Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 54

Q&A
Meet the World in Norway
The University of Oslo's International Summer School brings
students together from around the globe. BY ANYA BRITZIUS
ince 1947, about 27,000
students from more
than 150 countries have
attended the University of Oslo's
International Summer School
(ISS). The program blends
academic, cultural and peacebuilding
experiences for six weeks
each summer and attracts about
600 students from 90 countries.
Since 1996, Torild Homstad has
been the administrator at the
ISS's North American branch
in Northfi eld, Minn. Viking
spoke with her about ISS and
how the recent collaboration
with NorwayConnects, Sons
of Norway's web portal for
students and young professionals,
promotes opportunities for
international exchange and
goodwill.
S
We incorporate special dialogue
techniques for participants from
confl ict areas. Just living, working
and studying together increases
understanding and goodwill.
Q What kind of students
does ISS attract?
A Each summer, we have
students between the ages of
18 and 80 years old. The ISS
is for any qualifi ed student
who is interested in Norway,
intellectually curious and open
to meeting people from a
variety of backgrounds. Many
students come to Norway
without knowing very much
about the country. This program
exposes them to contemporary
Norway. Often there are as many
nationalities represented in a class
as there are students.
Q What are the missions
and goals of ISS?
A Our program rests on three
pillars: academic experience,
cultural experience and a
confi dence- and peace-building
experience. We have a wide
range of undergraduate and
graduate courses focusing on
Norwegian language and aspects
of Norwegian culture and society
within the humanities and social
sciences. The cultural portion
rests on bringing people together,
learning about Norwegian culture
and using the city as a resource.
54 VIKING APRIL 2013
sonsofnorway.com
Q What is a typical day like
for students?
A Class sessions run from 8 a.m.
to 1 p.m., except for those courses
that have afternoon excursions.
Afternoons and evenings are free
to be used for study, exploring
Oslo or for participating in the
many extracurricular activities.
There are also weekend
excursions, sports activities and
international forums.
Q Do you have to know
Norwegian to be part of ISS?
A Not at all! We don't expect
students to have knowledge of
Norwegian, but we do offer
four levels of intensive language
courses. The social sciences and
humanities classes are all taught
in English.
Q ISS is now promoted on
NorwayConnects.org. How
do you see this benefi ting ISS
and students?
A After participating in the
ISS, many students are looking
for ways to stay connected to
Norway. Having a website such
as NorwayConnects will allow
people to fi nd a variety of ways
to stay connected, whether it's
fi nding volunteer opportunities,
events, news about Norway
or even career opportunities.
NorwayConnects could become
a central place to fi nd ways to
connect to Norway. By being a
part of NorwayConnects, I hope
that we can reach out to those
who are interested in Norway,
but may not have known
previously about ISS.
Learn more about ISS and apply at uio.no/summerschool and NorwayConnects.org
Name: Torild Homstad
Title: North American
Administrator,
University of Oslo
International
Summer School
Hometown:
Roseau, Minn.
Current City:
Northfi eld, Minn.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF (TOP) LUKE HANSON (BOTTOM) MICHELLE FREDRICKSON
http://www.NorwayConnects.org http://www.uio.no/summerschool http://www.NorwayConnects.org http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - April 2013

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