The University of Iceland or Háskóli Íslands, located at Vesturbaer, is Iceland’s biggest and oldest university. Founded on 17 June, 1911 by the Alþingi, the University also brought under its fold Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn.
The University of Iceland or Háskóli Íslands, located at Vesturbaer, is Iceland’s biggest and oldest university. Founded on 17 June, 1911 by the Alþingi, the University also brought under its fold Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn.
The University, designed by acclaimed architect Guðjón Samúelsson, was housed in the Icelandic Parliament House, Alþingishúsið, for nearly three decades, before it was shifted to the present location in 1940. Ranked 401 internationally, the University with an overall score of 4.3 stars hosts about 20,000 students in 25 different faculties. Björn M. Ólsen was the first rector of the university, which today covers 10 hectares and houses 30 buildings, the oldest of which, Gamli Garður, was built in 1934.
The major source of funds for the construction of the university building came from a fund-collection drive in 1943, after the Alþingi bestowed a special licence to run a lottery operation Happdrætti Háskólans. The University of Iceland is divided into five schools, which are further divided into 25 faculties, with its main building facing a semi-circular lawn, with a statue of Sæmundur fróði, an Icelandic priest and scholar. In 1994, a government proposal induced the merging of the university library with Landsbókasafn Íslands, the National Library of Iceland to become one huge academic library known as Landsbókasafn Íslands-Háskólabókasafn, the National and University Library of Iceland.
The University of Iceland boasts of all modern facilities, including state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries, gymnasium, hostel facilities and avenue for sports, leisure and creative activities. Over the past few years, new blocks have been added and the University itself is growing to accommodate the growing interests of students from all over the world.
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