The University of Bergen is a young and modern university. Yet,
its focus on international co-operation has been essential from the
beginning and has earned the institution the reputation of being
Norway's most international university.
Students and academics alike are certain to benefit from a rich
and diversified mix of cultures and countries on campus. This
international influence is also apparent and vital in the high
profile research fields at the university.
Being heavily involved in research related to industrialisation
and development in non-industrialised countries, the University of
Bergen aims to be the national centre for development research.
Best ever programme lined up
Denise promises a semester to remember for the buddies.
Photo from an activity day in the spring semester.
Photo from a quiz night earlier this year.
The start of the semester is rapidly approaching
and new students are probably experiencing more and more butterflies in
their stomach for each day that passes. It is the perfect opportunity
to have a chat with Buddy Bergen about their autumn programme.
By Marianne Hagland Westerlund
Buddy Bergen is a mentor scheme run by the Red Cross student group.
Unlike the hectic mentor week at the start of the semester, buddies
meet once a week during the autumn semester. And, instead of meeting in
big groups, students are paired off two and two – a Norwegian student
with an international student. ‘It’s a very popular arrangement,’ says Denise, head of the buddy scheme.
She explains that students fill in a registration form stating their
preference as regards gender, area of study and country of origin.
’Norwegian students who are going to take part in an exchange
programme, for example, often pick international students from the
country where they are going to study,' she says. Others, particularly
language students, pick a nationality on the basis of the language they
are studying. We try to take everybody’s wishes into account as far as
possible.'
Kicking off with a festival The autumn semester will get things under way with a big Buddy festival.
’We had a festival last year too and it was a great success,’ explains
Denise. ‘The festival is something we organise before the actual
pairing off takes place, and it serves as a recruitment event.’ Students also have an opportunity that evening to ask questions, talk to the committee and register.
’Both groups of students are equally keen to take part. It is more a
friendship on an equal footing than a mentor/mentee scheme, as both
parties benefit equally from taking part,’ she adds.
Lasting friendships The magic date is 24 August, which is when the students who have registered are paired off.
'It's a good time to start. The hectic mentor week during which
students receive lots of new information is over, and ordinary student
life begins,' says Denise. She tells us that, although the Buddy scheme only lasts for six weeks, many pairs continue to meet up. 'Some of them have visited their buddies abroad; one of them has just been in France for example,’ she tells us.
Lots of highlights The autumn programme is jam-packed with highlights according to Denise.
’We try to think up new good ideas while holding on to the old
classics. This year, for example, we took part in the Constitution Day
parade on 17 May. It was a fantastic, almost overwhelming experience
for the international students,’ she says. ’This autumn’s programme
includes a fancy dress party, quiz, concerts, walks in the mountains
and film evenings, among other things. And there will also be surprises
that we naturally won’t divulge just yet.’ 'The most important
thing is that the events are for everyone, regardless of whether a
student is a fitness freak or a teetotaller, for example. Our job is
basically to try to ensure that everyone has as sociable a time as
possible during their time as students,’ concludes Denise. Check out the programme and other information on Buddy Bergen’s website. See photos and become a member of Buddy Bergen’s Facebook Group.
The University of Bergen filmed and interviewed
some of the newly arrived international students at their reception in
early January. Watch their testimonials!
The
approximately 150 students that arrived at Bergen Airport during the
first cold days of January got a warm reception from the Vice-rector
for international relations, Kjersti Fløttum, at the Student centre.
All
the students got picked up by bus at the Fantoft Student Accomodation,
and then taken to the Student centre at the heart of campus. Here they
got lots of information, free lunch and not least a warm welcome.
The
University of Bergen spoke to some of the students and asked them how
their first days had been and how they liked Bergen. Now you can see
their testimonials at YouTube.
The Department of Chemistry awarded two Erasmus Mundus programmes
Øyvind M. Andersen, head of the Department of Chemistry (archivephoto: Runo Isaksen).
Only three Erasmus Mundus applications for
Norwegian projects were granted after the fifth round of applications.
Two of them went to the Department of Chemistry.
By Ellen Marie Andersen
“Being included in the EU’s cooperation project is very prestigious.
