GRÓ - Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Changes and the University of Iceland have signed an agreement on the continued operation of the GRÓ Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme (GRÓ GEST) at the University. Nearly three hundred international students have completed the programme at UI.
Since the beginning, the GRÓ GEST has offered a five-month practical training in international gender studies for students from developing countries and post-conflict areas. To date, nearly 270 students from 40 countries across four continents have graduated from the programme. Graduates have consequently pursued diverse careers in gender equality in their home countries or on the international stage, including in public administration, academia, grassroots movements, media, and the arts. Some have continued their studies at the University of Iceland at the master’s or doctoral level. GRÓ GEST also maintains a strong alumni network and continues to support its graduates.
In addition to the international gender studies programme, GRÓ GEST organises international courses and workshops. GRÓ GEST has also, in collaboration with an international group of experts, developed four comprehensive edX online courses (MOOCs) open to all and have proven very popular. Since 2020, around 20,000 people from over 170 countries have enrolled in these courses, with a large proportion earning edX certificates issued by the University of Iceland.
The agreement between GRÓ and the University of Iceland outlines continued cooperation along these lines for three years. The agreement was signed at the University of Iceland by Jón Karl Ólafsson, Chair of the GRÓ Board; Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Director of the Centre; and Jón Atli Benediktsson, former rector of the University of Iceland. Also present were Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, Dean of the School of Humanities, and Irma Erlingsdóttir, Professor and Director of GRÓ GEST.
About GRÓ-GEST
The Gender Equality Studies and Training Programme, part of Iceland’s international development cooperation, was initially established at the University of Iceland in 2009 as a pilot project. In 2013, it became affiliated with the United Nations University network. The GEST programme became a part of GRÓ - Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Change in 2020.
GRÓ GEST is based within the School of Humanities at the University of Iceland, yet its activities are distinctly interdisciplinary. Its teaching and training programmes draw on the expertise of academics from all five schools of the university, complemented by a diverse group of visiting professors from partner institutions around the world.