Focusing on the quality of higher education: Interview with Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir

Translation: Victoria Bakshina

After the elections last fall it was clear that the Independence party held a majority in the government. According to the new government agreement, the ministries have been significantly reorganized, so the universities were given a brand-new ministry, and along with that - a new minister. Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, the former minister of justice, now sports the title of a minister of higher education, science, and innovation.

“With this change we want to emphasize  higher education affairs and their connection with the society”, says Áslaug Arna in an interview with the Student Paper. “It encompasses everything, whether it's the connection with  innovation, taking a better advantage of  Icelandic ingenuity or research.” She says that the knowledge created in the university community should be better incorporated into society.  “Let's take bigger challenges, for example,” she says. “Poverty, climate issues and the aging of the nation. Ingenuity and research will solve these issues in the coming decades if we play our cards right.”

Innovation in everything we do

“By giving the university this platform, by giving it its own ministry, I hope that with all this ingenuity and research we can pay more attention to the quality of education and provide the space that  higher education needs,” says Áslaug. She says that the goal of the government is to be able to compare Iceland with Nordic countries, not only in terms of financing, but also to see where we are or aren't on an equal footing with them. “It needs to be implemented with an increased financing accompanied by an increased quality of our higher education,” she says.

They plan to do so by utilizing technological change to enhance the quality of life with Icelandic ingenuity.  “By doing so we create more diverse, powerful and creative jobs for young people in Icelandic society who are graduating from the university,” says Áslaug.  She says that she's hoping that Iceland will no longer be a simple natural resources system but will be built on several more diverse pillars that will create a bountiful fund of opportunities so that people would choose Iceland.  “Whether it is for young people graduating higher education, older people who want to be able to acquire new knowledge in the school system because their jobs are, perhaps, out of date or the technology has stepped in, or to attract foreign partners to us.”

Áslaug says that it's generally important for the entire educational system in its entirety to not look at innovation as one set of issues. “Rather we have to implement innovative thinking in everything that we are doing. So that the idea that it is possible to create something independently, would start in elementary school. It matters that we are supporting fundamental research and technology development,” she says. “Then I think that Icelandic society can become much more attractive. Both for the young people, but also for people who would like to move here. “

Photo: Mandana Emad

Helping people fly

When asked how Áslaug expects to achieve these changes, she says that internally they are breaking the walls in the ministry in such a way that there are no specialized offices, no walls between the areas. “On the external level it means that the politics are about creating a foundation, the environment and lifting people up. Helping people fly. It pays off to invest in a lot of people and ideas, because some will fly so high when you release them, they will pay back multifold, “she says. “It mainly involves creating an environment without walls.” Áslaug names it a challenge and not necessarily  one to be carried out by a politician, but rather it will be the environment that will unleash power by letting people talk with each other.

Áslaug says that Gróska - an innovation and business growth center, is a good example of a knowledge center where the leading companies in innovation and development, the small businesses that try to obtain their footing, and the marketing companies and others within the academic community come together and communicate. “My task for the first months is not to know better than these people, but rather listen to them. Where we can do even better and where we can continue to excel. We need to continue to be ready because everyone is getting better,” she says. Iceland has so much to offer: Áslaug mentions proximity to the natural resources, human resources, our young people and our way of thinking. She says that we have everything we need to be able to create an environment that attracts the best climate technologies in the world, for example.

The goal is for people to manage to finish their studies

The review of the educational fund has been discussed a lot lately because it has an enormous impact on the living conditions of students. Áslaug says that the educational fund has a clear purpose - to ensure the equal access of people to study regardless of their financial or social status. “We want to assume that it will answer the call and that there are certain catalysts to create a more transparent and better support system for students, that are both fair and balanced,” she says.  “I think we need to ask whether with recent changes we have been contributing enough to transparency, and when it is best to pay out the grant.” Áslaug believes that the revision of the fund laws needs to be executed in agreement with those who have experience with the system, and can tell what changes have been beneficial, and whether they’ve been made at the expense of other resources that were good. She says that one can review which catalysts that could be, whether these have improved general living conditions, higher standards of living or an increased income threshold. These are the questions that she needs to have in mind when she enters the new year.

“I've looked at the fact that people become more aware of the costs of higher education,” says Áslaug, and with that she means that program costs vary, and it can increase the awareness of the assets that go into the system of higher education. “But we try to ensure equality, so that people don’t overpay for different programs.” She says that one cannot take studies for granted and one can observe whether the withdrawal from studies is higher compared to other Nordic countries, and if so what is causing that. Then one might ask how it is possible to invest better into people that enroll into universities. “Our real goal is to ensure that people who start studies successfully finish them.”

The cabinet must be like lego cubes

With the changes in the ministries the university has been separated from elementary and secondary levels of education, and there is no doubt that many contemplate whether it might form a gap between them. Áslaug says that people shouldn’t worry about this: “We have been working a lot in the cabinet in order to bridge the gap between the ministries too.  There are many issues which cut across the ministries so they must work together," she says. "Ásmundur Einar [minister of education and children's affairs] and I have worked very well together so far, and we have immediately started on various things related to bridging this gap between secondary and higher education."

Áslaug says that there are a lot of things that call for good cooperation and takes as an example her willingness and the need to increase the number of people in technology and trade programs. It is important that this program is well presented in elementary and secondary school. “I don’t fear  any recoil on these levels of education because of their belonging to a separate ministry. I think, on the contrary, that they will receive increased attention and the projects between them will be even more dynamic.

“I hope that in general the governmental system will be more like in the countries around us where there is this kind of flexibility and changes are made to achieve certain dynamism.” She says that it does not need to be too costly or too exhausting because the cabinet must work well together. “It is a dream come true that it will work like lego cubes which can be put together in all sorts of ways.”

Photo: Mandana Emad

The University of Iceland, an extraordinary school

“This ministry is an opportunity for young people in Iceland, in my opinion,” says Áslaug, where the vision is to expand domestic ingenuity as an export industry and grab the opportunities this would create.  With that development there will be more and more diverse jobs and opportunities for students after their studies.  “Students encompass a big part in this development, and I am fully collecting  ideas and listening to those creating something or seeking solutions to some issues.”

Áslaug says that she can always be approached for any speculations and ideas. “Young people have to have a fast way to reach out to this ministry and it is important that they take part in forming it,” she says. “Because this is a ministry of the future and the opportunities that await us. “ She says that the government has created it so that things can hopefully progress faster. “I am a little bit like so many young people, impatient for things to happen and it can be good for these concerns to receive a ministry where things are supposed to happen faster. “

“So is the University of Iceland, a unique school that is moving very fast, too,” says Asa. “It is, for example, a great inspiration to get to meet people who come from the local universities and are creating a product or idea that can really affect the climate of the world. This is what drives a person forward in the work, we continue to let Iceland be excellent, so that companies and people's thoughts can flourish and don't fly somewhere else.” She calls people to allow themselves to think big and not to hesitate to reach out if they have ideas that are relevant for this kind of work.