The Norway Scholarship is a scholarship to the University of Oxford that is awarded in Norway. 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.[1] [2] [3]

Norway Oxford Scholarship
NameNorway Scholarship
Duration1920–present
Present scholarDennis Christensen
Notable alumniNordahl Grieg, P. A. Munch, Harald Sverdrup, Abid Q. Raja and Iver Neumann
AmountApprox. NOK 100,000

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 current student, or recent graduate of Oslo University. Past Norway Scholars have included Nordahl Grieg, Peter A. Munch and Harald Sverdrup. [4] [5] [6]

History

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The idea for a scholarship fund enabling students from Royal Frederik University, (now University of Oslo) to study for one year at Wadham College in Oxford 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 at Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. Arthur Ivor Garland Jayne (1882-1958) was a son of Francis Jayne (1845–1921) Lord Bishop of Chester. Arthur Jayne had married Fredrikke Marie Cathrine von Munthe af Morgenstierne, daughter of Professor Bredo Henrik von Munthe af Morgenstierne (1851–1930), Rector of the University of Oslo (1912–1918). As with famous Polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, he gave NOK 5000.- towards the establishment of a Norwegian Oxford Scholarship Fund. Altogether Jayne succeeded in raising NOK. 60 000.- or approximately GBP 2780. Jayne spent his later life as a lecturer in English at the University of Oslo. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Arthur Jayne retrospectively explained his initiative in a letter dated 14. October 1945 to Professor Didrik Arup Seip (1884–1963), 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.

From 1920, with the exception of the years 1926–27 and 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).

In the late 1970s Alf Bøe (Wadham. 1952) as head of the Committee, called on Andor Birkeland (Wadham. 1946) of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, accountant Sven Guldberg (Wadham. 1937) and former Minister for Culture Helge Sivertsen (Wadham. 1938). With the help of the College and of William Bentley, British Ambassador to Norway, 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), Haakon Melander (Balliol. 1966) and Erik Rudeng (Norway scholar. 1969). Iver B. Neumann (Norway Scholar. 1988) was recruited 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 organised an annual dinner with a guest of honour from Oxford University, who has also given one or more lectures locally in Oslo. King Harald V of Norway (Balliol College.1960) often participates at the grand dinner of Norway Scholars that is held each year in Oslo by the Oxford University Society Norway. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Past Norway Scholars

