National Reforms in Higher Education

Many different acts and regulations form the legislative framework for higher education in Iceland. The most prominent of these is the Higher Education Institution Act No. 63/2006 which "applies to educational istitutions providing higher education leading to a degree and which have been accredited by the Ministry of Education Science and Culture" (Higher Education Institution Act 63/2006, article 1), and the Act on Public Higher Education Institutions, which applies to the University of Iceland, the University of Akureyri, the Agricultural University of Iceland, and Hólar University College, all of which operate as public higher education institutions accountable to the Minister of Education, Science and Culture. Other legislation fall under the realm of higher education, such as the Regulation on Quality Assurance of Teaching and Research No. 321/2009, the Regulation on the Procedure of the Board of Appeal for Student Complaints at Higher Education Institutions No. 1152/2006, and the Act on Public Support for Research No. 3/2003. 

• No major reforms were made the legal framework for higher education in recent years, altough several minor changes to the legal framework have taken place. 
• In 2021 a new vision 2021-2026 for the Universy of Iceland was approved.