News

Agenda Student Council Meeting on May 21st 2024 in room O-201 .

According to paragraph 9 of the Student Council’s laws, the Council’s meetings are open to all students at the University of Iceland. Students who are not members of the Student Council may therefore attend meetings and listen to discussions within the Council. Please note that the meeting takes place in Icelandic.

Please contact the office of the Student Council at shi@hi.is if you have any questions regarding the meeting or the agenda. Furthermore, all students are welcome to contact the office with inquiries about their rights.

Meeting agenda

1. The President of the Student Council convenes the meeting 17:00-17:05 
2. Vote on minutes from the Student Council meeting on March 5th 17:05-17:10
3. Annual financial statement of the Student Council 2023-2024 17:10-17:25 
4. Annual report of the Student Council 2023-2024 17:25-17:50 
5. Recorded issues 17:50

The new Student Council 2023-2024 takes over 17:50

1. The President of the Student Council convenes the meeting 17:50
2. Approval of the election meeting minutes 17:50-17:55
3. Practical matters for new Student Council members 17:55-18:10
4. Break 18:10-18:20
5. Remaining nominations for committees and Student Council divisions (vote) 18:20-18:25
6. Proposal for the Student Council to advocate for making student cards digital (vote) 18:25-18:35
7. Proposal to establish a legal committee to review the Student Council laws (vote) 18:35-18:45
8. Proposal for the Student Council to advocate for Oktoberfest to last longer (vote) 18:45-18:55
9. Proposal on the Student Council’s policy regarding the operation of Hámu (vote) 18:55-19:05
10. Proposal for the Student Council to advocate for heated bus shelters on campus (vote) 19:05-19:15
11. Election of SHÍ representatives to the Board of the Student Housing Association (vote) 19:15-19:20
12. Other matters 19:20-19:35
13. Adjournment 19:35

The Student Council of the University of Iceland is seeking applications for the positions of Managing Director, International Officer, and Editor for the 2024-2025 term.

 

Managing Director:

The Managing Director oversees the financial affairs of the Student Council, the operation of the office, and the implementation of the council’s policies. The responsibilities include supervising the Council’s finances, managing the office operations, accounting, and contract negotiations, as well as recording meeting minutes and maintaining information flow between parties.

Qualifications: Interest in student issues, knowledge of finance and accounting, proficiency in interpersonal communication, and the ability to clearly express oneself in speech and writing in both Icelandic and English. Experience with the administration of the University of Iceland and initiative for independent projects. Relevant educational background is an advantage.

Work percentage is variable or negotiable.

 

International Officer:

The International Officer addresses the needs of international students, both in daily communications and in organizing events, and acts as a liaison in cooperation with international university networks like Aurora.

Qualifications: Initiative and independence in working methods, outstanding communication skills, and knowledge of international affairs. Proficiency in Icelandic and English, experience in international work, and participation in the university community are important.

Work percentage is variable or negotiable.

 

Editor:

The Editor is responsible for the publication and content of the Student Paper, manages the editorial team, schedules publication dates, and oversees advertisement collection.

Qualifications: Interest in media and publishing, experience in editing and graphic design, and excellent computer skills. Exceptional language skills in both Icelandic and English and the ability to work both in a team and independently.

Work percentage is variable or negotiable.

 

Application deadline: until May 20, 2024. All applications should be sent to shi@hi.is marked with the position applied for.

For more information visit our website here.

In January 2024, the Student Council International Committee conducted a survey on the challenges of students from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) when applying for a work permit in Iceland. The survey yielded 266 responses and has resulted in a reform proposal directed at the Icelandic government. 

As a result, the Student Council calls for changes to the legislation on work permits for students from outside the EEA. 

The call from Student Council (in Icelandic) can be seen here. 

Read the reform proposal in full here. 

Abstract 

The Icelandic government, and in particular the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir and the Minister of Social Affairs and the Labour Market, Mr. Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, are encouraged to review the legislation surrounding work permits for students from outside of the European Economic Area.

The right to work should automatically be granted alongside student residence permits. This would vastly improve the quality of life of these students, reduce the workload of the Directorate of Immigration and the Directorate of Labour, contribute to the Icelandic economy and ensure cohesion with other European countries.

This suggestion along with the other reform recommendations below are explained in depth in this proposal. 

Recommendations (in order of priority) 

1. Grant the right to work simultaneously with the granting of a student residence permit. 
2. Allow work permits to be tied to the individual, not to a specific job. 
3. Allow applicants (not their employer) to submit their application for a work permit. 
4. Automatically grant the renewal of a work permit if conditions are unchanged. 
5. Let applications be submitted directly to the Directorate of Labour, not the Directorate of Immigration. 
6. Set a deadline for applications to be forwarded from the Directorate of Immigration to the Directorate of Labour.
7. Create an electronic application portal. 
8. Create FAQs and step-by-step videos about how to apply for a work permit. 
9. Improve communication with applicants (including about delays in processing). 
10.  Ensure that case workers have the knowledge and time to offer correct and polite guidance.

 

Due to pressure from the Student Council, the University of Iceland is looking for ways to replace the payment system for collecting registration fees. Until then, students who want to bypass Rapyd can choose between transferring the fee or paying in cash.

Transfer:

The fee must be transferred to the bank account of the University of Iceland:

bank no: 0137-26-000174 and kennitala: 600169-2039

It is very important that an e-mail is sent to nemskra@hi.is, where all the information about the transfer is specified, i.e. date, time, amount and kennitala of the student for whom the registration fee is paid.

Cash:

You can pay the fee in cash at the service desk on Háskólatorg.

Elections to the Student Council took place on March 20th and 21st, and the election results can be found on our website. 

Elections to the Student Council of the University of Iceland took place on March 22 and 23. The total voter turnout was 32.54%. The following members were elected to the Student Council:

You can now apply for grants in the second allocation of the Student Fund this school year.

 The application form can be found here and we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the fund, especially its laws and code of practice before applying. . The application deadline is until 12:00pm on Monday April 15th 2024. Late applications will automatically be turned away. 

Diagnostic and maintenance grants will be granted in this allocation.

Examples of other grants you can apply for now;  International collaboration or domestic collaboration among university students, Informative and discussion sparking events within the University and Solid grants for all stufdy associations. 

Any questions can be directed to Dagný Þóra Óskarsdóttir, the fund’s chairperson. She can be reached by email at studentasjodur@hi.is.

At the beginning of the ongoing elections to the Student Council and the University Council some students encountered problems when confirming their votes with their Ugla passwords.

Because of said problem, the electoral commission and the Division of Information Technology of the University of Iceland jointly decided to remove this requirement for the remainder of these elections.

Therefore, students have to log in to Ugla with their passwords but no password confirmation is required when casting your vote.

If students are still having problems regarding confirmations of their vote, the electoral commission would recommend to refresh their browser or, if that does not work, log out of Ugla and log in again.

If any more problems occur while voting, please contact the election commission through kjor@hi.is.

Agenda Student Council Meeting on March 5th 2024 in room H-101 in Stakkahlíð.

According to paragraph 9 of the Student Council’s laws, the Council’s meetings are open to all students at the University of Iceland. Students who are not members of the Student Council may therefore attend meetings and listen to discussions within the Council. Please note that the meeting takes place in Icelandic.

Please contact the office of the Student Council at shi@hi.is if you have any questions regarding the meeting or the agenda. Furthermore, all students are welcome to contact the office with inquiries about their rights.

Meeting agenda

1. The President of the Student Council convenes the meeting 17:00-17:05 
2. Vote on minutes from the Student Council meeting on December 13th 17:05-17:10
3. Announcements and issues ahead 17:10-17:20 
4. Presentation on transportation and parking from the department of operation and researches – Kristinn Jóhannesson 17:20-17:40 
5. A proposal for SHÍ to advocate for the adoption of “choice B” in parking matters (Vote) 17:40-17:50  
6. Legislative changes (Vote) 17:50-18:10
7. SHÍ’s statement regarding the change in the government’s financial contribution to universities in Iceland (Vote) 18:10-18:20 
8. Proposal for freege (Vote) 18:20-18:30
   Intermission 18:30-18:40
9. Proposal that SHÍ withdraw burdensome operational requirements on FS in light of Háma’s financial situation (Vote) 18:40-18:50
   
10. Proposal for observer representatives of all political student unions in the board of FS (Vote) 18:50-19:00
11. Proposal for better facilities for student associations at FVS (Vote) 19:00-19:10
12. Proposal for access to UI (Vote) 19:10-19:20
13. Proposal for renovation of facilities in Oddi (Vote) 19:20-19:30
14. Proposal for makeup exams in the School of Health sience (Vote) 19:30-19:40
15. Other issues
16. Meeting ends 19:40

The International Committee hosted a workshop on the challenges of international students on February 12th, 2024 during the EU Equality Days. The workshop focused on challenges faced by international students in Iceland, and how to improve these challenges in order to ensure equality.

 

The workshop had a total of 15 participants who were asked to discuss issues they have encountered at the university or as a part of student life.  A vast number of issues were discussed and will lead the way forward for the International Committee during the remainder of the year as well as for future committee members alike. 

 

The most discussed issues were issues with immigration, highlighting the difficulty of applying for residence and work permits as well as the yearly renewal process required for most permits. This is in line with the current work of the Committee to uncover experiences of international students from outside EU/EEA with applying for work permits in Iceland. The Committee plans on publishing a summary of their findings regarding this and recommendations to the Icelandic government in the hope to provoke systemic change. 

 

Other key areas were a general lack of information about university services and life in Iceland, Icelandic authourities, etc. There was also a general consensus that more and better resources are needed for career and guidance counseling, specifically targeted towards international students. 

 

The International Committee wants to thank all the participants in the workshop and encourage all UI international students to reach out to us with issues you would like us to consider.