NUSCT appoints third president at Rectors’ Annual Meeting

Rector Matias Waller- Åland University of Applied Sciences

At the 8th Rectors’ Annual Meeting of the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (NUSCT), hosted by the University of Montenegro in Podgorica, Montenegro, on 8th of May 2026, members unanimously elected Matias Waller, rector of the Åland University of Applied Sciences, as the third president of NUSCT for a statutory three-year term.

Rector Matias Waller takes over from the outgoing president, Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir, rector of the University of Akureyri, who served as the second president of the network following the May 2023 election.

During the presidency of the University of Akureyri, both rector Eyjólfur Guðmundsson and rector Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir oversaw the continued development of the network, strengthening collaboration among member institutions and advancing NUSCT’s mission to promote cooperation between universities in small states and territories.

With the appointment of the new president, the NUSCT Secretariat will transfer from the University of Akureyri to Åland University of Applied Sciences. The Secretariat will be managed by Carina Söderlund, who will coordinate the network’s activities and support its strategic objectives.

The transition marks a new chapter in the development of the NUSCT network, as it continues to expand its global engagement and reinforce partnerships among its members.