The University of Iceland was founded in 1911 and has since served as the foundation for guiding the Icelandic nation to a knowledge society and to prosperity.

The University of Iceland, located in the heart of Reykjavik, is the country’s oldest and largest university. The University of Iceland currently has approximately 16,000 students enrolled, including over 1,500 international students. The University of Iceland is composed of five schools and 26 faculties, and it offers over 400 different study programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels in all major academic disciplines. The University of Iceland collaborates with major stakeholders of society, promotes Icelandic culture and history, prioritizes sustainability and diversity, and places a strong emphasis on international collaboration in education and research.

The University, in addition to focusing on high-quality teaching and research, plays an important role in democratic and informed public debate on societal issues. Furthermore, it provides the vision, knowledge creation, and interdisciplinary collaboration required to address the pressing societal challenges that Iceland and the rest of the world face.

The University of Iceland recently adopted a new strategy for the years 2021-2026, with sustainability and diversity as key objectives. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals serve as the strategy’s foundation. The University of Iceland has been ranked on the THE Impact Rankings, which compare university indicators to the SDGs, since its inception three years ago.

The University of Iceland is a founding member of the Aurora network as well as the Aurora European University Alliance. Aurora is a network of European research-intensive universities with high research impact who share a commitment to social relevance, a diverse student population, and community engagement. One of Aurora’s key themes is the societal impact and relevance of research. Aurora is one of 41 pilot initiatives funded by the European Commission that bring together European universities to collaborate across borders and disciplines to address societal challenges. The Rector of the University of Iceland, Jon Atli Benediktsson, is also the President of Aurora.

The University of Iceland is dedicated to social responsibility, as evidenced by the goals of our new strategy and our participation in Aurora.

University Website: https://english.hi.is/