On the edge of Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, near the country’s largest international airport, Keilir, Atlantic Centre of Excellence stands out for its range of applied and modern educational programs. This non-profit institution is set in Ásbrú, a district inside Reykjanesbær and the former site of a NATO military base. Since its founding in 2007, Keilir (Icelandic: Keilir, miðstöð vísinda, fræða og atvinnulífs) has become a notable link between higher education, Iceland’s business community and the demands of a changing workforce.
Private initiative with public ties
Keilir belongs to a rare group in Iceland: private educational institutions with strong national connections. It is jointly owned by the University of Iceland and several leading Icelandic companies, including Icelandair Group, HS Geothermal Power, Reykjavik Energy and Geysir Green Energy. This mix has given Keilir broad support for developing fields closely tied to Iceland’s economic landscape, such as aviation and geothermal energy.
Programmes designed for tomorrow’s needs
Keilir is made up of five main schools. Its Aviation Academy is one of the largest in Scandinavia. After merging with an established Icelandic flight school in 2019, the academy’s operations expanded to two locations (Reykjavík and Ásbrú), with its students able to train either at Reykjavík Airport or at Keflavik International Airport. Modern flight training uses a variety of Diamond aircraft equipped with advanced electronic dashboards (the Garmin G1000 Integrated Flight Deck), and courses meet the standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency.
The Keilir Health Academy focuses on programmes that range from personal training and strength coaching to foot care science. Its personal trainer education has been part of its course offering since the very start in 2007, and is available on campus and through its online Nordic Fitness Education. Notably, Keilir runs an intensive Adventure Guide programme in partnership with Thompson Rivers University in Canada, expanding its reach into international qualifications for outdoor leadership.
Ásbrú Gymnasium, on the same campus, brings together elements of technology and creativity with its game development track. Developed with IGI (the Icelandic Game Industry), this programme allows junior college students to combine courses in design, programming and marketing with more traditional studies.
The Icelandic School of Occupational Safety, the newest part of Keilir, delivers vocational courses across the country in cooperation with other adult learning centres and Icelandic businesses. Meanwhile, the University Bridge programme (Háskólabrú) aims to prepare adults for university studies, especially those who lack a formal secondary school diploma. Keilir is unique in Iceland in that its preliminary university qualifications, set up through an agreement with the University of Iceland, are accepted for admission to the full range of university departments.
For much of its history, Keilir has been keen to meet the changing needs of modern students, whether through on-site practical training or distance learning opportunities. Its mix of technical, health and preparatory programmes reflects larger trends in Icelandic society, where lifelong learning and innovation continue to reshape both education and industry.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
