There’s always room for improvement

Photo: Sara Þöll Finnbogadóttir

Translation: Alma Ágústsdóttir

The role of a university, whether we like it or not, is partially to prepare students for the job market. Our university days can’t last forever and at some point, every student has to leave the nest, for lack of a better phrase.

Continued technological advancements have prompted rapid and wide-ranging societal changes and the demands of the job market have changed accordingly. To be considered a qualified member of the workforce a student needs to possess a skill set that differs from the skills previously required. The University, therefore, needs to adapt to these changing societal pressures. There is a strong demand for multifaceted individuals who possess a varied skill set that isn’t confined to their chosen field of studies. The market demands individuals who have been taught communication skills and have learned to trust their own abilities. These rapid technological advancements have created an increasingly globalised society and we must take cognizance of the fact that internationalisation must be at the heart of any conscious development of studies.

Teaching post-Covid

The University of Iceland is the public flagship of higher education in Iceland and has served the community well for 110 years. The university has always been an active member of the global academic community and measures have already been taken to ensure the continued development of education within the institution. This development has partially been driven by a need to adapt quickly to changing societal conditions and if we are to take anything positive away from the global pandemic it is the fact that Covid forced us to make timely and wide reaching changes to our teaching practices. Of course, these changes have not been without difficulties and online classes are not always ideal. No one is calling for being exclusively confined to online teaching, the university is, after all, a predominantly on-site teaching facility. The changes that were forced upon us by the global pandemic should rather be viewed as a jumping-off point and we should use this opportunity to take a closer look at our teaching practices and critically examine them to identify where there is room for improvement.

International cooperation and continued development

Earlier this year, the University of Iceland published a comprehensive and ambitious policy for the next five years. Among other things, the policy calls for continued advancements in interdisciplinary education and research, an increase in cooperation between schools and departments of the university, focusing on the development of joint educational initiatives with other universities, in a global capacity, and increased opportunities for mobility. All of this plays a vital role when it comes to being able to best equip students with the skills they need for the projects and challenges they will face post-graduation.

We have already seen measures to implement this new policy and the international university cooperation network Aurora plays a vital role there. Aurora is an international organisation of 11 universities within Europe and the organisation’s goals reflect the same values as the university’s new policy. Aurora emphasises the importance of student involvement at every stage of their decision making process and subsequent implementations. Through our cooperation with Aurora network the university has already started offering additional, and more varied, opportunities for student mobility. For example, the university offered students an opportunity to enroll in two classes taught at the Universität Innsbruck, during the winter semester of this year. This autumn also marked the second time students were provided with the opportunity of partaking in Aurora’s “Student Schemes” which provide students with diverse projects that can be moulded to fit their interests. The importance of opportunities such as this can not be overstated. Not only does it allow students the chance to find their own footing in an international capacity and develop their leadership abilities but it also looks quite impressive on a CV.

Internationalising a university can require significant change and is systematically complex. Transforming teaching practices can be time-consuming and genuine development requires a concerted effort from all those who make up the university community. We all need to be dedicated to achieving our mutual goals, faculty, staff, students and administrators. The involvement of students is essential when it comes to internationalisation. It is our future that is being debated so it is vital that we are an active part of the decision making- and implementation processes.

Everyone should have a seat at the table

Of course the aggregate student voice also needs to accurately represent the student population. The University of Iceland provides varied fields of study that all present different challenges. Additionally, the student population is a lot more international than one might assume if they were to only examine those who formally participate in student politics or are members of the boards of student associations. A prerequisite for internationalisation is providing international students with an accessible work environment because not all international cooperation takes place on foreign soil. Events need to be advertised in both English and Icelandic, whether they are held by the university itself, by student associations or by other members of the university community. Student associations, boards, extracurricular activities and other opportunities need to be advertised more effectively to international students. The university is lucky to have such a diverse student population and ought to view it as a strength that can be employed to drive further positive change. Students who have experienced other institutions of higher education, in other countries, possess a unique perspective on our community and can therefore be better equipped to identify areas of possible growth and development. International students are an asset and should be treated as such.

Because there is always room for improvement.