Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, sent the following message to University staff and students today (21 May 2021):
"Dear students and colleagues,
The University of Iceland is now leading Aurora, a network of prestigious European universities with the aim of influencing the future of higher education in Europe. It is no coincidence that the University of Iceland was chosen to lead a network with such a vital role in shaping our future. Our success in recent years has earned us a place among the best universities in the world, in accordance with respected international rankings, which has significantly strengthened the University's position on the international stage and opened up a lot of opportunities for collaboration.
It is essential that universities continue to adapt and evolve in order to meet the requirements of industry in the future, as well as preparing to face increasingly fierce international competition. The University of Iceland has a lot to contribute here. Representatives from the universities involved in the Aurora Network met online at the Spring Biannual Meeting, hosted by the University of Iceland this week. Participants discussed the advancement of higher education and systematic innovation and research in line with rapid social changes. Another important aspect of the Aurora project is to support the search for solutions to major challenges facing humankind as a whole. Work is currently underway on mapping the strengths of each university in order to grant future students improved access to courses and educational opportunities in an international environment.
We are now in the final stages of the enormous effort that has gone into creating a new comprehensive strategy for the University of Iceland for 2021-2026. The strategy, which will be discussed at the University Forum next week, has been developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders within and outside the University community. The strategy will then be submitted to the University Council for final discussion and approval. The aim of the strategy is to raise standards in all areas of the University's work, for the benefit of the Icelandic nation and the international scientific community.
Following repeated break-ins in University of Iceland buildings over the last few semesters, leading to the theft of valuable equipment, experts from the engineering company Efla were asked to conduct a review of security issues in University buildings. Efla suggested increased use of access cards and the installation of more security cameras. Around the middle of last year, work began on developing the access management system and installing new cameras. This work is proceeding well. It is essential that any measures of this kind are fully compliant with current data protection and privacy laws. The goal is to guarantee the security of the University campus, not to gather data on individuals. All data is regularly deleted in accordance with regulations on digital surveillance.
Registration for summer courses at the University of Iceland is well underway. This initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Icelandic government, is intended as a response to challenging circumstances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Already 800 people have registered on around 75 courses, a level of interest that has exceeded all expectations. I urge you all, dear students, to familiarise yourself with the summer course offerings on the University website. Most courses still have places available.
Yesterday marked the application deadline for a huge range of student summer jobs that the University is offering this year as part of a government jobs initiative. The goal is to increase the number of temporary jobs available for this group. Around 900 applications were submitted through the Directorate of Labour and work will now begin on processing the applications and starting the recruitment process.
Dear students and colleagues, The Whitsun weekend lies ahead, with almost unlimited daylight and the Icelandic performance in the Eurovision finals to look forward to. For many people, then, music will be a major part of the weekend. Let's enjoy it, since, as John Lennon once said, music is everybody's possession.
Take care.
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector"