General

Official name:
The Kingdom of Norway
Languages spoken:
Norwegian, Saami (spoken by Saami minority). High level of English competency (English is taught from first grade).
Monetary unit:
Norwegian kroner (NOK)
System of government:
Constitutional monarchy
Area: 385,155 km² (slightly larger than New Mexico)
Shortest distance north-south: 1,752 km (New York, NY–Miami, FL)
Population: 4,579,000 as of January 1, 2004
Largest Cities: Oslo–518,902; Bergen–236,014; Trondheim–153,171; Tromsø–61,462

History: Around the year 900, King Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) unified the realm and became its first supreme ruler. Norway and Denmark subsequently formed one kingdom from 1380 until 1814 when, in the wake of the Napoleonic wars, Norway was united with Sweden, adopting a modern constitution along the way. In 1905, Norway and Sweden went their separate ways peacefully. Despite its neutrality, Norway was not able to avoid occupation by Germany during World War II. In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Norway rejected joining the EU in a 1972 referendum and again in 1994.

Economy: The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas including the vital petroleum sector. The country is richly endowed with natural resources—petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests and minerals—and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices.

Geography: Norway is situated in the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. It extends about 1,100 mi from the North Sea along the Norwegian Sea to more than 300 mi above the Arctic Circle, the farthest north of any European country. It is slightly larger than New Mexico. Nearly 70% of Norway is uninhabitable and covered by mountains, glaciers, moors and rivers. The hundreds of deep fjords that cut into the coastline give Norway an overall oceanfront of more than 12,000 mi. Galdhøpiggen is Norway's highest point at 8,100 ft, and the Glåma (Glomma) is the principal river at 372 mi long.

Source: www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107851.html
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Compulsory schooling in Norway is ten years, with children entering school at age six. Since autumn 1994, anyone between the ages of 16 and 19 has the statutory right to three years' upper secondary education.

Higher Education: Quality Reform/Bologna Declaration

• In 2003, Norway implemented a new degree system, called the Quality Reform.
• The model for the new degree structure, adopted from the Bologna Process:
  Bachelor's degree (3 years)
  + Master's Degree (2 years)
  + Ph.D. (3 years).
• In a few subject areas, there is a five-year integrated degree course (master's).
• Some subject areas—medicine, veterinary science, psychology, and theology—are exempt from the new degree structure.
• A new grading scale, equivalent to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS):
  
  
  • 60 course credits per full academic year.
  • A descending scale from A to E for passes, and F for fail.
  • The Diploma Supplement helps facilitate transborder credit transfers.
    
    
• Internationalization of institutions through participation in European and other international education and research programs is strongly encouraged:
  
  
  • Each student is entitled to a study period abroad as an integrated part of the Norwegian degree.
  • Increased participation in international exchange programs (SOCRATES, ERASMUS, etc.) and bilateral institutional agreements between Norwegian and foreign institutions.

Source: http://odin.dep.no/filarkiv/170611/the_quality_reform.pdf
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A Fulbright experience is an experience for the whole family. Dr. Lisa Marie Sethre-Hofstad and her family, husband Steve and children Dane and Annika, spent the 2003-04 academic year in Tromsø, Norway. Here they are sporting sweaters in traditional Norwegian design.

The Fulbright Agreement between the United States and Norway was signed in Oslo on May 25, 1949. Since the start of the program in Norway, more than 1,250 Americans and 3,350 Norwegians have been awarded a Fulbright grant. The program was originally supported exclusively by American funding. Today about 70% of its funding comes from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the remainder from the American government.

The U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation provides two awards for the Fulbright Roving Scholar Program and approximately six awards for lecturing, lecturing/research or research in any field. Two awards are also available in American Literature or American Studies. In addition, the Foundation offers grants for Fulbright Senior Specialists

2003-04 U.S. Fulbrighter Erin C. Dougherty enjoying a hike in northern Norway. All of Norway lies north of Juneau, Alaska; and Tromsø, with the world's northernmost university, is near 70 degrees north latitude. Surprisingly, most of Norway enjoys a mild climate thanks to the warming effect of the Golf Stream.

The U.S.- Norway Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchange is a binational foundation with a Board of Directors composed of four American and four Norwegian members, appointed by the American Ambassador to Norway and the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, respectively. Both governments support the program with annual allocations of funds.

The Fulbright Office is located in Oslo. It is responsible for the daily management of the Fulbright Program in Norway, which includes both Norwegian grantees to the United States, and U.S. grantees to Norway. In addition, it offers an extensive counseling service for Norwegians who would like to study in the United States. The EducationUSA advising center is open to the general public, not just Fulbright grantees.

In addition to the regular scholarship program, the Fulbright Foundation and the Norwegian Department of Education and Research co-sponsor a unique program known as the Fulbright Roving Scholars in American studies. Each year, there are two Fulbright Roving Scholars, one for the lower secondary schools and one for the upper secondary schools. The "Rovers" travel to schools all over Norway and give seminars and training sessions to teachers and students on a variety of subjects, including American literature, politics, history, film, folklore, geography and current events. The Roving Scholar Program has proven to be extremely popular.

"Now that I have lived in Norway for almost a year, my perceptions have changed. Norway is not as cold as I thought it was, and I don't actually mind the weather as much as I thought I would. I'm beginning to think like a Norwegian. ... As to being a prosperous country, Norway seems to be even more prosperous than I thought it was. I see no visual signs of poverty in Norwegian cities and the countryside."
—Jim Dolph, 2004-05 Roving Scholar in American Studies to the lower secondary schools. Dolph used props such as authentic clothing and lasso when giving lectures on American cowboy culture.

Polly Kaufman was a Roving Scholar in 1999-2000 to the upper secondary schools and 2005 Senior Specialist at the University of Tromsø. During her year as a Fulbright Roving Scholar, Dr. Kaufman visited more than 90 schools throughout Norway and found time to research and create a booklet about city walk statues of named women in Oslo.

In 2004, Fulbright grantees Retsina Meyer, Leah Johnson, Jamie Krull, and Julia Buckmaster attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in the Oslo Town Hall.

In his will, Alfred Nobel stipulated that the scientific prizes and the prize for literature should be awarded by Swedish institutions, but the Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.

The award ceremony itself always takes place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. Ceremonies are held both in Stockholm and in Oslo. For many years, the U.S.-Norway Foundation has been fortunate enough to receive a number of tickets to the Nobel Ceremony.

Source: http://odin.dep.no/odinarkiv/norsk/dep/ud/1997/
annet/032005-990421/dok-bn.html

U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchange:
www.fulbright.no

Education in Norway:

Ministry of Education and Research: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/kd.html?id=586

The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT): www.nokut.no ENIC/NARIC, website has overview of education in Norway.

Bologna Process: www.bologna-bergen2005.no

Strategy for Norway's Scientific and Technological Cooperation with North America: http://odin.dep.no/ufd/english/doc/plans/
045041-990022/dok-bn.html

Study in Norway: http://study-norway.net

State Educational Loan Fund: www.lanekassen.no

General Information:

Norwegian Embassy in the United States: www.norway.org

Public Administration in Norway, net portal: www.norway.no/omnorgeno

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration: www.udi.no

General information: www.countryreports.org/norway.htm

Norwegian Culture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Norway

Statistics: www.sb.no

Tourism: www.visitnorway.com

Weather: http://met.no/english/index.html