University of the Faroe Islands

State run university located in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

The University of the Faroe Islands is a state run university located in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. It consists of five faculties: Faculty of Faroese Language and Literature, Faculty of Social Sciences and History, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science and Technology and Faculty of Health Sciences. The University offers bachelors, masters, and Ph. D. programs. The student body is relatively small (around 1000). The University organises an annual dissertation competition open to all students. The educational language of the university is Faroese, making it the only university in the world to conduct classes officially in the Faroese language. Some classes are taught in other languages. The University works closely with the University of Copenhagen and the University of Iceland for research projects and is a member of UArctic.

The University of the Faroe Islands was founded in 1965 by members of the Faroese Scientific Society, founded in 1952. Among their activities, the Society published a scientific periodical and carried out comprehensive work on the compilation of Faroese vocabulary. The university began with one professor, Christian Matras, and a registrar, Maud Heinesen. In its first years the school offered one year courses in natural history and Faroese language for teachers. The University arranged for a collection committee with the task of preserving all Faroese folk culture. Today this material is in the archives of the Faculty of Faroese Language and Literature. A further committee was appointed in 1972 to collect Faroese hymns and spiritual ballads. On 1 August 2008 the Faroese School of Education and the Faroese School of Nursing were incorporated into the University, becoming its 4th and 5th departments.

The University of the Faroe Islands is administered by a board of seven directors. Four are appointed directly by the minister, while the remaining three are appointed on recommendation from the university. The rector is currently Martin Tvede Zachariasen. The University of the Faroe Islands is publicly funded.

Research is a priority of the University of the Faroe Islands. Its mission is to increase knowledge within the university and in Faroese society. Research is focused on various fields including linguistics and literature of Faroese language, education, didactics, competitiveness, democracy, weather, tidal streams, waves and aquaculture. The Research Center for Social Development is an institution connected with the university which undertakes 3 to 5 year research projects.