Exciting opportunities in collaboration with the University of California

Jón Atli Benediktsson, rector of the University of Iceland, visited the University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB) recently. On this occasion he renewed the collaborative contract between the Universities. Furthermore, work on a new agreement on student exchanges between the whole University system of California and the University of Iceland was launched. The Californian University system is comprised of ten campuses, including UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UCSB. This agreement opens up exciting opportunities for both students and staff at the University of Iceland.

The University of Iceland and UCSB have collaborated since 1990, and a formal agreement has been in place since 2000. A number of students at the University of Iceland have taken part of their studies at UCSB, and some of them have gone on to pursue graduate studies there. Moreover, a number of academics from the University of Iceland have spent time at UCSB to work on research and collaborate with colleagues there. Vice versa students and teachers from UCSB have also stayed at the University of Iceland. Currently Björn Birnir, professor of mathematics at UCSB, is a guest professor at the University of Iceland, he has provided students and staff from the University of Iceland who have stayed at UCSB with invaluable support over the last few years.

Jón Atli and Henry T. Yang, Rector of UCSB renewed the collaborative contract of the universities to the year 2024. Furthermore, Jón Atli and Robert York from USCB Professional and Continuing education signed a statement of intent granting students from the University of Iceland special privileges for studies at UCSB Extension. Besides signing the agreements Jón Atli had meetings with deans at UCSB and the heads of University of California Education Abroad Program; an agreement on student exchange between that body and the University of Iceland is being developed as mentioned above.

Jón Atli was also present at the awarding of grants from the Freymóðsson-Danley fund. Leif Kristján Gjerde, student of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Iceland, currently pursuing exchange studies at UCSB, received a scholarship from the fund. The fund was founded by Bragi Freymóðsson, electrical engineer and one of the pioneers of GPS-technology. Bragi was born in Iceland but lived most of his life in the US. The fund has supported students from the University of Iceland to study at UCSB. Bragi’s daughter, Steinunn Freymóðsson-Danley, presented the grant to Leif with her husband, Howard E. Green. He works for the Disney Conglomerate which has supported the Freymóðsson-Danley fund.