Rebekka Karlsdóttir was elected the new President of the Student Council of the University of Iceland (SHÍ) on April 20th. The election took place at a special election meeting of the council held online. The new Rights Office and the newly elected Student Council will formally take office after the exchange meeting in May.

Rebekka will graduate with a Bachelor degree in law from the University of Iceland in June 2022. Alongside her studies, she has worked as a law student at BBA//Fjeldco and before that as a ranger at Vatnajökull National Park. Rebekka also graduated from Menntaskólinn á Egilsstaðir in 2016.

Last year, Rebekka was the President of the School Council of the School of Social Sciences and a member of the Board of the Student Council and the Board of the School of Social Sciences. Rebekka has also served as a student representative on the University Council’s Academic Affairs Committee, a vice-representative of the Student Council for the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, as well as being president of Röskva, an organization of socially minded students at the University of Iceland.

I am very excited to take on the role, as there are many opportunities ahead regarding students’ interests, such as the development of the University campus, a new policy of the University of Iceland, a review of the Student Loan Fund and collaboration with a new ministry and Minister of University Affairs. Likewise, there are brighter times ahead for the social life at the University after 2 years that have been characterized more or less by distance learning and staying at home.

At the election meeting, the following representatives were also elected to the Student Rights Office:

Vice President: Gréta Dögg Þórisdóttir

Interest representative: Katrín Björk Kristjánsdóttir

Student Loan Representative: María Sól Antonsdóttir