The Embassy of Sweden partnered up with the University of Iceland for the symposium Sir Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and the Iceland Expedition 1772 – 250 Years. The event took place at the National Library on the 29th of August 2022.
Professor Sverker Sörlin, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Ambassador Pär Ahlberger.
The symposium was inaugurated by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, and Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland.
Anna Agnarsdóttir, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Iceland, initiated the event by briefly introducing Solander and Banks' expedition to Iceland in 1772.
The Swedish professor and award-winning author Sverker Sörlin - among other prominent experts - spoke at the seminar. Professor Sörlin's talk covered Icelandic elements, additional northern dimensions of natural history, and the 'improvement of the world' under the broader theme of "Aspirations of Exploration".
Further topics discussed during the symposium included the scientific writings connected to the Iceland expedition in 1772 and the expedition's historical legacy.
The line of inspiring speeches invited the participants to delve deeper into the story of Solander and Banks. Participants were hence encouraged to form their version of the Iceland Expedition 1772 that took place 250 years ago but into present times still carries meaning.
