Vigdísarstofnun / The Vigdís International Centre

24/09/2026

What happens when languages meet?

This question is at the heart of the West Nordic research network established in 2015, https://vigdiscentre.hi.is/en/research/language-and-culture-west-nordic-region.

Bringing together researchers from across Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the project explores language and culture in the West Nordic Region.

The network focuses on what it calls the “ecology and sustainability of languages,” the ways local languages respond to contact with other languages, and what these encounters mean for their future.

The research focuses on translation and language learning, literature, cultural encounters and the relationship between language and culture.

In 2023, the book 'Sprog- og kulturkontakt i Vestnorden: Om det færøske, grønlandske, islandske og norske sprogs møde med dansk,' edited by Auður Hauksdóttir was published. The volume brings together research on the Faroese, Greenlandic, Icelandic and Norwegian languages, and explores their development, as well as the historical and cultural connections that have shaped linguistic relationships in the West Nordic and the wider Nordic region.

15/09/2026

Í Þetta helst á Rás 1 var rætt við Guðmund Hálfdanarson, prófessor emeritus í sagnfræði við Háskóla Íslands, um rannsóknir á sögu Roma-fólks hér á landi. Guðmundur er þátttakandi í verkefninu RomÍs: Saga og þjóðfræði Roma-fólks á Íslandi, sem nýtur stuðnings Rannís.

Fyrstu skjalfestu heimildirnar um komu Roma-fólks til Íslands eru frá því í byrjun tuttugustu aldarinnar. Guðmundur Hálfdánarson sagnfræðingur hefur stundað rannsóknir á sögu Roma-fólks hér á landi. Hann er þátttakandi í rannsóknarverkefni um þessa sögu þar sem hún er tengd...

10/09/2026

As part of the NordPlus project Multilingualism and Inclusion: Language Learning and Migrants in the Nordic Region, the Vigdís International Centre has initiated a panel at the 23rd Nordic Migration Research Conference at Södertörn University in Stokholm, that brought together 17 researchers across five sessions. The papers discussed language learning, multilingualism, migrant agency, access to services, education, citizenship and language rights at a time of increasingly restrictive language and migration policies. The panel was preceded by a workshop with project participants and advisers from the Migration Institute of Finland, the University of Bergen and the University of Iceland, who also shared a memorable moment and enjoyed together the solar eclipse on 12 August.
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Vel heppnuð málstofa á 23. ráðstefnu Nordic Migration Research við Södertörn-háskóla í Stokkhólmi var skipulögð sem hluti af NordPlus-verkefninu Multilingualism and Inclusion: Language Learning and Migrants in the Nordic Region. Málstofan fór fram í fimm lotum og tóku 17 fræðimenn þátt. Í erindunum var fjallað um tungumálanám, fjöltyngi, virkni og frumkvæði innflytjenda, aðgengi að þjónustu, menntun, ríkisborgararétt og tungumálaréttindi á tímum sífellt strangari stefnu í innflytjendamálum á sviði tungumáls. Á undan málstofunni fór fram vinnustofa verkefnisins með þátttakendum og ráðgjöfum frá Migration Institute of Finland, Háskólanum í Bergen og Háskóla Íslands. Hópurinn átti einnig eftirminnilega stund saman þegar þátttakendur fylgdust með sólmyrkvanum 12. ágúst.

25/06/2026

Kona sem tilheyrir samfélagi Mapuche-frumbyggja í suðurhluta Argentínu var gestur á ráðstefnu hjá Háskóla Íslands í síðustu viku. Hún lýsir baráttu frumbyggja við argentínska ríkið undir stjórn Javier Mileis.

22/06/2026

Iliana Franco Alvarenga, researcher, translator, specialist in Guarani language and artivist shares her impressions from the Living Language Lab exhibition at the Vigdís International Centre during the Nordic collaborative network REDES III conference “Reimagining the Future: Counter‑hegemonic Aesthetics and Epistemologies in Latin America”. 🌐



Iliana Franco Alvarenga, investigadora, traductora, especialista en lengua guaraní y artivista, comparte sus impresiones sobre la exposición Living Language Lab del Centro Internacional Vigdís, en el marco de la conferencia REDES III de la red colaborativa nórdica «Reimaginar el futuro: estéticas y epistemologías contrahegemónicas en América Latina».

13/06/2026

🌐 We are honoured to have Moira Millán, Mapuche activist, writer, and defender of Indigenous peoples and nature, as the main guest of Redes3, coming next week on 18-20 June!

