Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Education in Norway
Above left: The UNIS campus. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen. Bottom right: Biology students on fieldwork in Billefjorden. Photo: Steve Coulson.
Cold, hard science Arctic conditions mean living in impenetrable darkness four months of the year, yet some of the world’s most enlightening research is conducted at 78 degrees north. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is located on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, halfway between Europe and the North Pole. Here, students truly experience the meaning of cold, hard science.
far from remote. A blues festival, a jazz festival and three gourmet restaurants are just a few of the perks of living at 78 degrees north. There is also a rich and modern cultural scene that all students are encouraged to enjoy.
By Stine Wannebo | Photo: UNIS
“Students who come here are not afraid of the cold,” Eva Therese Jenssen laughs. She is the information manager at the world’s northernmost institution for higher education, the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). Last year, over 600 students from 74 countries travelled to Longyearbyen as part of their studies. By spending a semester in the exceptional arctic climate, students from across the globe get a chance to finally observe their chosen study for themselves. All students entering into one of the UNIS programmes have already studied for one or more years before they set off. No other institution is able to offer the same amount of practical knowledge in fields such as arctic biology, arctic geology, 58 | Issue 82 | November 2015
arctic technology and arctic geophysics. “There is no other place on earth where the students can get the same hands-on experience as they do here on Svalbard,” Jenssen explains. “The conditions are truly unique.” From thousands of years’ worth of history in the massive frozen glaciers to unexplored marine conditions beneath two metres of solid sea ice, there is no shortage of research subjects. All courses are taught in English and, like most Norwegian universities and colleges, UNIS takes no tuition fees. Despite Longyearbyen being the northernmost permanent settlement on earth, the city beneath the northern lights is
“Students love it here, because it’s so remarkably different from anywhere else they have ever studied,” Jenssen says. The classes are much smaller than at other European universities, usually fewer than 20 students, which leads to a warm and friendly academic environment. Acclaimed guest lecturers and experienced researchers come from all over the world to teach at UNIS. There really is no better place to experience the fascinating science, and the incredible beauty, of the north.
For more information, please visit: www.unis.no