I would like to thank you all for agreeing to become members (and deputies) of the new board of the University of the Faroe Islands - Fróðskaparsetrið. We really appreciate and wish you very welcome.
Some of you continue as members of the Board, some of you are new. I will thank you all.
I am confident that this Board has the right composition to deal with all the different challenges the University will meet in the coming years. The educational landscape here as well as abroad is constantly developing, and it is crucial, that educations received in Faroe Islands are academically strong, competitive, and interesting. And that we constantly develope a vibrant research environment.
The Board is the supreme authority of the University, and it is your responsibility, together with the rector, Chik Collins, to lead the University the coming four years.
The University is a very important institution in the Faroe Islands. It is our centre for knowledge and research. It is at the University many of our young people get their education and lay the foundation for their working life. And it is at the University we produce and create knowledge for important parts of our society.
The University has been through a huge development, during the past 10 years, with many new courses and studies that are relevant to our society. I am sure, it is one of the reasons, why the population of our country has been growing the past years. It is important to have relevant educations that the society needs, and the adolescents wants. We want to make it possible for our students to stay in Faroe Islands for some more years after they have finished secondary schools. Until lately it has been a serious challenge to our society, that our young people were leaving the country to get an education. This current has luckily changed – partly thanks to the University. But we can still do better.
What are the challenges in the coming years? As I can see, we have a least 3 now:
We are planning to make an external evaluation of the University this year. It is particularly within the faculty of education, where there have been discussions about the content of the courses, the quality and how they fit the needs of the society.
We have also been working on getting the Faroe Islands into the Bologna process. Here there is a job to be done at the University as well as we must facilitate this process in the ministry. This work must continue and be finished as soon as possible.
Another major task in relation to the University is the Campus plan. We must improve the physical conditions over the coming years and bring together all the students and teachers in a Campus.This work has started and the Board should play a role in this process.
I could name many other issues and challenges for the University, e.g. education in medicin and journalism – but I will stop her.
I just wanted to greet you all and wish you a good luck in the exciting tasks that lay ahead.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to bring them forward, and We will try to answer them.
It would be nice if we could have a short introduction round. Who you are, what is your background, and which thought do you have about the work in the board?
I will leave after our presentation round, so you can continue you own.
“Learning is a weightless treasure you always carry easily”.