🌎 Moira is the founder of several collective movements for territorial rights, such as the Mapuche Tehuelche organization 11 de Octubre, the Movimiento de Mujeres y Diversidades por El Buen Vivir, and the Pluriversidad Indígena, among others: her work has inspired communities across Latin America and beyond.

📖 Her recent book Terricide (Terricidio, 2024), introduces a powerful concept that connects ecocide, genocide, and epistemicide to describe the destruction of life, cultures, and knowledge systems.

🤝 In a time of global crises, her voice invites us to rethink how we relate to the Earth and to each other.

📌 Did you know? The word "Terricidio" originates from the Latin words "terra" (meaning ‘the world’) and "caedere" (meaning ‘to kill’). In Scandinavia it has been translated with "jordmord" or jarðarmorð in Icelandic.

📎 Find out more about the conference here:
https://redes3.hi.is/

26/05/2026

On May 8, 2026, the annual meeting of the Governing Board of the Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding was held at the Centre’s premises. 🌐

This was the first meeting of the Governing Board appointed in March 2026. A productive discussion on the Centre’s strategic priorities, both for the coming year and in a longer-term perspective, took place. 📝

We warmly welcome the continuing and newly appointed members of the Board:

Arna Dís Heiðarsdóttir, UNESCO Youth, Representative of the Icelandic National Commission for UNESCO

Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir, Senior Adviser, Representative of the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education

Birna Bjarnadóttir, Research Assistant Professor, Representative of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages and Chair of the Board

Eiríkur Smári Sigurðarsson, Research Associate Professor and Director of Research, Representative of the School of Humanities

Guilherme Canela, Director of Division for Digital Inclusion, Policies and Digital Transformation, Representative of the Director-General of UNESCO

Þórhallur Eyþórsson, Professor, Representative of the Rector of the University of Iceland

We also express our sincere gratitude to the outgoing Board members whose mandate ended in March 2026: Gísli Magnússon, former Chair of the Board, Jacob Ølgaard Nyboe, and Þórunn Sigurðardóttir.
We thank them warmly for their important contribution and leadership during their term. 🤝

26/05/2026

Ársfundur stjórnar Vigdísarstofnunar – alþjóðlegrar miðstöðvar tungumála og menningar, var haldinn 8. maí 2026 í Veröld – húsi Vigdísar. 🌐
Þetta var fyrsti ársfundur nýskipaðrar stjórnar stofnunarinnar og rætt var um helstu verkefni og áherslur á næstu misserum og til framtíðar.

Vigdísarstofnun býður sitjandi og nýja stjórnarmenn hjartanlega velkomna:

Arna Dís Heiðarsdóttir, UNESCO ungmennadeild, fulltrúi Íslensku UNESCO-nefndarinnar

Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir, sérfræðingur, fulltrúi Menningar-, nýsköpunar- og háskólaráðuneytis

Birna Bjarnadóttir, rannsóknalektor, fulltrúi Stofnunar Vigdísar Finnbogadóttur í erlendum tungumálum, formaður stjórnar

Eiríkur Smári Sigurðarsson, rannsóknadósent og rannsóknastjóri, fulltrúi Hugvísindasviðs

Guilherme Canela, fulltrúi aðalforstjóra UNESCO

Þórhallur Eyþórsson, prófessor, fulltrúi rektors Háskóla Íslands

Vigdísarstofnun færir jafnframt fráfarandi stjórnarmönnum, sem luku stjórnarsetu sinni í mars 2026, einlægar þakkir fyrir mikilvægt framlag til starfsemi stofnunarinnar. Þetta eru Gísli Magnússon, fyrrverandi formaður stjórnar, Jacob Ølgaard Nyboe, og Þórunn Sigurðardóttir. 🤝

22/04/2026

An important conversation between Halla Tómasdóttir, forseti Íslands, President of Iceland, and Nataša Pirc Musar President of Slovenia, took place at the Vigdís International Centre on 15 April 2026 and focused on the theme ‘The Courage to Care: Leadership in a Changing World’. 🇮🇸 🇸🇮

They discussed, among other things, the importance of women’s leadership, dialogue, and international responsibility. 🌐🤝

The event marked the beginning of the Wellbeing Economy Forum in Iceland.

Photo Credit: Kristinn Ingvarsson

20/04/2026

Today begins the 25th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 🇺🇳

Indigenous languages are vital carriers of knowledge, memory, values, and cultural expression. They connect generations, sustain community life, and reflect rich and diverse worldviews. 🤝

As the International Decade for the Protection of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032) continues, we remind you of the importance of protecting, revitalising, and promoting Indigenous languages.

With at least 40% of the world’s languages endangered, protecting Indigenous languages is essential for protecting the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity. 🌍