Björn Þorsteinsson 

The University of Iceland: A pillar of Icelandic society

The University of Iceland has long been close to my heart. The University is a central element of Icelandic society and its flourishing is essential to the flourishing of the nation. As a centre for the acquisition of knowledge, it is unparalleled in Iceland, inviting scholars and laypeople alike to access and appreciate the wonders of the world of knowledge and understanding – the very knowledge and understanding that play an absolutely crucial role in present times during which humanity is faced with  a continuously increasing number of ever-deeper challenges. Concurrently, the University is a breeding ground for free, creative and critical thinking where everything is up for examination and the ideal of truth is held in esteem.

The crux of the University’s activities is found in the academy which, however, necessarily depends on the tireless work performed within the University’s administration. Both, in turn, owe much to the labour of those who provide the basic services and facilities that sustain and ensure the smooth everyday running of things. The well-being and job satisfaction of all collaborating units must be ensured.

The University of Iceland is a university which people look towards, a pillar of Icelandic society. It should be at the forefront of the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in challenging times. It should be a model for equality, diversity and democratic practices. It should be an outstanding workplace where staff and students work together on crucial tasks and where the joy of learning, discovering and creating goes hand in hand with mutual trust.

About me

I have been a Full Professor of philosophy at the University of Iceland since 2016. Two years earlier, I was appointed Assistant Professor of philosophy (lektor). From 2004 to 2014, I served various positions at the University, worked as part-time lecturer and served as research fellow and post-doc, and worked at the Rector’s Office as project manager responsible for creating the University for Young People (Háskóli unga fólksins) as well as participating in other projects that had to do with most if not all the different faculties and departments of the University.

Throughout the years, I have gathered extensive teaching, research and management experience within the University. I have been blessed with good fortune in my work, and I have proved to be a popular teacher and a successful researcher. I have been entrusted with a variety of administrative tasks that require judgment, diligence and determination. I am skilled at settling disputes and it is important to me that people feel comfortable in the workplace, but I do not shy away from making difficult decisions when necessary.

The administrative roles that I have held within the University since my appointment in 2014 include: Chair of the School of Humanities Teaching Committee and Representative of the Humanities in the University of Iceland Teaching Committee; Chair of the School of Humanities Evaluative Committee at the University of Iceland Research Fund (UI Doctoral Grants Fund/Eimskip University Fund) as well as being Representative of the Humanities on the Research Fund’s central committee; Representative on the University’s Science Committee; Representative on the School of Humanities Equality and Diversity Committee; Member of the evaluation committee for the Evaluation System for Public Higher Education Systems in Iceland that was appointed at the initiative of the Rector in 2015; and Representative of the Humanities at the University Forum (Háskólaþing), in addition to serving as Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Director of the Institute of Philosophy.

I have had the good fortune of participating in and leading several large research projects that have received a Centre of Excellence grant from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannis) and generous grants from the European Union (Horizon 2020) and the European Research Council (ERC). I enjoy interdisciplinary research and have worked with scholars from all over the University.

I am author of academic books in Icelandic and French and have published dozens of articles in philosophical journals and anthologies, international and domestic, in Icelandic, English and other languages. In addition, I have edited a large number of books and journal issues. I have translated numerous books and articles into Icelandic from Danish, English, French and German. The total number of works in my bibliography is well over three hundred. In my research, I place great emphasis on the Icelandic language and believe that one of the University’s central tasks consists in ensuring and upholding academic practice in Icelandic.

For more information about my academic work, please refer to my bibliography and CV here on my academic website.

Some policy and focus points

Academic principles

• Academic freedom is vital to the university – it must never become an empty slogan.
• Collegiality is key – decentralized decision-making and accountability, democratic working methods.
• The central element of the university is academia – teaching and research – but any work performed at the university is important and should be both perceived and appreciated as striving towards a common goal.
• Universities as knowledge centres play a key role in the struggle for a better world and a more prosperous future for human society.

The university as community and workplace

• Human resources policy must be consistent and fair in order to ensure work satisfaction. We are all on the same team.
• The obligations of the University as an employer with regard to working conditions must be better defined and clarified, in close cooperation with unions.
• Private offices will be available to all academic staff who so require, but the possibility of opting out of a private office in exchange for a monthly payment similar to that used for subsistence allowances will be explored.
• Staff must be encouraged to actively participate in the university community to foster a vibrant workplace culture.
• It is important that students actively participate in the university community and feel at home on campus.
• Outsourcing of cleaning in UI buildings should be discontinued. Cleaning should return to being a normal part the University’s everyday operations and cleaning staff should become a part of the community like any other employee.
• The preservation and mediation of “institutional memory” within the University must be insured, e.g. with regard to recruitment processes.
• The reception of new staff, both permanent and temporary, must be improved with the end in view of strengthening and clarifying procedures with regard to division of labour, responsibility, etc.
• The financing of the University of Iceland and the financial allocation to Schools and Faculties should be made transparent to new staff (and existing staff).
• The status of staff from countries outside the Schengen area must be clarified and procedures for their recruitment improved.
• The status of doctoral students within the university community must be clarified, particularly regarding when they are expected to take on obligations typically handled by permanent staff (e.g. sitting as representatives on boards and committees).

The University’s Professional Autonomy

• The government must be made fully aware that the University of Iceland’s central role in society rests on its professional autonomy. It is high time to secure the university’s long-term financing, sheltered from arbitrary whims of politicians.
• It must be ensured that the interests of the University of Iceland always come first where campus buildings are concerned.
• The interests of the University of Iceland and university staff must be ensured in the management of electronic data, its storage, ownership and use.

Teaching

• The possibility of hiring people for academic positions with a primary focus on teaching must be examined (as mentioned in the policy document HÍ26).
• Emphasis should be placed on collaboration across academic units in view of creating new courses and achieving synergies.
• A way must be found to overcome the persistent obstacle of the (in)famous ‘firewalls’ separating schools and faculties; newly introduced micro-learning programmes might prove useful here.
• Serious consideration is called for to address the changes (challenges and opportunities) brought about by artificial intelligence as far as the role of education in general and higher education in particular is concerned.
• It is necessary to ensure that distance learning is of high quality and to address the issue of fortuitous recordings during classes.
• It is further necessary to ensure that distance learning does not compromise the well-being of the university community.

Labour issues

• The wage issues of doctoral students must be addressed, including by clarifying and standardizing the employment relationship of funded doctoral students with the University of Iceland.
• The shortening of the working week should be implemented in academia as part of the working environment and workplace culture.
• Burnout and exhaustion should be combated through guidelines on protecting oneself against constant irruptions and avoiding the feeling of being “always at work”, e.g. with regard to communication with students.