Bifröst University

There is nothing like driving out of Reykjavik after a long dark winter and once again enjoying the splendor of Iceland´s landscape.  This week I had the chance to participate in Bifröst University´s International Day and to learn about their unique contributions to education.  The one-of-a-kind campus provides an excellent setting for their approach to education, which relies heavily on teamwork and community.  We’d like to see greater links between Bifröst and American universities and will be looking into helping establish those links.  I look forward to the opportunity to engage with Bifröst students and learn from their experiences.

Icesave

As Iceland prepares to vote on the Icesave referendum, it has been interesting and impressive to observe the ongoing debate among its citizens.  There is nothing a foreign diplomat can or should say about the merits of this issue.  I would note, however, that among the most enlightening discussions I have watched was Silfur Egil’s April 3 interview with Lee Buchheit.   The interview explained very lucidly the technical elements of the agreement and how these were dealt with in the negotiations.