Ari Jónsson
Rector/President, Reykjavik University, Iceland
Dr. Ari Jonsson is the president of Reykjavik University; a private non-profit university in Iceland that focuses on education, research and industry collaboration in the areas of technology, business and law.
Dr. Jonsson completed his doctoral degree in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1997, with focus on artificial intelligence and autonomous decision- making. He then joined NASA as a research scientist, working on the development of automated technology to improve the efficiency and reliability of spacecraft operations. During his tenure at NASA, he managed a number of research and development projects, contributing to missions such as the Deep Space One experimental spacecraft, the Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and the operations of the International Space Station.
In 2007, Dr. Jonsson moved to Reykjavik University as the Dean of the School of Computer Science. In January 2010, he became the President of the university and has served in that role since then. Dr. Jonsson is active in policy development and has served for over seven years on the Icelandic Science and Technology Policy Council.
Dr. Jonsson actively supports the innovation and entrepreneurship environment in Iceland. He is the Chairman of the Board for one startup and a board member for a few other companies.