Röskva understands the importance of international students at HÍ. That is why Röskva works closely with the international student organizations to learn how improvements can be made both for current students as well as future student from abroad. Here are some of the important points that have been brought to our attention from this collaboration: Lesa meira

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Voting vill take place electronically on the Ugla (ugla.hi.is) for the first time this year.

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Jonathan Perron-Clow explains why Röskva is the right choice for international students in this article about Röskva’s programme for international affairs.

Are you an international student?  Look at Röskva’s programme for international affairs.

Röskva wants to improve the situation of international students at HÍ!

International students are a large part of the student population at the University of Iceland which, like national students, have interests and rights that need to be protected. There are also some special issues regarding the rights of international students that the local students don’t have, e.g. difficulties with getting personal identification numbers (kennitala), residence permits, translations to English etc. Röskva finds it of vast importance that means for international students to search assistance with such issues and others are improved. For these reasons SHI, under the lead of Röskva, hired an Interests officer and an Equal rights officer for international students last year, both international students themselves. Also, a working group for the matters of international students at the University of Iceland was created. This group of people is now also ESN Reykjavik.
However, improvements can still be made and that’s why Röskva wants the development of the two positions for international students to be continued as well as finding more ways to guard the rights of international students at the University of Iceland and raise awareness of this assistance among international students.

Röskva wants the Icelandic immigration laws to be reconsidered when it comes to students from countries outside of the EU

Röskva wants the Icelandic immigration laws to be changed so that they consider the special position of students. Those that want to come to Iceland to study should be able to do so – no matter where they are from!

Röskva wants students to get the fast treatment they need

The Icelandic directorate of immigration has, according to laws, three months , to handle residence permits and there are no exceptions for students. International students from outside the EU which need visas can find therefor find themselves in the situation where they haven’t received their permit before the start of the semester. Even though they hand in their application to the University and the directorate long before the deadline they are in many cases still waiting for their permit to come through just days or hours before they are due to arrive in Iceland!

Röskva wants the rules regarding the secure financial support to be changed

Students outside the EU have to proof that they have a secure financial support for the period of time he intends to stay in Iceland – a secure financial support according to this rule in the immigration laws, is a little less then 100.000 ISK for every month. This means that a student intending to study at HI for one school year has to have at least 900.000 ISK in his/ her bank account or proof that income, before arriving. This can be difficult for many students and Röskva wants these rules to be reconsidered so that they are more flexible with regard to individual cases. Many students are for an example being supported by their families which means that in the current system, they wouldn’t be able to proof secure financial support.

Röskva wants more communication with the diractorate of immigration

Today, all communication between a student and the Icelandic directorate of immigration goes through the University. When e.g. renewing a study permit and every day counts it can cause unnecessary complications and misunderstandings, that the student is not able to have direct contact with the directorate and follow the process of his own case. Although the University of course needs to be involved, it is also important that the student can at least get direct answers and communicate with people at the directorate himself.

Röskva wants to continue the development of the “buddy –project”

The buddy project is a project that the Students Council and the International Office are responsible for together, where every exchange student coming to Iceland gets an Icelandic “buddy” . This is not only to assist the international students arriving in Iceland but also for more integration between local and international students. Röskva was responsible for taking this project even further but one of the roles of the new working group on matter of international students/ESN is to organize joint events for the buddies and the exchange students which had never been done before. Röskva wants to continue the buddy project to be developed even further with ESN and the International office.

Röskva wants more English translations

Röskva has been a leading force when it comes to English translations. We have made an effort translating our published material into English and have been doing the same within the Students‘ Council . More needs to be done none the less; the student.is web page has still very limited English translations which needs to be improved and Röskva wants to change that in the coming year. More importantly, the University itself should step up when it comes to English translation and make sure that all the announcements and e-mails sent are translated.

Röskva wants the University to develop a strategy for non-Icelandic speaking studens

At the moment it seems to differ from faculty to faculty what rules they have regarding non-Icelandic speakers. There shouldn’t be a discrepancy in the rights given to these students between courses, departments and faculties which is why the University needs to develop a strategy, for an example for English translations of exams, allowing students to bring dictionaries, longer time to finish exams etc.

Röskva wants continued cooperation between ESN and SHI

Last year Röskva made it a goal to improve the cooperation with ESN. By appointing the then chairperson of ESN as the International officer of SHI an important step was taken in that direction.
At the same time a working group on the matters of international students was created by the international committee of SHI, where representatives of SHI have a place along with both local and international members of the student body. This group is now also ESN Reykjavik. This way  the continued functioning of ESN Reykjavik has been ensured (which was in a risk of being discontinued before) and the cooperation with SHI has certainly improved! Röskva wants this cooperation to continue and that more students within the University are able to work on the matters of international students without being representatives of the Students’ Council.

Röskva wants to increased cooperation between SHI and international students’ organizations

The importance of international cooperation between students’ unions is incredible. Iceland is a part of various international processes and strategies such as the Bologna process and the Lisbon strategy which affect education in Iceland directly. Röskva realizes this and wants to continue the close cooperation with the international umbrella organizations SHI is a member of – ESU (the European students’ Union) and NOM (the network of Nordic and Baltic students’ unions). Röskva not only wants to maintain the cooperation but to increase SHI’s responsibilities within these organizations by accepting places in working groups and participate in various campaigns.

Röskva wants the students associations of HI to get a list of the international students within their department

It would be much easier for the students’ associations within the departments to approach and communicate with the international students if they received a list of the international students within their department from the University in the beginning of each semester. It’s important to give international students the opportunity to meet local students within their departments or courses and it would also give the Icelandic students a chance to get associate more with the international students.

Röskva wants more new Icelanders in Higher Education

Röskva wants to find ways so that new citizens in Iceland increasingly seek higher education, for an example by cooperating with the ministry of education and shcools at different levels when it comes to introducing the possibilities within higher education to younger students. Röskva also wants a research to be made of the amount of new Icelandic citizens attending university and what steps can be taken to assist them accessing education ,e.g. by providing more free Icelandic lessons.

Röskva wants a student representative in every committee that deals with the Bologna Process

One of the conditions of the Bologna Process is that there is a student representative in every committee that deals with the implementation of the process. Röskva wants to ensure that this is being done but recently members of the SHI from Röskva got in contact with the ministry of education and pushed for this. Following that a student representative is now a member of a consultative committee that deals with implementing Bologna in Iceland. Röskva wants to continue ensuring that students are involved and being represented in education affairs in Iceland.

Röskva wants more mobile students

For better education at The University of Iceland, the University needs to be in good contact with foreign universities. That contact is ensured with more exchange agreements which increase the diversity of the education which is an important factor for the development of the society in Iceland at large. That’s why Röskva wants more exchange contracts at the University of Iceland. It is still far too common within different departments that returning students can’t get their credits evaluated – even after the implementation of the ECTS system in Iceland. Röskva demands that this is changed so that every student at the University of Iceland has the opportunity to go abroad for a period without having to delay gradation.

Röskva wants HÍ to continue developing international cooperation

Röskva is pleased that the University is making an effort to develop international cooperation by making agreements with foreign universities like it recently did in Beijing. However, much more needs to be done. Röskva wants the University of Iceland to develop more joint degrees with foreign universities.