About us
The role of the Institute of International Affairs (IIA) is to provide education, promote research, and carry out service projects in the field of international relations. It aspires to serve both academic and professional needs and stimulate a general discussion on subjects relating to international affairs.
Research centres
The Institute of International Affairs was established in 1990 but was expanded and re-structured with the creation of the Centre for Small State Studies in 2001. The Centre for Arctic Studies was launched in March 2013 and Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre, the newest addition to the Institute of International Affairs was established in October 2016. The Institute and the Centres are supervised by a joint Steering Board. All four centres are housed within the University of Iceland’s School of Social Sciences but with close links to the School of Humanities.
Projects
The Institute of International Affairs plans and carries out research on various subjects and hosts conferences, seminars, and lectures concerning international affairs. It offers various services to both the private and public sector, conducting surveys, writing reports, and carrying out research on a range of topics. It publishes books and papers on international relations and Icelandic foreign affairs. International cooperation and interdisciplinary discussions are important factors in the work of the IIA.
Publications
Brexit – Looking Forward
Summary report from final conference in Reykjavik on 29 August 2019
Project: PELEEA
Ófriðurinn heima
An article by Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka Executive Director of UN Women in relation to Peace Days in Reykjavík
Reykjavík Peace Days: The War at Home
In this podcast we discuss gender-based violence, its root causes and consequences. Who are the perpetrators and how can we create an open dialogue with them? Do we find peace in Icelandic homes?
This episode was produced in collaboration with UN Women in Iceland.
The podcast is in Icelandic and …
Integration of Refugees: Opportunities for Improvement
In the spring of 2016, the Institute of International Affairs and the University of Iceland were commissioned to work on a comprehensive analysis of the quality of integration of refugees and immigrants into Icelandic society by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Welfare. This is an abstract …
The Effects of COVID-19 on Peace
An article by Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland og Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavík on International Day of Peace (in Icelandic)
A Theory of Shelter: Iceland's American Period (1941-2006)
Baldur Thorhallsson, Sverrir Steinsson and Thorsteinn Kristinsson - University of Iceland
Project: NAS