Norway Scholarship
Encyclopedia
The Norway Scholarship is the only official scholarship
to the University of Oxford
that is awarded in Norway
.
The first Norway Scholarship was awarded in 1920. Since then, one Norway Scholar has been selected annually, except for a few periods, such as during the Second World War. The scholarship is highly competitive, and is awarded to a student or recent graduate of Oslo University. Past Norway Scholars include Norwegians
such as Nordahl Grieg, P. A. Munch, Harald Sverdrup
and Abid Raja. The current scholar is Bedeho Mender.
Norway Scholars receive funding for one or two years of study and research at Oxford University, and the scholar always becomes a member of Wadham College .
was conceived in 1919 by a young alumnus of the college, who during the war years 1914-18 had held the post of British vice-consul in Kristiansund N, a port- and fishing town on the west coast of Norway
. His name was Arthur Ivor Garland Jayne, son of The Lord Bishop of Chester
.
Young Jayne had married a daughter of Professor Bredo von Munthe af Morgenstierne, at one time Rector of the University of Oslo
(1912–1918). Morgenstierne was a well-known lawyer, orientated towards Britain (among his books we find one on English parliamentarism). Like Jayne’s brother and Fridtjof Nansen
, the famous Polar explorer (and Norway’s ambassador to London
in the critical year of 1905), he gave NOK 5000.- towards the establishment of a Scholarship Fund. Altogether Jayne succeeded in raising NOK. 60 000.-, or approximately GBP 2780 – a considerable sum at the time. He spent his later life as a lecturer in English at the University of Oslo
.
Arthur Jayne retrospectively explained his initiative in a letter dated 14. October 1945 to Professor Didrik Arup Seip
, the then Rector of Oslo University, in the following words:
”At the time of the first world war - - - a considerable amount of ‘Allied’ propaganda material, sent to Norway
and intended to inform Norwegian opinion about the war, proved ill-adapted to enlist the understanding sympathy of those who had previously had cultural or business contacts with the nations in conflict with the Allies. The experience seemed to indicate the great importance of any educational facilities which would bring the youth of Norway and Britain into really close association with each other. It struck me that one useful step in that direction could be some permanent arrangement which would enable Norwegian students to participate in the typically English form of university life that exists in the college system of Oxford
and Cambridge
. Without actual residence in a college this is impossible. But whereas foreign students have been able to attend courses at English universities, it has always been very difficult for them to obtain permission to reside at a college, sharing to the full all that the college environment can offer.”
Arthur Jayne succeeded with his plan. From 1920, with the exception of (for unknown reasons) the years 1926-27, and of course the war years 1940-44, Norwegian students were awarded the Norway Scholarship for studies of the most varied description. However, as the basic funding of the scholarship proved inadequate, the scholars soon became dependent on supplementary grants from other university funds, but from the late 1970s even this arrangement proved inadequate to meet rising costs. For some years no scholars were appointed at all. The basic foundation capital had by then shrunk to only NOK. 130 000.- (about GBP 6500.- at the current rate of exchange) – a quite inadequate sum. In the late 1970s Alf Bøe
(Wadham 1952), head of the Committee, called on Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s Andor Birkeland (Wadham 1946), former Accountant Sven Guldberg (Wadham 1937) and former Minister for Culture Helge Sivertsen
(Wadham 1938). With the help of the College and of the British Ambassador to Norway, William Bentley - later Sir William Bentley (a Wadham man) they were able to raise NOK 1 170 000 (around GBP 117 000). In the 1990s Bøe formed a new committee consisting of Michael Benskin (St. Peter’s 1965), professor at the Department of British and American Studies of Oslo University, Haakon Melander, banker (Balliol 1966); and Erik Rudeng (Norway scholar 1969). Iver B. Neumann
(Norway Scholar 1988) was recruited as young blood in 1993. When Bøe retired in 2003, Neumann took over as chair. Bjørn Blindheim (Norway Scholar 1992) and Neumann formed a Norwegian chapter of the Oxford Society, with Blindheim as chair. Since 1981 the Committee has organized an annual dinner with a guest of honour from Oxford University, who has also given one or more lectures locally in Oslo. Bjørn Blindheim took over the responsibility for these events, and they have continued uninterrupted to this day.
King Harald V of Norway
— himself a Balliol graduate — often participates at the grand dinner of Norway Scholars that is held each year in Oslo
by the Oxford University Society Norway
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
that is awarded in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
The first Norway Scholarship was awarded in 1920. Since then, one Norway Scholar has been selected annually, except for a few periods, such as during the Second World War. The scholarship is highly competitive, and is awarded to a student or recent graduate of Oslo University. Past Norway Scholars include Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
such as Nordahl Grieg, P. A. Munch, Harald Sverdrup
Harald Sverdrup
Harald Ulrik Sverdrup was a Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist who made a number of important theoretical discoveries in these fields. Having first worked in Bergen and Leipzig he was the scientific director of the North Polar expedition of Roald Amundsen aboard the Maud from 1918 to 1925...
and Abid Raja. The current scholar is Bedeho Mender.
Norway Scholars receive funding for one or two years of study and research at Oxford University, and the scholar always becomes a member of Wadham College .
History
The idea for a scholarship fund enabling students from The Royal Frederik’s University, as Oslo University was then called, to study for one year at Wadham College in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
was conceived in 1919 by a young alumnus of the college, who during the war years 1914-18 had held the post of British vice-consul in Kristiansund N, a port- and fishing town on the west coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. His name was Arthur Ivor Garland Jayne, son of The Lord Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
.
Young Jayne had married a daughter of Professor Bredo von Munthe af Morgenstierne, at one time Rector of the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
(1912–1918). Morgenstierne was a well-known lawyer, orientated towards Britain (among his books we find one on English parliamentarism). Like Jayne’s brother and Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
, the famous Polar explorer (and Norway’s ambassador to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the critical year of 1905), he gave NOK 5000.- towards the establishment of a Scholarship Fund. Altogether Jayne succeeded in raising NOK. 60 000.-, or approximately GBP 2780 – a considerable sum at the time. He spent his later life as a lecturer in English at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
.
Arthur Jayne retrospectively explained his initiative in a letter dated 14. October 1945 to Professor Didrik Arup Seip
Didrik Arup Seip
Didrik Arup Seip was Professor of North Germanic languages at the University of Oslo.He earned his doctorate in 1916 and was appointed professor the same year, retiring in 1954. Together with Herman Jæger, he edited and published the collected works of Henrik Wergeland in 23 volumes...
, the then Rector of Oslo University, in the following words:
”At the time of the first world war - - - a considerable amount of ‘Allied’ propaganda material, sent to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and intended to inform Norwegian opinion about the war, proved ill-adapted to enlist the understanding sympathy of those who had previously had cultural or business contacts with the nations in conflict with the Allies. The experience seemed to indicate the great importance of any educational facilities which would bring the youth of Norway and Britain into really close association with each other. It struck me that one useful step in that direction could be some permanent arrangement which would enable Norwegian students to participate in the typically English form of university life that exists in the college system of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. Without actual residence in a college this is impossible. But whereas foreign students have been able to attend courses at English universities, it has always been very difficult for them to obtain permission to reside at a college, sharing to the full all that the college environment can offer.”
Arthur Jayne succeeded with his plan. From 1920, with the exception of (for unknown reasons) the years 1926-27, and of course the war years 1940-44, Norwegian students were awarded the Norway Scholarship for studies of the most varied description. However, as the basic funding of the scholarship proved inadequate, the scholars soon became dependent on supplementary grants from other university funds, but from the late 1970s even this arrangement proved inadequate to meet rising costs. For some years no scholars were appointed at all. The basic foundation capital had by then shrunk to only NOK. 130 000.- (about GBP 6500.- at the current rate of exchange) – a quite inadequate sum. In the late 1970s Alf Bøe
Alf Bøe
Alf Bøe was a Norwegian art historian.He was born in Bergen as a son of professor Johannes Bøe and Dagny Godager . He took the Bachelor of Letters degree at Oxford University in 1954 and the mag.art. and cand.philol. degrees at the University of Oslo in 1955. He also studied at Louvre from 1956...
(Wadham 1952), head of the Committee, called on Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s Andor Birkeland (Wadham 1946), former Accountant Sven Guldberg (Wadham 1937) and former Minister for Culture Helge Sivertsen
Helge Sivertsen
Helge Sivertsen was a Norwegian discus thrower and politician. He was born in Mandal, but represented Inderøy IL in athletics competitions. His party affiliation was to the Labour Party....
(Wadham 1938). With the help of the College and of the British Ambassador to Norway, William Bentley - later Sir William Bentley (a Wadham man) they were able to raise NOK 1 170 000 (around GBP 117 000). In the 1990s Bøe formed a new committee consisting of Michael Benskin (St. Peter’s 1965), professor at the Department of British and American Studies of Oslo University, Haakon Melander, banker (Balliol 1966); and Erik Rudeng (Norway scholar 1969). Iver B. Neumann
Iver B. Neumann
Iver Brynild Neumann is a Norwegian political scientist and social anthropologist. He is a professor of Russian studies at the University of Oslo and has been research director at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs since 2008.Neumann obtained his first DPhil in Politics from Oxford...
(Norway Scholar 1988) was recruited as young blood in 1993. When Bøe retired in 2003, Neumann took over as chair. Bjørn Blindheim (Norway Scholar 1992) and Neumann formed a Norwegian chapter of the Oxford Society, with Blindheim as chair. Since 1981 the Committee has organized an annual dinner with a guest of honour from Oxford University, who has also given one or more lectures locally in Oslo. Bjørn Blindheim took over the responsibility for these events, and they have continued uninterrupted to this day.
