Agreements signed with universities in Vietnam and South Korea
Ari Kristinn Jonsson, rector of Reykjavik University, recently visited Vietnam and South Korea as a member of a delegation for the president of Iceland´s official visit to the two countries.
The visit gave Mr. Jonsson an opportunity to meet with representatives of government, academia and industry. The delegation visited two universities, the National University in Hanoi in Vietnam and Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea. Jonsson says the purpose of the visit was to establish cooperation between RU and the two universities, the result being that RU students have a greater chance of going on exchange studies in the two countries. The agreements also raise awareness of the knowledge and opportunities RU, and Iceland´s tribute to energy and fisheries research, can offer the global community.
Energy and fisheries
According to Jonsson, cooperation will be focused on technology and renewable energy. RU is Iceland´s largest technical university and runs popular MSc courses in the field of renewable energy ( Iceland School of Energy). "Energy and environmental issues were a recurring theme in this trip, which is understandable as we face the massive task of reducing the negative effects associated with fossil fuels. At the same time, energy demand is constantly on the rise, especially in countries like Vietnam where the economy grows rapidly. If no other options are available, energy requirements will most likely be met with coal, despite their negative effects. Vietnam has great potential for utilization of geothermal energy though and we will all benefit from cooperation in education." Today, a large group of foreign students is enrolled in the master´s programme in energy engineering and energy science at Iceland School of Energy. It is expected that RU will welcome more students from Asia as a result of this cooperation.
The potential for cooperation in education between Vietnam and Iceland also includes fisheries and food processing. Vietnam is a major fisheries and aquaculture country and Iceland has valuable lessons to share with the world, both in the use of resources and maximizing value. Reykjavik University has recently established global training for managers and professionals in the fisheries sector, in cooperation with Fisheries Iceland and the Icelandic food and biotech R&D institute Matís.
"Reykjavik University is an international university, cooperation is an important aspect of our work, as it provides both the opportunity to share the precious knowledge that exists inside these walls and in Iceland, as well as to promote education and research. Vietnam and South Korea are exciting areas and it is important to give our students a good opportunity to get to know the countries better."
