U3A Reykjavik

U3A Reykjavik is an Association of people who are no longer in employment or who are considering leaving the labour market. The Association was founded on March 16th 2012 and is the first U3A Association in Iceland. The Association is a non-profit organization and is based on voluntarism.

The purpose of the Association is to promote the possibility for people who are no longer in employment or are about to leave the labour market to enjoy various forms of learning without it being a formal education setting The learning is mostly a peer- based learning where the members of the Association share knowledge, experience and competences. The purpose is achieved among other through:

• Establishing groups working on subjects by  members‘ own chocie.
• Planning and executing lectures, tours and visits.
• Promoting contacts with people within or outside the U3A movement in other countries.

The main objective of the Association is to provide opportunities for people in their third age to acquire and share knowledge as long as they desire and are able to.

The activities of U3A Reykjavik have from start mainly been in form of lectures, courses and study trips. The members of the Associationa are now 165 and 250 additional persons are on the mailing list of the Association, receiving information on what is going on.

Address:

Haedargardur 31

108 Reykjavik

Iceland

Email: u3areykjavik@u3a.is

Web: www.u3a.is

The BALL project, Be Active through Lifelong Learning

U3A Reykjavik is the promoter behind the BALL project. The idea of the project is a little over two years old and took off when U3A Reykjavik and the Icelandic company, Evris foundation joined forces in seeking partners and applying for grant in the European Erasmus+ program. The project was approved, support granted, and the work started in September 2014. The U3A Reykjavik team who worked on the application and work on the project on the behalf of the Associations are:

Dr. Hans Kristján Guðmundsson, board member of U3A Reykjavik. Hans Kristjan is a Physics Engineer and Solid State Physicist with a Doctoral Degree from the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden. Academic and industry related research, teaching and management career at KTH, the University of Iceland, Iceland Technology Institute and the University of Akureyri. He served as science counsellor at EFTA and for Iceland in Brussels..  Director general of Rannis, The Icelandic Centre for Research. Retired after having served as Dean of the School of Business and Science at the University of Akureyri.

Ingibjörg R. Guðlaugsdottir, chair of U3A Reykjavik. Ingibjorg has held several leading positions in the Department of Planning and Development of the City of Reykjavik. She is a Geographer and holds a Master's Degree in Urban Planning (MUP) from the Hunter College in New York, USA and a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Iceland. She has been active and on the board of several formal and informal organisations.

Hans and Ingibjörg are also part of the expert team in the project on the behalf of U3A Reykjavík:

Ásdís Skúladottir, vice chairman of U3A Reykjavik. Ásdís is the former Director of the Reykjavik City Community Centre at Haedargardur 31. She is a social worker, teacher, actor and director with a BA Degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) Degree. She was in 2003 awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Falcon by the President of Iceland in honour of her work for the benefit of the elderly. She has been active and promotor in several formal and informal organisations on the social arena.

Jón Björnsson, secretary of U3A Reykjavik. Jón is a psychologist and author of several books. Among other, he has been Director General of Social Services of the Municipality of Akureyri and Director of Cultural, Educational and Social Affairs of the City of Reykjavik. He has given several lectures on preparation for retirement and is a well known radio columnist.

Dr. Sigurveig H. Sigurðardóttir, Associate professor and Dean of the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Iceland. She has a long standing career in the research field  of gerontology, the social aspects mainly, and is currently the coordinator of the ongoing Nordic Joint Master‘s Program in Gerontology between Iceland, Norway and Sweden. She will participate in the Iceland working team providing expertise and advice throughout the project.