My favorite thought leader, Clay Shirky, has had a number of posts and recommendations talking about the subject. He’s on CNN talking about it while Crooked Timber points out the tension of US control. Important questions of the future of “openness” are now being answered under the spotlight of real life.

I received an email recently from a Luther College student asking about studying in Norway. One of his main questions was…what does it cost to study in Norway?

A great question. And the short answer is the best…it’s free! But, before you get too excited (although you should be, come on, a chance to study in Norway? AWESOME!), you should know some details.

To study in Norway longer than three months, you need a student residence permit. The applications are submitted to Norwegian Foreign Missions in the US. Don’t go to Norway and try to apply…did that once and didn’t go so well for me. The application costs 1100 Norwegian Kroner (or NOK), which unfortunately for Americans is getting more expensive by the day (currently $185).

The other money element for the application is proof of subsistence. Basically Norway is saying, you can study tuition-free (maybe a small student activity fee), but you have to prove that you have the cash to support yourself while you are here. Norway says that this amount is exactly 82,900 NOK (about $14000). AND, you have to prove you have this money with three months of records, so you can’t just transfer money in to your account, print off a report, and transfer it back to mommy or daddy. If you have a grant or scholarship, you can send documentation to help get you to the magical 82900 NOK. There are a number of grant opportunities available that could also help, especially if you want to study in the North.

Other elements for the student residence permit include:

• A plan of study (download here)
• A completed application form with a passport photo (download here)
• Documentation of admission to an “approved educational institution”
• Documentation of housing (this could be student housing)

While it is a bit tough to get all the paperwork done, especially since admission for me came in June with classes beginning at the end of August, it is worth it. When you arrive, you can work 20 hours a week and if you are able, I highly recommend doing so. It will help you learn Norwegian, it will help you meet new people and you can earn a Norwegian wage.

One of the complaints of Norway is that it’s expensive, but if you work there, it’s not such a shock. Sure, beer costs 4x more, but your wage is also 3-4 times higher with vacation pay, coffee breaks and no tax if you earn less than 40,000 NOK ($6700) a year. Take off the 40ish% tax and you’re making great money. Probably enough to head south with the other Norwegian during Mørketid to get a tan and chorizo.

Definitely consider studying in Norway. If you’re curious where to study, check back for the next post on Norwegian Universities, language schools and colleges. If you have opportunities for scholarships, tips for studying in Norway or places where students should study, leave a comment in the forum!

For more info, visit StudyInNorway.no.

For two enjoyable years I studied at the northernmost university in the world: the University of Tromsø (UiTø). What does one find on top of the world? Well, for me it was an exciting international program and a university with world-class research and a friendly, welcoming student body. I studied a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation with 40 students from all over the world. While the program was new and had its share of growing pains, the chance to interact with students with a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences in a safe and nurturing environment was incredibly rewarding.

I thought back on my experience today as I read the latest post from Minnesota2020. In October, UiTø sent a delegation to research deepening ties with the midwest to encourage more Americans to attend and conduct research in Tromsø. As Vice-Rector and Minnesota-native Curt Rice explained: “The foot in the door, so to speak, is the cultural ties between Norway and the Upper Midwest.”

While many colleges such as my alma mater Luther Colege encourages students to study in Norway because of their heritage, the future of collaboration between Norway and the US should be based on a desire to share cutting-edge technology and knowledge. Norway and specifically Tromsø is a mecca for developments in renewable energy, music, linguistics, natural resource extraction and telemedicine. Some students want to find their roots like I did in Norway. But even though there are many Norwegian-Americans, the days of ethnic identity become less relevant as international travel becomes a near rite of passage for many students. Instead, what will attract international students and foster collaboration is mutually benficial exchanges.

Tromsø is a site where Americans can expand their knowledge base while enjoying an amazing town at the top of the world. With a vibrant international milieu, generous grants and no tuition even for international students and easy navigation with a  population that is highly fluent in English, Tromsø and the University of Tromsø should be a destination for today’s researchers and students.

Studying and living abroad can be a bit intimidating. Fortunately, I’ll help get you through it. Check back here in the coming days for a walk-through of how to apply and work in Norway.

I had a new experience yesterday.

I caught an air conditioner falling out of a window. Yep. I caught an air conditioner falling out of a window.

Now before I sound heroic, I have to admit, also dropped it. As the weather changes to fall, it was time to take the window air conditioning unit out and prepare for winter. I slowly pulled the window up and suddenly…

WHOOSH! The air conditioner was falling out of the second story window with the cord whipping off the ground. Somehow instinct took over and my left hand reached out and grabbed the cord. As the AC bounced off the roof held the cord and suspended the unit about five feet off the ground.

About this time as my muscles tightened, I decided I prefer bathroom heating to air conditioning. Seriously, if you have never experienced heated floor you haven’t lived.

In Tromsø, Norway, heated bathroom floors come standard. Even in the cramped student apartment you could quickly dry the water off the floor and warm your feet by stepping on the floors. It makes sense when you’re above the Arctic Circle, but it also might have something to do with the electricity in Norway. Norway produces 98% of its capacity from hydroelectricity. And you feel a lot less guilty leaving the heat on when it’s coming from the nearby fjord. Of course the downside is that you have to have it on 9 months a year, but I think the Norwegian-Americans could learn something from the floor heating technology of their ancestors. Especially in January and February.

And especially when compared to falling air conditioners.

As summer quickly changes to winter, it is now officially Aurora Borealis season. The Northern Lights are an amazing occurrence that are often seen in Northern Norway.

In fact, 70 degrees north is the perfect latitude to see the Northern Lights, the latitude line that runs just north of Tromsø. Why 70 degrees north you may ask?

Well, in my unscientific explanation, the sun throws electrically-charged particles at the Earth. These particles form a ring around the magnetic poles (yep, you can see the “Northern” lights in the south where they are called Aurora Australis). This ring is right at 70 degrees. At this latitude the particles collide in the stratosphere with oxygen and nitrogen, making a pretty white and green light (more green because there’s more nitrogen). The light dances around and is really quite fickle, it appears one minute and is gone the next.

There is much folklore surrounding the Northern Lights. One story goes that you have to bang pots and pans (and never wave a white sheet) because the lights are the path between the living and the deceased and if you don’t bang the pots the deceased will grab you and take you with them to the afterlife! Despite these threats, I have (to date) survived many a Northern Lights viewing sessions.

I was impressed to see that recently the southern part of Norway was also treated to the light show. According to SpaceWeather, the rare purple lights came out for a showing. Check out these amazing photos:

If you want to see the Northern Lights, Northern Norway is the place to go. They are a bit unpredictable, but if you monitor the solar activity and wait for a clear day you should be able to spot them! In fact, Tromsø is being lit up as we speak with “Wild Auroras!“

I have the opportunity today to present at the Rotary District Conference in Sioux Falls, SD. I’ll be sharing a bit about my time in Norway, thanking them for their support and challenging them to continue to fund cultural collaboration because the very students (like me) that they send abroad can come back and help make Rotary a stronger organization.

You can check out my presentation here:

Scandinavian design and architecture is often admired and heralded as clean, sleek and environmentally friendly. Equally so is there urban planning, and now it’s coming state-side.

The Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta is redesigning Time Square. Over the next three years, they will aim to make Time Square more like Karl Johans Gate in Oslo with bicycle-friendly lanes and an overall pedestrian friendly design.

While the neon lights of Time Square will continue to dwarf the Freia sign in Oslo, it looks like the Norwegian influence in NYC is set to grow. The project is set to be completed in the next three years at a price tag around 20 million dollars.

Read all the details in Norwegian on Aftenposten: http://www.aftenposten.no/okonomi/article3704661.ece

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted via email from scottdavidmeyer's posterous

This weekend Oslo played host to the gooey pop contest known as Eurovision. Eurovision is a continent-wide event drawing  viewers together for what is essentially the Olympic version of American Idol. Each nation has a contest who sings, dances and gyrates on stage in hopes of receiving votes from citizens in other countries. The winner of the Eurovision song contest then hosts the event the following year. I had the pleasure of learning about Eurovision way back in 2006 in Norway with reker and Mack beer and again in Spain while I watched Chiki Chiki fall flat to the international audience.

Last year Norway won as the young Alexander Rybak fiddled his way into first place. Two weeks ago, I randomly walked by Alexander Rybak in Oslo who was all smiles and ready to hand off the crown to the newest Eurovision winner. The following week, Oslo was filled with audience members and contestants wearing the “Share the moment” tag around their neck speaking in a variety of languages and taking in the sites of Oslo. My friend Daniel Andersson gives a little intro to Alexander Rybak and Eurovision:

I had a chance to interview a group of these dedicated Eurovision fans who were attending their 3rd consecutive Eurovision. They were from Israel and had hopes of finishing in the top 5 with their emotional, heartfelt song sung by Harel Skaat, the runner-up in Israel’s Idol (they finished 14th and didn’t even get their map on tv, while Germany took home the crown with their annoying song “Satellite”). They helped explain this phenomena with me and why Israel is in the EUROvision song contest before providing me with their version of Israel’s song “Milim” (“Words”). Check it out: