News

The Student Council of the University of Iceland welcomes the decision to hire a fourth psychologist for the University’s Counselling and Career Centre. This is a 50% position that the University of Iceland will fund centrally for the next three years. 

The decision follows consistent advocacy by the Student Council in recent months, in close cooperation with the University’s mental health team and the Counselling and Career Centre. In March, the Council organized a charity week to raise awareness about the state of psychological services. In April, the Council issued a statement urging the University to take immediate action. 

Both student groups, Vaka and Röskva, have agreed on the need to increase the number of psychologists at the University. 

“We have repeatedly pointed out that three psychologists in 1.5 full-time equivalents is not enough for a university with nearly 14,000 students. It is gratifying to see that our efforts are paying off,” says Valgerður Laufey Guðmundsdóttir, SHÍ’s Student Rights Officer. 

According to the Counselling and Career Centre, the matter was pursued in consultation with SHÍ and the position was approved on the second day of Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir’s tenure as Rector. The new psychologist will begin work in August. 

The Council celebrates this milestone, but also emphasizes that this is only the first step. SHÍ will continue to push for psychologists to be hired in 100% positions and for the service to be strengthened to meet students’ real needs. 

On Wednesday, August 6th, 2025, the 2nd meeting of the Student Council of the University of Iceland for the academic year 2025–26 will take place.
The meeting begins at 5:00 PM and will be held in room N-132 in Askja, University of Iceland.
Chair of the meeting is Arent Orri Jónsson Claessen, President of the Student Council, and Secretary is Alda María Þórðardóttir, Executive Director.

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Agenda:

I. Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting

II. Proposal that the Student Council urge university administrators to keep the registration fee unchanged
Presenter: Halldóra Elín Einarsdóttir (Vaka)

III. Proposal for countermeasures against paid parking at the University of Iceland
Presenters: Guðlaug Eva Albertsdóttir (Röskva), María Björk Stefánsdóttir (Röskva), Auður Halla Rögnvaldsdóttir, and Katla Ólafsdóttir

IV. Proposal to amend the bylaws of the Student Fund
Presenter: Kjartan Leifur Sigurðsson (Vaka)

V. Intermission

VI. Proposal to erect the “Bryndís Bench” in the Oktoberfest area
Presenters: María Björk Stefánsdóttir (Röskva) and Ármann Leifsson

VII. Proposal for a declaration of intent by the Student Council regarding the petrol station lot at Birkimelur
Presenter: Arent Orri Jónsson Claessen

VIII. Proposal to raise the university registration fee
Presenters: María Björk Stefánsdóttir (Röskva), Magnús Hallsson (Röskva), and Valeria Bulatova (Röskva)

IX. Recorded matters and announcements

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According to Article 9 of the Student Council bylaws, all Student Council meetings are open to all students at the University of Iceland. All interested students are encouraged to attend.

For questions regarding the meeting or the agenda, please contact the Student Council office by phone at +354 570-0850 or by email at shi@hi.is.

The Student Council of the University of Iceland is now accepting applications for the position of Project Manager for Oktoberfest 2025.

Project Manager for Oktoberfest:
The Project Manager for Oktoberfest oversees communication with contractors, manages marketing activities in cooperation with the Student Council, and handles the overall coordination of Oktoberfest on behalf of the Student Council. The role also includes compiling a summary and writing a report after the festival. The employee will be hired in a part-time capacity for the duration of the contract period.

Qualifications:
Experience in event management and marketing, excellent communication skills, strong organisational abilities, and the capacity to work independently.

Application process:
The application deadline is 30 July 2025. Applications should be sent to shi@hi.is. Each application must include a cover letter, a CV, and contact details for two referees. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

The Student Council of the University of Iceland is now accepting applications for the position of International Officer for the academic year 2025–2026.

International Officer:
The international officer provides services to international students in collaboration with the International Division of UI,  and assists them in event planning along with the SHÍ international committee. The international officer also represents UI students in Aurora and works closely with the Aurora team at UI.

Qualifications:
Self-motivated and capable of working independantly as well as with others. Excellent communication skills. A strong command of Icelandic and English, an interest and experience of international issues and involvement in the university community. The position is part-time by agreement, with an expected average workload of 50%.

Application Process:
The application deadline is July 23, 2025. Applications should be sent to shi@hi.is. Each application must include a cover letter, a CV, and contact information for two references. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

You can read more about the work of the Student Council here.

Alda María Þórðardóttir, Fannar Gíslason, and Sæþór Már Hinriksson have been hired at the Rights Office of the Student Council of the University of Iceland (SHÍ). The positions filled are those of Executive Director, Editor of Stúdentablaðið, and Welfare and Rights Representative. These are diverse and responsible roles that support the council’s daily operations and services for students.

Executive Director at the SHÍ Office

Alda María Þórðardóttir, 24 years old, has been appointed Executive Director at the SHÍ Office. She is pursuing a BSc degree in Economics at the University of Iceland and has gained experience in public administration, including in the payroll department of the Capital Area Health Service and in back-office operations at Tryggingar og ráðgjöf (Insurance and Consulting). She served as an alternate representative on the Student Council and sat on the Social Sciences Faculty Council during the 2024–2025 academic year. Prior to that, she was Vice Chair of the board of Ökonomía during the 2023–2024 academic year.

The role of Executive Director involves overseeing the daily operations of the office, financial management, accounting, and contract administration. The position also includes managing meeting minutes and ensuring effective and streamlined communication within the council and with stakeholders.

Editor of Stúdentablaðið

Sæþór Már Hinriksson, 25 years old, has started work as Editor of Stúdentablaðið. He is pursuing a BSc degree in Business Administration at the University of Iceland and previously completed a diploma in Event Management from Hólar University. He has diverse experience in media and editorial work, having worked both as an editor and journalist for Feykir in Northwest Iceland and as a journalist for Morgunblaðið.

The Editor of Stúdentablaðið leads the editorial team and shapes the newspaper’s content policy, plans publication schedules, and oversees advertisement acquisition. The editor is responsible for editorial processing of content with the goal of strengthening the paper as a platform for diverse and critical discourse among students.

Welfare and Rights Representative at the SHÍ Office

Fannar Gíslason, 26 years old, has taken on the role of Welfare and Rights Representative at the SHÍ Office. He holds a BSc degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Iceland. Fannar has been active in student affairs, including serving as an alternate representative on the Student Council during the 2024–2025 academic year and as a representative on the Faculty Council for Engineering and Natural Sciences.

The Welfare and Rights Representative provides advice and services to students regarding their employment rights and conditions. The position is part of a collaboration between the Student Council and Viska – the student union and also involves participation in education and awareness initiatives about rights-related matters, in close cooperation with Viska’s office.

Students have three representatives on the board of the Icelandic Student Services, the term of office being two years at a time. The last time the board was appointed was in 2023, so it’s time to do it again. According to a regulation for the Icelandic Student Services at the University of Iceland, the board consists of five individuals: the Ministry of Higher Education appoints one representative, the University Council appoints one representative and the Student Council appoints three representatives.

Qualification requirements

• Interest in the workings of the Student Council and students’ affairs.
• Experience of student advocacy is an advantage
• Active participation in the university community is an advantage
• Knowledge of the administration of the University of Iceland is an advantage
• Good social skills
• Ability to express oneself in speech and writing in Icelandic

It is expected that applicants do not study at the University of Iceland during the appointment period and will care about the interests of students and the Icelandic Student Services.

A cover letter together with a résumé shall be sent via email to shi@hi.is.  The deadline is until 23:59 May 20th 2025. Applications received after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.

Yesterday, April 29, a meeting of the Student Council of the University of Iceland was held, where the leadership for the next operational year was elected. The new council will formally assume its duties at a handover meeting at the end of May.

Vaka, the association of democratically minded students, increased its majority in the Student Council elections held on April 2 and 3. At yesterday’s meeting, Arent Orri J. Claessen was therefore re-elected as President of the Student Council, which is said to be a rare occurrence according to a statement from the council.

Arent is currently pursuing a master’s degree in law, and he served as chairman of Vaka before becoming President of the Student Council.

At the meeting, Sylvía Martinsdóttir was also elected as Vice-President of the council. She is pursuing a master’s degree in finance. Additionally, Viktor Pétur Finnsson was elected as the Student Council’s Loan Fund Representative; Viktor is studying in the Faculty of Business Administration.

Finally, Valgerður Laufey Guðmundsdóttir was re-elected as the Student Interest Representative of the University of Iceland. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in law.

“I am proud of our work over the past year and grateful for the trust the new Student Council has placed in us, and I look forward to working with the new board. I would like to thank the outgoing Student Council and board for their work, and I promise that we will continue to strive for better conditions for students,” says Arent Orri, President of the Student Council.

Elections to the Student Council took place on April 2nd and 3rd, and the election results can be found on our website.

University of Iceland buildings will be closed from Thursday, April 17th until and including Monday, April 21st due to the Easter holiday, as stated on the university’s website. The Student Council (SHÍ) would like to emphasize that the following buildings are accessible over the weekend with a student card: Askja, Háskólatorg, Gimli, Læknagarður, Lögberg, Oddi, Stakkahlíð, and VR-II.

Happy Easter!