Árbók Háskóla Íslands - 31.12.2003, Page 229

University of lceland
Brief overview
The University of lceland (Háskóli íslands) is a state university founded in 1911.
During its first year of operation 44 male students and 1 female student were
enrolted. Today. the University of lceland serves a nation of approximately 290.000
people and provides instruction for some 9.000 students, 1200 of them doing post-
graduate studies. In addition to the major facutties there are numerous research
institutes attached to the University. With its 420 tenured teachers. some 1.800
non-tenured teachers. and about 440 researchers and administrators. the
University of lceland is the largest single workplace in the country.
For its first 29 years the University was housed in the building of the lcelandic
parliament. the Atthingi, in the centre of Reykjavík. In 1940. the University moved
into its Main Building on the University campus on Suðurgata. where most of the
principal buildings of the University are located today. Furthest to the west is the
Faculty of Pharmacy in Hagi on Hofsvattagata and the east the Faculty of Medicine
and Dentistry in Læknagarður. The newest addition is the house of Natural
Science south of the Nordic house, inaugurated in 2004. Department of geo-
sciences. department of biotogy and the departments' research institutions along
with The Nordic Volcanic Institution are located in the new building.
A modern, diversified and rapidty devetoping institution. the University of lcetand
offers opportunities for study and research in more than 160 degree programmes
in the humanities, sciences and sociat sciences. and in professionat fields such as
theology. law. business, medicine. odontology and engineering. Some of the
resources avaitable at the University are uniquely lcelandic: these include the
manuscripts preserved in the Árni Magnússon Institute. Icelandic census records
dating from 1703, exceptionally complete genealogical data, and climatotogicat,
glaciological. seismic and geothermal records.
Internatíonal Activity- International Co-operation
The University of lceland and its staff maintain ctose contacts with academic insti-
tutions abroad. Other less format but equally important links resutt from the fact
that the great majority of the academic staff of the University has obtained gradu-
ate degrees abroad. Through these individual connections. the lcelandic research
community has been able to establish and preserve strong retations with aca-
demic and research institutions outside lceland. Indeed, many graduates of the
University of lceland still travel overseas for further specialisation. thus carrying
on the tradition of internationat co-operation.
The University of lcetand is an active participant in many international joint proj-
ects and over the past few years it has signed agreements with numerous univer-
sities in Europe. North America. Australia and Southeast Asia on coltaboration in
research and teaching.
Student Exchange Programmes
The University of lceland takes part in international co-operative ventures such as
the SOCRATES and LEONARDO programmes of the EU. and the Nordic schemes
NORDPLUS and NorFA. It also takes part in the American student exchange pro-
gramme ISEP. In addition. student exchanges take place in connection with bilat-
eral agreements which the University has signed with partner institutions abroad.
Foreign Students at the University
ln recent years the number of foreign students at the University has increased
steadily. Over 200 foreign students are now enrolled on a regular basis, the
majority studying lcelandic for foreign students. Exchange students come to study
for shorter periods of time. The lcelandic Ministry of Cutture and Education
awards a number of scholarships annuatly to foreign students who come to
lceland to study lcelandic language and literature. A fair number of students are