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Röskva works for international students Eftir Jonathan Perron Clow
Skiptinema við HÍ og Röskvuliða veturinn 2008-2009
Though my time at the HÍ is over, I continue to remember it fondly. Right now, I’m looking at my Röskva poster on the wall beside me. It brings me back to the cold dark winter of 2008-2009 when I would get whipped by the wind to go and help the election campaign – and reminds me of how much we accomplished. It was of course an important time to be in Iceland – the crisis was hitting and many were worried for their savings and their future. Thankfully, the good people in Röskva were also worried about how the crisis would affect international students. We spent days talking to international students about the issues they faced and addressed how they could be improved. Despite the progress, there is still a lot to be done. Röskva has been advocating for more accessibility for international students for years especially regarding information in English, financial aid and dealing with the government.
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One of the most important issues is of course access to information in English
university would need to cut and that perhaps the first place it would cut would be international students. Instead, Röskva’s hard work ensured that students from abroad would still not only be welcome, but brought in greater numbers to study. The bursaries available for Icelandic study have been maintained and it is slowly becoming easier to be an international student at HÍ. Röskva has also developed a comprehensive policy to further assist those willing to come to the country to study. While residents of EEA countries don’t have to deal with the paperwork and delays at the Directorate of Immigration, they can be quite discouraging for those travelling long distances to study in the most beautiful country in the world. By voting for Röskva, it will be easier to create a more direct link with the Directorate and change the rules to make HÍ more accessible for international students. What impressed me the most was how, even though we lost the election by a few votes that year, Röskva members elected to the University Forum and Student Council still worked tirelessly for international students. But there remains a lot of work to do! A vote for Röskva will help future students by making their experience that much easier. I am so impressed by the continued work, that I still help as much as I can three years later.
One of the most important issues is of course access to information in English. We discussed all of the services that students used and what type of information was necessary. After the election, we walked around campus taking note of all the places where there wasn’t any English. Despite those efforts, more change is needed and the work must continue. Another issue was of course money! The fear was that the
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