Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, sent the following message to University staff and students today (18 December 2020):
"Dear students and colleagues,
The final exams for the autumn semester are now behind us and I would like to thank you for your caution, fortitude and adaptability. It has made all the difference in these circumstances which have defined our work for the greater part of this year. 2020 will long be remembered for the pandemic which has beleaguered nations across the world.
The virus has not only threatened health and lives, but also rocked the global economy and disrupted our daily lives. The University of Iceland was forced to close almost completely and much of our work was moved online. This sudden and radical transition has proved extremely difficult for us all. I am in awe of the way in which you, the students and staff of the University of Iceland, have responded in such a professional and unruffled manner to these challenges. Without your self-sacrifice, resilience and solidarity we would not have been able to continue and maintain the quality of our work as well as we have done. For this, I would like to express my wholehearted gratitude.
But a new year brings hope of better times. Finally, a vaccination to quell the pandemic is in sight. Hopefully, before long we will be able to welcome you all back to the University campus.
Although the University of Iceland looks to the future to ensure the competitiveness, prosperity and happiness of the nation, we can all benefit from looking back and reflecting on the journey that has brought us to where we are now. Next year we will celebrate the fact that the University of Iceland has been a driving force of industry and progress for 110 years. Those pioneers who founded a seat of higher learning here in this far-flung and unforgiving land deserve the nation's eternal gratitude for everything the University has done for Iceland. Knowledge is and will continue to be the currency that grows ever stronger.
Soon the days will start to lengthen once more, as Monday marks the winter solstice. The artist Björk wrote about the solstice in her multidimensional work Biophilia, in which she explored the links between nature, music, technology and science. She described us as light-bearers, receiving radiance from others. The festive season will soon be upon us, bringing most of us, in spite of everything, the opportunity to spread that light to others and to focus on the things that matter most: our families and loved ones.
Dear students and colleagues, I wish you all a wonderful festive season and a happy new year.
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector"