Reykjavík City, University of Iceland sign 3-year agreement for Höfði Peace Center
Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir, President of the University of Iceland, recently signed a three-year partnership agreement between Reykjavík City and the University of Iceland for the Höfði Peace Center.
The Höfði Peace Center was established in 2016 to advance interdisciplinary and international research in peace and conflict studies, support informed policy making, and expand teaching and education opportunities for the public in peace and conflict studies.
The agreement, which runs from 2026-2028, commits Reykjavík City and the University of Iceland to working toward world peace, both domestically and internationally. The center hosts an annual international conference focused on peace issues. This year the conference was held Oct. 10 under the theme The Imagine Forum – Protecting Rights – Defending Peace. The conference examined how growing authoritarianism, democratic decline and setbacks in human rights threaten the foundations of peace. The forum also focused on how these challenges appear in cities and affect the lives of ordinary citizens, where democratic participation, safety and access to rights are essential for social cohesion.
Under the agreement, Reykjavík City commits to paying 12.5 million króna annually to the project. The University of Iceland houses the project at its Institute of International Affairs and provides workspace, staffing and a project manager.