Ingvar Fridleifsson

INSTITUTE:

UNU-GTP

OFFICE:

Orkustofnun, Grensasvegi 9, IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland

E-MAIL:

PHONE:

+354 569-6077

NATIONALITY:

Iceland

Education

D.Phil., Geology, Oxford University
B.Sc., Geology, St. Andrews University

Biographical Statement

Dr. Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson was born in Iceland 1946. He is the Director of the United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP), Orkustofnun (National Energy Authority) since its establishment in 1979 (apart from 1986-1988) in Reykjavik, Iceland.  To date (spring 2011), 452 professional scientists and engineers from 47 developing and transitional countries have graduated from the programme.

From 1973-1978, Dr. Fridleifsson was a research geologist in the Geothermal Division of Orkustofnun. From 1986-1988 he was Vice President, Nordic Investment Bank (Finland). From 1989-2004, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Nordic Development Fund (multilateral fund granting soft loans to developing countries) in Helsinki (Finland). He was Chairman of this board from 1992-1993, 1997-1998, and 2002-2003.

A part-time lecturer at the University of Iceland 1974-1986 and 1989-2005, he has been an Adjunct Professor from 2008. From 1978 to present, he participates in consulting missions on energy issues (in Africa, Asia, Europe and Middle-East) for Nordic Investment Bank, UNDP, UNU, and World Bank, as well as doing committee work for the Government of Iceland and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

He was also member of the Board of Directors of the International Geothermal Association (IGA) 1992-1998, president of IGA 1995-1998, and president of Geothermal Association of Iceland 2002-2006.