The new President of UMN strengthens ties with its long lasting Partner University

Joan T.A. Gabel, the new President of the University of Minnesota – UMN, visited the University of Iceland on 2 March, along with an eight-person delegation. Over the next two days, they got to know the University of Iceland and met with various representatives of the University to discuss increased collaboration between the two institutions.

Last summer, Gabel became the first woman to be appointed President of UMN and this visit to Iceland is her first trip to a foreign partner university. The visit will include a meeting with the Rector of UI Jón Atli Benediktsson and other administrators at the University of Iceland. Members of the delegation will then explore the work of the University and meet with representatives of individual faculties and support service divisions at the University of Iceland to discuss increased collaboration. 

The University of Minnesota and the University of Iceland have collaborated on student, lecturer and staff exchange for 38 years; UMN was the first foreign university with which the University of Iceland made such a bilateral partnership agreement. It could be said, therefore, that this agreement marked the beginning of the University of Iceland's extensive international presence and collaboration. In recent years, the two universities have strengthened their research collaboration and there is an appetite for expanding this relationship still further, with regard to both research and teaching. 

The Val Bjornson Exchange Scholarship at UMN is testament to the strong relationship between the universities, supporting students at the University of Iceland to go on exchange at UMN. The scholarship was established in memory of Valdimar 'Val' Bjornson, the former State Treasurer for Minnesota (1906–1987), who had Icelandic roots and was a great supporter of Icelandic students in Minnesota. The scholarship has received a lot of support from the Icelandic American Association of Minnesota and 40 students have now gone on exchange from the University of Iceland to Minnesota with a scholarship from the fund. 

The University of Iceland also provides scholarships for students at UMN who come on exchange to Iceland. There is a fund at UMN in the name of Carol Pazandak, as well, from which University of Iceland staff may apply for funding to visit or conduct research at UMN. Furthermore, there is an alumni organisation for former students of UMN here in Iceland. Jónína Ólafsdóttir Kárdal, student counsellor at the University of Iceland, is chair of the organisation. 

About the University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota was established in 1851 and there are now just over 60,000 students spread across several locations in the state, although the campus at Minneapolis / St. Paul is by far the largest. The University is a comprehensive research university and is ranked 79 on the Times Higher Education list of the best universities in the world.