Reykjavik, Iceland Project Center - IQP

Current Director(s)
Program Term(s)
A-Term during early fall
Project Opportunities
Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)

Iceland is a rapidly evolving nation in the middle of the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Originally settled by Vikings and Irish anchorites, the current population is just over 330,000. Of this, some 122,000 live in Reykjavik, the capital. Since the banking crisis of 2008, the government has focused on attracting tourists and energy-hungry foreign industries, which has caused broad upheaval in the Icelandic way of life – and raised concerns about protecting Iceland’s vast natural resources. Since 2017, projects at the Reykjavik Project Center have focused on addressing inequalities, environmental sustainability, and safeguarding cultural heritage. 

Projects generally focus either on protecting the Icelandic environment, or on the aftereffects of the social upheaval that occurred during the 2008 banking crisis. Project sponsors include a non-profit organization that supports citizen engagement with government policy development; the national bus line; a museum in Kopavogur, and the Reykjavik tourist authority.