The foundation for Reykjavik Energy Graduate School of Sustainable Systems – REYST –  was laid in April 2007 when Reykjavik Energy, the University of Iceland and Reykjavik University signed an agreement on establishing an international graduate programme on sustainable energy.

The driver for this is the need for sustainable energy. World energy demand is predicted to grow by around 50% until 2030 and it is growing in all parts of the world, also in the developed countries. Only a small portion of today’s energy production comes from renewable sources. There is a pressing need for increased energy supply from sustainable systems.

Iceland is a society largely based on sustainable energy resources, it has a long tradition of using sustainable energy as well as an up-to-date scientific and technical know-how in harnessing and utilizing renewable energy resources.

Reykjavik Energy Graduate School of Sustainable Systems is an interdisciplinary school in higher education for engineers and scientists, has a focus on global environmental protection and sustainable use of energy resources and creates leading experts in management, design and research in utilization of sustainable energy. The unique expertise of all its founding partners forms an excellent platform for the school to build on.

Reykjavik Energy is the world-leading geothermal energy company. For the last decade, Reykjavik Energy has held a leadership position in the establishment of new geothermal power plants and decades of experience in harnessing the geothermal resource for both electricity generation and district heating. Reykjavik’s geothermal district heating system is the world’s largest and is the most significant contribution to Iceland’s unique position. More than 70 percent of the country’s primary energy is derived from renewable sources.

The University of Iceland is a progressive educational and scientific institution, renowned in the global scientific community for its research. It is a state university, situated in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. A modern, diversified and rapidly developing institution, the University of Iceland offers opportunities for study and research in almost 300 programmes spanning most fields of science and scholarship: Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Humanities, Sciences and Engineering. Some 9700 students are registered at UI and 1000 full time employees.

Reykjavik University has the mission to create and communicate knowledge, in order to increase the competitiveness of individuals, firms and society as a whole, while at the same time enhancing the quality of life of their students and staff. The aim is to make Reykjavik University the centre for international research collaborations in Europe and across the Atlantic. The university consists of five academic schools: School of Law, School of Business, School of Health and Education, School of Computer Science and the School of Science and Engineering. Reykjavik University is a community of over 3000 students and over 500 full time and part time employees. About half of all instructors at RU are active in Icelandic industry, and about 10% are guest instructors from overseas.