Keilir – Atlantic Centre of Excellence ( Icelandic: ''Keilir, miðstöð vísinda, fræða og atvinnulífs'') is a private,

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, international educational institution located in Ásbrú next to Keflavik International Airport in the city of Reykjanesbaer in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. The school was established in 2007. The school is owned by the

University of Iceland The University of Iceland ( is, Háskóli Íslands ) is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' s ...

and Icelandic companies. Among the shareholders are

Icelandair Group Icelandair Group hf. is an Icelandic travel industry corporation, the owner and holding company of the airline Icelandair and several other travel industry companies in Iceland. The group's headquarters are at Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík. ...

, HS Geothermal Power, Reykjavik Energy, Icelandic Geosurvey, Geysir Green Energy. Keilir is divided into five schools: Keilir Aviation Academy, Keilir Health Academy, Ásbrú gymnasium, The Icelandic School of Occupational Safety and the University Bridge.

Accreditation

Keilir graduates its university level students through its affiliation with the

which is accredited higher education institution in

under the recent Higher Education Act in Iceland, No. 63/2006, for each of its academic subject areas.

Aviation academy

In 2019 Keilir Aviation Academy merged with the Icelandic Flight school making it one of the largest Flight schools in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

, with its around 20 aircraft, flight simulators and over three hundred students. The School offers courses both in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

and Ásbrú in

Reykjanesbær Reykjanesbær () is a municipality on the Southern Peninsula (''Suðurnes'') in Iceland, though the name is also used by locals to refer to the suburban region of Keflavík and Njarðvík which have grown together over the years. The municipality ...

, and students at each location have the option to fly from either Reykjavik Airport or Keflavik International Airport. Keilir Aviation Academy offers professional flight training, headed by a staff of airline pilots and instructors along with housing and

Diamond DA20 Katana The Diamond DV20/DA20 Katana is an Austrian-designed two-seat general aviation light aircraft. Developed and manufactured by Diamond Aircraft, it was originally produced in Austria as the DV20. The DV20 shares many features from the earlier Dia ...

Diamond DA40 Diamond Star The Diamond DA40 Diamond Star is an Austrian four-seat, single-engine, light aircraft constructed from composite materials. Built in both Austria and Canada, it was developed as a four-seat version of the earlier DA20 by Diamond Aircraft ...

and

Diamond DA42 Twin Star The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is a four seat, twin engine, propeller-driven airplane developed and manufactured by the Chinese-owned, Austria-based company Diamond Aircraft Industries. It was Diamond's first twin engine design, as well as the f ...

aircraft. As a former

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

base in Iceland, Keflavik International Airport (BIKF) has two 3000m runways and is the Icelandic gateway between Europe and the United States. The Diamond aircraft are made of carbon fiber materials. The engines on the DA-40 are Centurion Engines 2.0 liter diesel engines with FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control). In the same manner, the flight instruments are electronic as well, the Garmin G1000 Integrated Flight Deck is used to display the necessary information.

Keilir Health Academy

The leading courses available at the school include Level 4 Personal Training, Strength and Conditioning, Nordic Fitness Education and an eight-month university program to become an Adventure Guide in cooperation with

Thompson Rivers University Thompson Rivers University (commonly referred to as TRU) is a public teaching and research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and vocational training. Its main campus is in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, and its name c ...

in Canada.

Nordic Personal Trainer Certificate

Keilir Heath Academy has been educating personal trainers in Iceland since 2007 through the established IAK personal trainer programme. Keilir now offers courses through its online school, Nordic Fitness education. The Nordic Personal Trainer Certificate (NPTC) is an online course. The NPTC programme is a blended learning programme.

Adventure Studies

The program for adventure guides is an introduction to adventure sports and the adventure industry, in partnership with the accrediting body Thompson Rivers University, with extensive time on field activity courses and compressed and modularized classroom course instruction. The program is a 30 credit certificated intensive, with the option to extend to a 60 credit diploma program.

Ásbrú Gymnasium

Ásbrú Gymnasium or Menntaskólinn á Ásbrú is a

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

located on the Keilir campus. It offers a program in Game Development developed in cooperation with IGI or Icelandic Game Industry, in which students take courses in game design, programming, marketing, philosophy and project management along with the requisite courses for a junior college degree.

The Icelandic School of Occupational Safety

The Icelandic School of Occupational Safety or Vinnuverndarskóli Íslands is the newest addition under the umbrella of Keilir. The school holds regular courses both in Keilir and Rafmennt as well as instructors traveling to lifelong learning centers around Iceland or visiting the companies themselves.

University Bridge

The University Bridge or Háskólabrú is a program of Preliminary University Studies for adults in collaboration with the University of Iceland. The main objective is to prepare students, who do not fulfill admission qualification, with the knowledge and competence necessary for further studies at university level. Completion of studies in the Department of Preliminary University Studies prepares the student for admittance to most Universities in Iceland pursuing to a contract between Keilir, the University of Iceland and the Ministry of Education. The aim is to prepare student for challenging university study both in Iceland and abroad. The department offers the possibility of distance learning as well as traditional on-site studies.

References

{{authority control Universities in Iceland International universities Renewable energy in Iceland Reykjanes Geothermal energy