Bifröst University () is located in the valley of Norðurárdalur, approximately 30 kilometers north of Borgarnes,

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. Originally a business school, it also offers degrees in law and social sciences, at both bachelor's and master's level, as well as a remedial university preparatory course. As of 2011, the university had 573 enrolled students. Student and staff housing surrounds the school, which with

Hólar University College Hólar University is located in Hólar, Iceland, an important historical centre of education. The university, which was the first post-secondary school in Hólar, was founded in 1106. It was renamed Hólar Agricultural College in 1882 and became ...

is one of two real “campus universities” in Iceland. However, many enrolled students are in distance learning programs. Bifrost University

History

The university was founded in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

in 1918 as a secondary school called the Cooperative College (Samvinnuskólinn). The school was run by the Icelandic cooperative movement ( Samband íslenskra samvinnufélaga) and was originally intended as a training college for the staff of cooperative stores and other members of the movement. The founder and first head of the school was Jónas Jónsson from Hrifla, who was for many years a member of Parliament for the Progressive Party. He had studied at Askov Folk High School in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

and

Ruskin College Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is not a college of Oxford University. It is named after the essayist, art and social critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) an ...

in Oxford, and his ideas about education were innovative for the time. In 1955 the school moved to its present location in the scenic countryside of Norðurárdalur. Within walking distance of campus are Lake Hreðavatn, the waterfall Glanni, and the volcanic cones of Grábrók and Grábrókarfell. At first, the school offered a two-year residential program in retail management for students aged roughly sixteen to eighteen. During the 1980s and the 1990s, the school slowly transformed into a university-level institution offering diploma and bachelor's programs in business. In 1998, a

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

was opened which reduced the driving time from Reykjavík to Bifröst to around an hour and a half, changes in Icelandic society increased the demand for higher education, and new legislation authorized universities to charge fees. Bifröst took advantage of these developments, expanded its programs and student numbers considerably, and began charging tuition to students in addition to receiving state support. In 2006, the institution's name was changed from Bifröst School of Business to Bifröst University. Later that year the school's rector resigned amid controversy, partly involving allegations of financial mismanagement.

Courses

Bifröst offers a few Exchange Program Courses in English. A draft of these courses in 2020 are: * Business courses * Economics and Political courses * Language courses (Icelandic Language and Culture)

Campus life

On and around the university are a kindergarten, housing for students and some staff, and recreation facilities (including a fitness room, sauna, hot tubs, solarium, and soccer and basketball fields). Older children are taken by bus to the nearby school at Varmaland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bifrost University Educational institutions established in 1918 1918 establishments in Iceland

History

Courses

Campus life

See also

References