RU Erasmus Policy Statement
The role of Reykjavik University (RU) is to create and disseminate knowledge to enhance the competitiveness and quality of life for individuals and society, guided by good ethics, sustainability and responsibility. RU's mission is to be a strong teaching and research university with emphasis on Technology, Business, Law, Psychology and Sport science. RU aims to improve the quality of lives within society, both locally and internationally, through international relationships and cooperation in education.
At the heart of RU's approach to education is developing the university as a source and driver of innovation, and creating a learning environment conducive to developing entrepreneurial skills. RU creates these opportunities for the transfer of knowledge and technology through research, teaching, and ties with industry.
Reykjavik University has defined a clear strategy for 2020 and beyond. The drivers for this strategy are twofold. On one hand, it is to continue to strengthen the quality of the education and research at the university, to the benefit our students, industry and society. On the other hand, the strategy is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society, due to the ongoing technology revolution, global warming, societal changes and new generations of students.
The strategy focuses on the development of education through increased use of digital methods, project-driven studies, close international collaboration, increased flexibility and mobility for students, and the need to provide education for the workforce in a rapidly changing job market.
The strategy also focuses on building the university up as a knowledge center that creates new knowledge and opportunities through research and innovation, with special emphasis on sharing knowledge with society and offering an open environment for collaborative innovation.
The execution of the strategy will build on strong international collaboration, especially with European universities. This includes the well-established foundations of student and faculty mobility, information sharing and collaboration in education development. It also extends to developing strategic partnerships with select universities on shared programs and courses, to support the strategy.
By participating in the Erasmus+ Programme, Reykjavík University expects to continue to strengthen its international profile and increase competitiveness on a national as well as global level. Moreover, RU wants to serve as a bridge between new technology and society in order to meet rapid changes in society and education needs. This requires changes in how the university teaches, as well as how it contributes to knowledge development and applications.
RU will strive to respond to:
- -rapidly growing breadth of knowledge and jobs, due to advances being made in technology, computers, biological systems, etc. This requires added emphasis on shared and joint curricula, access to courses between collaborating universities and flexibility in degree programs.
- -new generation of digital natives, who learn, work and live differently from current and past generations. This will affect education and research, as well as the workplace.
- -the need for educating an existing workforce for new opportunities as jobs change and disappear. Universities must contribute to bridging the gap between economies and jobs that are changing and disappearing. That means developing and delivering programs for people already out in the workforce that need additional or new skills to continue to be as productive as possible in society.
- -critical need for research, education and development concerning the climate crisis. As the climate crisis grows, universities will have to play a great role in understanding climate changes, developing ways to reduce carbon emissions and help develop solutions to deal with the unavoidable consequences of the climate crisis on economies, society, food, water, living spaces and more.
- -to contribute to true equality and equal opportunity for all, regardless of gender, race, religion or any other such factors. This involves universities leading by example in education, staffing, hiring and promotion, as well as participating in development of society and engaging in the battle against prejudice and misinformation with research and facts.
