University of Iceland

The University of Iceland (Icelandic: Háskóli Íslands) is an Icelandic state university, founded in 1911. During its first year of operation 45 students were enrolled. Today, the university provides instruction for about 13,650 students studying in eleven faculties. The University of Iceland was founded on June 17, 1913, uniting three former Icelandic schools Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, which taught theology, medicine and law, re... more

The University of Iceland (Icelandic: Háskóli Íslands) is an Icelandic state university, founded in 1911. During its first year of operation 45 students were enrolled. Today, the university provides instruction for about 13,650 students studying in eleven faculties. The University of Iceland was founded on June 17, 1913, uniting three former Icelandic schools Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, which taught theology, medicine and law, respectively. The university originally had only faculties for these three fields, in addition to a faculty of humanities. The first rector of the university was Björn M. Ólsen, a professor in the faculty of humanities. The Rektor of the University of Iceland is Dr Kristín Ingólfsdóttir. For its first 29 years the University was housed in the Icelandic Parliament building, Alþingishúsið, in central Reykjavík. In 1933, the university received a special licence from Alþingi to operate a cash-prize lottery called Happdrætti Háskólans. The... less