Magnús Þór Torfason, professor at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Iceland, has been appointed Dean of the School of Social Sciences for a term of five years. He was one of three applicants for the position and will assume the role on 1 July.
Magnús holds a BS degree in electrical and computer engineering and computer science from the University of Iceland, as well as a cand.sci. Degree in the field mentioned above from the same university. Additionally, he has an M.Phil. degree and a Ph.D. in management from Columbia Business School in the United States.
Magnús worked as an assistant professor at Harvard Business School from 2010 to 2014. He was appointed assistant professor at the University of Iceland in 2014, promoted to associate professor in 2020, and to full professor in 2024. Magnús has been the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration since last summer. He has also led the innovation and business development program at the University of Iceland from its inception. He has overseen the innovation course Spark Social, which is open to students from all faculties of the University of Iceland and universities within the Aurora network. He is the chairman of the venture capital fund Frumtak Ventures and has also served on the boards of various innovation and startup companies.
Magnús's research spans a wide range of topics, including innovation, business networks, design thinking and its application, cryptocurrencies, and the response of Icelanders to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The School of Social Sciences and its departments play a key role in enhancing the understanding of Icelandic society and the challenges it faces. The school is uniquely positioned to address contemporary challenges, and I look forward to working with the dedicated staff to increase the contribution of research and teaching to societal well-being, both domestically and internationally," says Magnús.
"It is a great asset for the University of Iceland to have Magnús Þór Torfason, professor and Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, as the next Dean of the School of Social Sciences. Magnús is exceptionally well-equipped to tackle the tasks ahead and the challenges and opportunities that the School of Social Sciences faces," says Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland.
Magnús will assume the role of Dean of the School of Social Sciences on July 1st, succeeding Stefán Hrafn Jónsson, who has held the position for the past five years.
The School of Social Sciences is one of the five academic schools at the University of Iceland and the largest in terms of student numbers. It comprises six departments: Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics; Social Work; Economics; Law; Political Science; and Business Administration.