Gift from Iceland Strengthens Ties with University of Manitoba

In February, the University of Manitoba was presented with the first installment of an unprecedented $1 million pledge to the VIP (Valuing the Icelandic Presence) Millennium fundraising campaign by Björn Bjarnason, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Government of Iceland, and Hörur Sigurgestsson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eimskip Shipping Lines.

The event served to launch the campaign, which will support the renovation and modernization of the university's Icelandic collection area. Funds raised will also go towards an endowment to enhance the collection and an endowment for the professorship in Modern Icelandic and Icelandic-Canadian Studies.

In total the government has pledged 30 million Icelandic kronur ($600,000 CDN) towards the campaign. The Eimskip Shipping Company and The Eimskip University Fund will contribute an additional 10 million Icelandic kronur ($200,000 CDN) each. This event followed an historic Protocol of Agreement signing between the presidents of the University of Manitoba and University of Iceland which will help foster scholarly links between Iceland and North America through student and faculty exchanges, the sharing of university publications and a series of joint conferences held alternately in Iceland and Canada every 18 months.