Almost 90 Doctoral Graduates who have successfully completed their PhDs from the University of Iceland over the past 12 months were today awarded the University's gold medal at the annual Ceremony for Doctoral Graduates.
This is the fourteenth time this ceremony has been held on 1 December, the Day of Icelandic Sovereignty. The doctoral graduates who attended the ceremony have all completed their PhDs from the University of Iceland during the timeframe 1 December 2024 to 1 December this year, totalling 89 candidates. They graduated from all of the University’s five schools: 30 men and 59 women. Joint degrees with international universities are five, and this year, Forty-one of the candidates have a foreign nationality. The number of doctorates awarded at the University of Iceland is now well over a thousand.
Silja Bára R. Ómarsdóttir addressed the ceremony for the first time as Rector of the University of Iceland, congratulating the doctoral candidates. She highlighted that doctoral studies were an endeavour requiring resilience, stamina, and courage. "When you set your objective to research one specific, defined phenomenon in the world, you still become part of a major undertaking: to make the whole world a better place. You have identified patterns that were previously obscured, developed new methods, new technology, and gained a new perspective," said the Rector.
In her address, Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, urged the new doctors to use their specialist expertise for the benefit of society and to act as bridge-builders, in the broadest sense of the word. "Prioritise the dissemination of your research as often as possible and to as many people as possible, and maintain your own curiosity about what others are engaging with. The most unexpected and even most significant discoveries are often made when people from diverse academic fields collaborate to deepen our knowledge and improve the world," the President of Iceland stated.
Rögnvaldur J. Sæmundsson, Pro-rector for science, presided over the ceremony and handed out the PhD gold medals. Óttar Guðbjörn Birgisson, doctor in sport and health sciences, addressed the ceremony on behalf of the candidates.
Óttar discussed the significance of doctoral studies in the context of the considerable technological advancements currently taking place. He referenced the Latin name for the degree, Philosophiae doctor, which may be loosely translated as "scholar with a love of knowledge." "Loving knowledge is not solely about knowing more and more, or about accumulating endless information. That is easy in the technological age. Loving knowledge primarily involves respecting knowledge and the process of creating it. The entire process. We are not only meant to find the right answers. We are also meant to find the right questions and dare to ask them,” said Óttar.
Furthermore, Ragnhildur Guðmundsdóttir, Acting Director of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History, who completed her PhD in Biology from the University of Iceland five years ago, addressed attendees at the ceremony. She highlighted the value of doctors to society. We can scale the tasks through creative thinking and identify opportunities that have been untapped until now. We should not be afraid to speak up, because when we speak, we are listened to. The new superpowers grant freedom, and everything seems possible. However, it is essential to be selective and remember that all freedom comes with accountability. Show what you are made of, work with integrity and professionalism, for the benefit of the community," Ragnhildur said.
Over 700 PhD students at the University of Iceland
It is emblematic of the growth of doctoral studies at UI that over the past 25 years, the number of doctoral defences has increased from fewer than ten per year to a current range of 70–80 defences annually. This can, among other things, be attributed to strong funding sources such as the University Fund of Eimskipafélag Íslands and successful efforts in securing grants on an international level. There are currently over 700 PhD students enrolled at the University of Iceland.
A booklet, issued for the ceremony, provides an overview of all PhD graduates from 1 December 2024 to 1 December 2025, along with various statistics on the development of doctoral studies at the University.
The University of Iceland is particularly proud of this accomplished group, who have already found their places in a broad range of roles throughout society and indeed throughout the world.