PhD studies at the School of Health Sciences have been awarded an international quality assurance from the European organisation ORPHEUS (Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System). The School of Health Sciences’ Dean of School received final confirmation on the quality assurance earlier this May. The University of Iceland is the seventh university in Europe to receive this certification.
The assurance is the fruit of considerable labour and process involving revision of rules, work processes and communication of information on the school’s PhD studies. The standing committee of the School of Health Sciences has led the work in collaboration with the school’s faculties, heads of faculties and research managers. Pursuant to the quality assurance will be regular follow-up to ensure that the quality of the school’s PhD studies is maintained in a reasonable fashion, and increased where deemed necessary.
The School of Health Sciences‘ standing committee is comprised of Bryndís E. Birgisdóttir, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Erla K. Svavarsdóttir, Professor at the Faculty of Nursing, Fanney Þórsdóttir, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Helga M. Ögmundsdóttir, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Teitur Jónsson, Associate at the Faculty of Odontology, Thor Aspelund, Professor at the Centre of Public Health Sciences, and Þórdís Kristmundsdóttir, Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and committee chair.
The Dean of the School of Health Sciences turned in a report on the School’s PhD studies in March 2014. Representatives from the Organis¬ation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System consequently came for a two day visit at the School of Health Sciences in September 2015. They met with and interviewed over thirty individuals; i.e. representatives from research institutes, supervisors, doctoral students, as well as the school‘s standing committee. After the visit the School of Health Sciences had to change two items in connections with their PhD studies in order to receive the quality assurance. The changes were completed this spring and the quality assurance was awarded this May.
About ORPHEUS
ORPHEUS is an international organization that evaluates the quality of PhD studies in life and health sciences at European universities. The aim of the organization is to safeguard the PhD as a research degree and to strengthen the career opportunities for PhD graduates. Six other European universities hold the quality assurance including Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the University of Copenhagen.
For further information please consult the ORPHEUS website.