King Harald V of Norway
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
— himself a Balliol graduate — often participates at the grand dinner of Norway Scholars that is held each year in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
by the Oxford University Society Norway
Past Norway Scholars to Wadham College
| Year | Scholar | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | G. Astrup-Hoel | Law |
| 1921 | Bjarne Hamre | English |
| 1922 | Christian Lasson Brun | Economics |
| 1923 | Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg, known as Nordahl Grieg, was a Norwegian poet, novelist, dramatist, journalist and political activist. He was a popular poet and a controversial public figure in his lifetime... |
English history and literature |
| 1924 | Groth, Erling | Languages and social-oeconomic studies |
| 1925 | Langeland, Hallvard | Maritime law |
| 1926–1927 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1928 | Christophersen, Halfdan | Finished his dissertation on the 18t century Danish-Norwegian philosopher Ludvig Holberg and his relations to the philosophy of John Locke |
| 1929 | Quale, Paul | Audit studies |
| 1930 | Pettersen, Georg E. | Philology |
| 1931 | Brinch, Christian | Languages, literature and finance |
| 1932 | Leivestad, Trygve | Old English law |
| 1933 | Munch, P.A. | Studies in the Old Testament |
| 1934 | Grieg, Arne | Medicine |
| 1935 | Platou, Fredrik Christian Stoud | Law |
| 1936 | Birkelund, Kåre | English language and literature |
| 1937 | Guldberg, Sven Dalhoff | Social economy part of a Audit studies examination, and British culture |
| 1938 | Sivertsen, Helge | English history, politics and international relations |
| 1939 | Studies in English | |
| 1940–1944 | No scholarships given during the war | No scholarships given during the war |
| 1945 | Faaland, Just | Audit studies |
| 1946 | Birkeland, Andor | Moderen English social history |
| 1947 | Aasgaard, Arne | Moderen English social history |
| 1948 | Sverdrup, Harald Ulrik | No information |
| 1949 | Fuglum, Per | No study named |
| 1950 | Marstrander, Jan Fredrik | English Literature |
| 1951 | Marstrander, Jan Fredrik | No information |
| 1952 | Bøe, Alf | Studies for B. Litt thesis on Theories of Victorian design |
| 1953 | Bøe, Alf | No information |
| 1954 | Johnsen, Ivar | History of literature |
| 1955 | Mevik, Leif | No information |
| 1956 | Malmanger, Magne | Early 19th century English landscape painting |
| 1957 | Neumann, Tor | Russian, and comparative studies in English and German literature |
| 1958 | Nordli, Knut | English language |
| 1959 | Hjalte Lymann | English law, particularly maritime law |
| 1960 | Lars Jacob Krogh | English language and literature |
| 1961 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1962 | Jørgensen, Nils-Johan | No information |
| 1963 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1964 | Wold, Dag Christopher | No information |
| 1965 | Stokkeland, Jostein | No information |
| 1966 | Gjesdal, Trygve | No information |
| 1967 | Skard, John Arthur | Independent studies in physics |
| 1968 | Haakstad, Jon | English literature |
| 1969 | Rudeng, Erik | took a B.A. in Modern history |
| 1970 | Rudeng, Erik | No information |
| 1971 | Andenæs, Ulf | No information |
| 1972 | Haverkamp, Frode | took a Diploma in History of Art |
| 1973–1975 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1976 | Haarberg, Jon M.S. | Classical philology |
| 1977 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1978 | Hansen, Trond B. | No information |
| 1979–1980 | No scholar | No scholar |
| 1981 | Halén, Widar | Studies for doctorate on Victorian designer Christopher Dresser |
| 1982–1984 | No information | No information |
| 1985 | Sverre Rustad | Studied for a M.A. in English |
| 1986 | Hoftun, Martin | Studies for a D.Phil on the history of Nepal |
| 1987 | No information | No information |
| 1988 | Neumann, Iver B. | International Relations, M.Phil. 1989 |
| 1989 | Kvalheim, Kristin | Nevrological biology |
| 1990 | Bech, Alexandra | International law |
| 1991 | Nissen, Nils A. | English literature |
| 1992 | Blindheim , Bjørn | Economics |
| 1993 | Jølle, Jonas | Greek |
| 1994 | Skaaner, Haakon | Theoretical chemistrey, quantum mechanics |
| 1995 | Joachimsen, Kristin | Studies in the prophet Jesaiah |
| 1996 | Foss, Grete Synnøve | Analysis of amoloid light chagin protein (AL-protein) isolated from the spleen of the patient |
| 1997 | Abildsnes, Ole-Reinert, | History of ideas and of literature |
| 1998 | Hammerstad, Anne | Studies for D.Phil in international relations |
| 1999 | Røttingen, Jon Arne | Studies at Department of zoology, Mcc course in epidemiology, evolution and control |
| 2000 | Nilsen, André | industrial relations |
| 2001 | No Scholar | No Scholar |
| 2002 | Otterholt, Tor | Studies for M.Phil in Russian and East European studies. |
| 2003 | Abid Qayyum Raja | Law |
| 2004–2005 | No Scholar | No Scholar |
| 2006 | Guri Rosén | Studies for MSc in Sociology |
| 2007 | No Scholar | No Scholar |
| 2008 | Sara Shah | Medicine |
| 2009 | Maria Witek Music (refused); Kristian Alfsnes | Medicine |
| 2010 | Bedeho Mender | Studies for D.Phil in Computational Neuroscience |