Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, sent the following message to University staff and students today (11 February 2022):
"This weekend, we will celebrate just over 450 candidates who graduate from the University of Iceland. Due to the restrictions on gatherings that have been in place more or less all winter to varying degrees, there will be no formal graduation ceremony with an audience, but the candidates will be able to collect their degree certificates from the University Cinema on Saturday between 10am and 2pm. We aim to make sure that the day is special and memorable, despite the fact that it will not be a traditional ceremony.
Receiving your degree certificate marks the end of an important chapter in your life and the start of a new challenge; some plan to pursue graduate studies, in Iceland or abroad, while others look to establish their careers. Since the University of Iceland was founded in 1911, almost 60,000 students have left with a diverse range of degrees to make an impact in all areas of society and industry.
Currently, over 16,000 people are studying at the University of Iceland, at all levels of higher education from almost 100 different countries. Building on their studies and research at the University, our alumni will shape the future as they head out into the world armed with degrees that are highly respected not just in Iceland but across the world.
Despite the pandemic, the limits on public gatherings and all kinds of restrictions on University operations, the University has strived to prepare our students to take on the diverse and complex challenges of a dynamic society. And you have now been dealing with the pandemic for six semesters, something that nobody would have predicted two years ago. It is a clear testament to the adaptability of our staff and students that, despite everything, so many people are graduating this weekend.
Universities are the foundation of industry and progress, since knowledge is the currency of the future. It is now just over a week until the annual University Open Day, an extremely important event where anyone thinking about higher education can find out more about their options at all Icelandic universities. The University of Iceland will be presenting all undergraduate programmes.
For the second year in a row, University Day will be online, meaning that everyone, no matter where they are, will have the opportunity to talk to UI students, teaching staff, student counsellors and service units. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped to organise the open day, not least the group of over a hundred students who will present their programmes.
We are living in an age of rapid technological progress, transforming possibilities, and greatly increasing our options when it comes to learning and sharing information. The way universities develop over the next years will be critical to determining the way our society develops. Pressing challenges require solutions based on information technology, specialist knowledge, an interdisciplinary approach and forward thinking.
In our new strategy, the University has set ambitious goals for the development of learning. Digitalisation will play a major role, both for on-site learning and distance learning. Technology opens up vital opportunities for progression in everything from the sharing of teaching material and communications between students and instructors to the globalisation of learning. The quality of teaching and learning will always be prioritised at every step we take. The University of Iceland has obligations to Icelandic society and industry and strives to ensure that all study programmes meet rigorous international standards. We know that by continually improving our operations, guided by the principles of quality, equality and ambition, we will ensure consistently high levels of trust in Iceland and abroad. In this way, the University can best fulfil its obligations to Icelandic society.
Dear students and staff, Let's continue to take care. Have a good weekend.
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector"