“Welcome to Bergen! I hope you are all warm and dry,” smiled Vice-Rector for International Relations, Kjersti Fløttum, to all the foreign students in the Peer Gynt auditorium.
On Monday, the 2008 autumn semester kicked off and the Grieg Hall was the venue for the welcome reception for all the foreign students. The day was packed, among other things, with lots of practical information, a welcome speech and lunch for the students.
New record
A grand total of 550 students from 67 countries have accepted a place at the University of Bergen this year. That is a new record, and the result of a conscious effort by UiB.
“You greatly enrich UiB, and never before have we welcomed so many of you,” said Vice-Rector Fløttum in her welcome speech to the foreign students.
In addition to the warm words, the professor showed pictures of, among other things, monkfish, the Hanseatic wharf at Bryggen and the scenery around Bergen, which were well received by those present.
“We have a great responsibility to live up to your expectations,” she continued, and concluded by quoting a popular local saying: “I’m not from Norway, I’m from Bergen!”.
Bergen recommended
A variety of stands were set up in the foyer to provide all manner of practical information. And in the hours following the information meeting, the venue was buzzing with excited, happy students.
“I chose Bergen for my exchange after a friend recommended the city,” says German Dirk Enders.
He is eating his Student Welfare Organisation in Bergen (SiB) lunch with two new friends he has met at Fantoft. Jenny Lan-Nang-Fan and Selma Koghee are from France and the Netherlands, respectively.
“I was on holiday in Scandinavia and spent a day in Bergen. That inspired me to study here,” says Selma.
The three students are happy with their choice and mention the scenery around Bergen with its high mountains as the most impressive thing about the city so far.
Well-organised
Despite having to fill in several forms and digest a huge amount of new information, all the new students that we spoke to were delighted with the way the event had been organised.
“Confused? No, I have full control – the university has given us checklists, so we’re OK,” say Raphael Prell and Timo Kaessner, both from Germany.
The two boys are sitting having lunch with Spaniard Rocio Guijarro, and they all agree that UiB’s reception of the foreign students has been well-organised.
“We are very satisfied with the information and feel that everything is straightforward at UiB,” they agree.
The three new students have registered a number of distinctive features during their first few days in the city:
“ Bergen is clean, rainy and cosy,” Rocio sums up.
“Besides, you need to have a number for just about everything. And you have to take a queue number. I’m not used to that,” says Raphael.
They also add that they find all the tourists and the price level “remarkable”.
Valuable students
“We are proud that you have chosen the University of Bergen. You add value to both the academic environment and the social environment,” says Marte Nørve Årvik.
She was responsible for most of the practical information that was given. In addition, Marita Monsen from SiB gave a general presentation of its services before it was time for the SiB welcome lunch. After the lunch break, the day ended with a presentation of the mentor schemes.
And then it was time to go back out in the rain.
