Exchange study agreement with Singapore University of Technology and Design
Ágúst Valfells, Chair of The Department of Engineering at Reykjavík University, was part of a delegation that Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, led to Singapore at the beginning of November.
The visit aimed to get to know the ways that Singapore has taken in recent years to promote the environment of innovation. Singapore's success in that field has attracted attention, but the structure is rooted in a robust university environment and cooperation with the world's leading universities.
The delegation, which consisted of various people from the administration, the university, and the innovation environment, together with representatives of Icelandic business, visited several universities, including the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
According to Ágúst, SUTD has many similarities with RU regarding size and operations.
This over ten-year-old technical university has set a specific policy for interdisciplinary studies where design thinking is paramount. Its graduates are among Singapore's most sought-after workforce. A lot is invested in teaching since the vast majority of students are in undergraduate studies; still, at the same time, research activity is extremely high and powerful, even though the doctoral program is relatively small in terms of student numbers. An agreement was reached with SUTD to establish an exchange program, and discussions have begun on cooperation in graduate studies.
After the delegation's trip ended, Ágúst's visit to SUTD continued, where he presented geothermal research at RU and the Iceland School of Energy.
Singapore is interested in using geothermal energy with other sustainable energy sources, as much energy is needed to power this large industrial and technological community at the equator.
