of Iceland.

Co-supervisor: Dr Ólafur Páll Jónsson, Professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland.

Sustainable mobility

The search for the oldest light in the universe

28/06/2023 - 13:06

Sometimes, just one little Christmas present can change your life. At any rate, that's what happened to Jón Emil Guðmundsson, lecturer in astrophysics at the University of Iceland. When he was a little boy, ripping the glossy paper off a Christmas present from his parents, he had no idea how much the book he'd just unwrapped would influence the course of his life. The book was The First Three Minutes by Steven Weinberg, subtitled: A modern view of the origin of the universe. Shortly afterwards, Jón Emil received illustrated editions of the books of Stephen Hawking, the English theoretical physicist and cosmologist. There was no turning back. But what is cosmology? It is the branch of astrology and astrophysics that focuses on the universe, its history and its future.

Aðalbygging

The Aula

Aðalbygging

The Aula

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

Aðalbygging

Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland

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