We are delighted that the Department of Chemistry is the only
university department in Norway whose applications have been granted,”
says Øyvind M. Andersen, head of the Department of Chemistry.
In
2004, the EU launched its Erasmus Mundus cooperation programme to
promote education in Europe and to compete against the USA by
attracting the brightest students outside the EU. The students must
attend at least three different universities or university colleges in
Europe, which work together in consortiums to offer Master's degrees.
The programmes accept European students, but are primarily aimed at
students from the third world who have at least 240 credits.
Unique composition After
the fifth round of applications, UiB is part of four programmes that
have Norwegian participation. A total of 160 projects applied for the
title of Erasmus Mundus programme, 16 of which were from Norway and
five from UiB.
The two programmes which the Department of
Chemistry is involved in are “European Joint Master in Quality in
Analytical Laboratories (EMQAL)” and “Advanced Spectroscopy in
Chemistry (ASC)”, which will both start in autumn 2008.
In
EMQAL, the Department of Chemistry will offer courses and Master’s
theses in cooperation with the University of Algarve (coordinator), a
university in Poland, two in Spain and one in Portugal. Each
institution will offer courses in the areas in which its competence is
greatest.
Associate Professor Bjørn Grung is the coordinator
for EMQAL at UiB and he believes the main reason the application was
granted is that the Department of Chemistry offers a study programme
with a composition not found elsewhere. Part of the study programme
consists of the traditional analysis system, another of quality
management and the last part, which is the Department of Chemistry’s
main contribution to this programme, comprises data analysis and
statistics.
“Our education programme is aimed at students who will work in modern laboratories accredited for analysis,” says Mr Grung.
Bright students sought ASC
is a cooperation project with Lille University in France (coordinator),
the University of Leipzig, the University of Bologna, the University of
Helsinki, the University of Krakow and the University of Madrid.
“The
point is that we have recognised that society lacks people who are able
to make the best possible use of instruments that are available in
industry and research institutions,” says George W. Francis, the
coordinator for ASC at UiB.
Head of Department Øyvind M.
Andersen is confident that the Department will now have access to some
of the brightest student in the field. He believes that having access
to bright Master’s students will make it possible to offer
research-oriented education.
The third Norwegian project whose
Erasmus Mundus application was granted is Gjøvik University College’s
“Master Erasmus Mundus in Color in Informatics and Media Technology”.
Petroleum research tempts international scholarship holders
Arne Skauge, dir. at Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research.
Most of the scholarship holders were Norwegian
when the Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research opened in 2003. The
number of international scholarship holders is now in excess of 50%.
Dir. Arne Skauge thanks the internet and networking for this
internationalization.
By Åse Johanne Roti Dahl
The question of what is coaxing international research fellows to
Bergen was one of many topics under discussion, when Education in
Bergen held the “City of Knowledge – the driving force behind regional
development?” conference on the 12th March. The Centre for Integrated
Petroleum Research is one of the research milieus that have attracted a
large number of international scholarship holders. Centre leader Arne
Skauge, believes that the answer is to be found in active recruitment
and overall follow-up.
Internet and networking
As the majority of scholarship holders were Norwegian when the centre
opened in 2003, it was natural to look further afield, to foreign
research milieus, when adding to the number.
-A large number
of applicants ensures that we have good applicants to choose from. It
is therefore natural to recruit internationally, says Skauge.
The
Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research actively advertises research
vacancies on their own and on international web pages and this has
proved effective.
Skauge also emphasises the importance of
networking. Many of the centre’s foreign scholarship holders have come
to Bergen thanks to advice from university scientists abroad.
Pursuing diversity
The Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research has 60 researchers, 40
scholarship holders and 40 Masters Students. This group represents 17
nationalities, and Skauge emphasizes that the Centre for Integrated
Petroleum Research seeks diversity amongst its employees.
-A
diversity of differing cultures, educational background and varying age
and gender help to create a good working environment, he says.
Skauge
stresses that the centre also attaches importance to the following-up
of employees. Foreign scholarship holders and researchers receive help
when applying for residencial and work permits and help when settling
in. Social arrangements and initiatives are an important part of
centre activities.