A call for clearer metrics in the education system

The Reykjavík University graduation ceremony took place at Harpa on Saturday, 20 June, where the university graduated 720 students. Andri Þór Guðmundsson, chairman of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, gave an address and presented awards at the ceremony. “Reykjavík University has, in a relatively short time, established itself as one of the pillars of Icelandic higher education,” said Andri Þór Guðmundsson, chairman of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce, in his speech at the RU graduation ceremony. He noted that when the university was founded in 1998, there had been stagnation at the higher education level in Iceland, but that over the course of a quarter century RU had grown and carved out a distinctive position as a dynamic university for the business world.

“RU’s success is a living example of the importance of allowing individual initiative and new ideas room to grow and flourish. As choice increases, opportunities for innovation, progress, and ambition are created. Competition drives ambition, and ambition delivers results,” said Andri.

Challenges in earlier stages of education

Andri also turned his remarks to the challenges facing earlier stages of the education system. He said the future of Icelandic society depended to a great extent on whether we succeeded in building an education system that combines ambition, transparency, and clear metrics for performance.

“The future of Icelandic society depends to a great extent on whether we succeed in building an education system that combines ambition, transparency, and clear metrics for performance. We need to measure what matters, use data for improvement, and ensure that all students are assessed on comparable terms,” said Andri. He also took the opportunity to praise Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, rector of Reykjavík University, and the university’s staff for their contribution to the university’s success, and urged those present to applaud them.

Those who lean forward will stand out

Finally, Andri Þór addressed the graduating students directly:
“Although this day marks the end of one chapter, it is no less the beginning of a new one. The knowledge you have acquired will serve you well in the years ahead, but no less so the ability to learn, ask questions, and face new challenges. Your task is to shape the future. Be courageous and bold, pursue your dreams, and the future is yours. To stand out and achieve success in a world shaped by artificial intelligence over the coming years and decades, you will need daring, courage, and emotional intelligence. Those who lean back will fall behind, but those who lean forward will stand out.”

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce Award is presented to the students who achieve the highest grades from all departments of the university. This year, award recipients received a copy of the book Economics in a Nutshell, a classic work on the fundamentals of economics first published in 1946. The book's opening words emphasise the importance of looking not only at the short-term effects of individual decisions, but also at their long-term effects on society as a whole.

The following six students received awards this year:

• Department of Sport Science: Sævar Óskarsson
• School of Law: Tómas Bjarki Jónsson
• Department of Psychology: Davíð Walter Lentz
• School of Computer Science: Katrín Tinna Sævarsdóttir
• School of Engineering: Daði Jónsson
• School of Business and Economics: Orri Einarsson

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce warmly congratulates the graduating students, their families, and the staff of Reykjavík University.

This article was automatically translated from the Icelandic original.