UNO students visiting Norway
Equality. Moderation. Closeness to nature.
Photo: www.flickr.com
Students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha learned about those three key Norwegian values Monday as part of a week-long trip to Norway that will include educational workshops and cultural lessons.
The 20 UNO students also visited the library on the University of Agder (UiA) campus Monday morning in Kristiansand, Norway. The students will be in Norway through May 18, but are staying in touch by means of a blog norwaytrip09.ist.unomaha.edu, which gives a recap of major events on the trip, including a visit to the Anne Frank Museum during a flight stopover in Amsterdam.
Jessica Clem, a graduate student in Urban Studies, said she’d had a great experience so far. “The whole reason why I came on this trip was to really get a sense of a different culture . . .It’s been really great to have such an immersion with such a great group of people.” Clem said she especially wants to see Pulpit Rock, a natural rock formation that stands 604 meters above the sea. “One of the great things about Norway that I’ve noticed so far is just the beauty of nature and just how focused on the outdoors they are,” she said. “So going to Pulpit Rock and being outdoors and really seeing the beauty of this country is what I’m looking forward to.”
Other planned events include educational workshops on Norwegian values and culture, eDemocracy and European integration. “We’ve been walking around the city a lot, seeing a lot of the sights . . . it’s been wonderful,” said Felicia Synowicki, a senior education major. “We’re going to go visit the Kristiansand Zoo, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the difference between the Henry Doorly and the one in Kristiansand, because I’ve heard it’s a lot different.”
The trip, except for airfare, is underwritten by a grant from the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education, awarded to UiA in partnership with UNO. The grant directors from UiA are Bjørn Erik Munkvold and Carl Erik Moe. Deepak Khazanchi and Ilze Zigurs, both faculty members in the College of Information Science & Technology, are the UNO leads.
“The experience these students will have will be amazing,” Khazanchi said. During the trip, students will also visit Stavanger, and Oslo.