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Year Scholar Degree subject
1920 G. Astrup-Hoel Law
1921 Bjarne Hamre English
1922 Christian Lasson Brun Economics
1923 Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg English History and Literature
1924 Erling Groth Languages and Social-Economic Studies
1925 Hallvard Langeland Maritime Law
1926–1927 No award given
1928 Halfdan Olaus Christophersen Dissertation work on the 18th century Danish-Norwegian philosopher Ludvig Holberg
and his relations to the philosophy of John Locke
1929 Paul Quale Audit studies
1930 Georg E. Pettersen Philology
1931 Christian Brinch Languages, Literature and Finance
1932 Trygve Leivestad Old English Law
1933 Peter A. Munch Studies in the Old Testament
1934 Arne Grieg Medicine
1935 Fredrik Christian Stoud Platou Law
1936 Kåre Birkelund English Language and Literature
1937 Sven Dalhoff Guldberg Social economy (part of an Audit studies examination), and British Culture
1938 Helge Sivertsen English History, Politics and International Relations
1939 Harald Brinchmann Studies in English
1940–1944 No scholarships awarded during the War
1945 Just Faaland Audit studies
1946 Andor Birkeland Modern English social history
1947 Arne Aasgaard Modern English social history
1948 Harald Ulrik Sverdrup
1949 Per Fuglum
1950 Jan Fredrik Marstrander English Literature
1951 Jan Fredrik Marstrander English Literature
1952 Alf Bøe B.Litt. on Theories of Victorian design
1953 Alf Bøe B.Litt. on Theories of Victorian design
1954 Ivar Johnsen History of Literature
1955 Leif Mevik
1956 Magne Malmanger Early 19th century English landscape painting
1957 Tor Neumann Russian, and comparative studies in English and German literature
1958 Knut Nordli English language
1959 Hjalte Lymann English law, particularly maritime law
1960 Lars Jacob Krogh English language and literature
1961 No award given
1962 Jørgensen, Nils-Johan
1963 No award given
1964 Dag Christopher Wold
1965 Jostein Stokkeland Studies for Thesis, Cand.Philol. on subjects English and William Tyndale.
1966 Tryggve Gjesdal B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
1967 John Arthur Jayne Skard Independent studies in Physics
1968 Jon Haakstad English Literature
1969 Erik Rudeng B.A. in Modern History
1970 Erik Rudeng
1971 Ulf Andenæs
1972 Frode Haverkamp Diploma in History of Art
1973–1975 No award given
1976 Jon M. S. Haarberg Classical Philology
1977 No award given
1978 Trond B. Hansen English Literature
1979 No award given
1981 & 1982 Widar Halén Studies for D.Phil. on Victorian designer Christopher Dresser
1983 Sverre Rustad English Literature
1984 Pål Foss Industrial Relations
1985 No scholar
1986 Martin Hoftun Studies for a D.Phil. on the history of Nepal
1987 No award given
1988 Iver B. Neumann International Relations, M.Phil. 1989
1989 Kirsti Kvaløy D.Phil. in Biochemistry (Genetics)
1990 Alexandra Bech International Law
1991 Nils A. Nissen English Literature
1992 Bjørn Blindheim Economics
1993 Jonas Jølle Greek
1994 Haakon Skaaner Theoretical chemistry, quantum mechanics
1995 Kristin Joachimsen Studies in the Prophet Jesaiah
1996 Grete Synnøve Foss Analysis of amoloid[check spelling] light chagin protein (AL-protein) isolated from the spleen of the patient
1997 Ole-Reinert Abildsnes History of Ideas and of Literature
1998 Anne Hammerstad 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 award given
2002 Otterholt, Tor Studies for M.Phil in Russian and East European studies.
2003 Abid Q. Raja Law
2004–2005 No award given
2006 Guri Rosén Studies for MSc in Sociology
2007 No award given
2008 Sara Shah Medicine
2009 Kristian Alfsnes Medicine
2010 Bedeho Mender D.Phil. in Computational Neuroscience
2011 Knut Aukland MSt in Oriental Studies
2012 Bjørnar Sverdrup-Thygeson MSc in Modern Chinese Studies
2013 Mats Julius Stensrud [16] MSc in Applied Statistics (in Medicine)
2014 Louisa Layne [17] DPhil English Literature
2015 Jan Henrik Wiik; Kjølv Egeland [18] MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science; DPhil in International Relations
2016 Julia Kristine Kotthaus [19] DPhil in Archaeology
2017 No award given
2018 No award given
2019 Simen Olav Njaa Sopp DPhil in Materials
2020 Dennis Christensen; Peder Skjelbred MSc Mathematical Sciences; BPhil Philosophy

References

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  1. ^ "Norsk Oxford - stipendium ved Wadham College eller Norway Scholarship". UNIFOR. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Norsk Oxford - stipendium ved Wadham College eller Norway Scholarship". Legatsiden.no. 2007. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Wadham College Norwegian Scholarship" (PDF). Wadham College Admissions Administrator. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Biographical Sketch: Nordahl Grieg (1902–1943)". NRK. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Biographical Sketch: Peter A. Munch (1908-1984)". Pius XII Memorial Library. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (1936-1948)". Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Wadham Scholarship". University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Francis John Jayne (1845–1921)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34162. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ Dag Michalsen. "Bredo Von Munthe Af Morgenstierne (1851-1930)". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  10. ^ Karl H. Brox. "Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930)". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. ^ Gunnar Danbolt. "Alf Bøe (1927-2010)". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  12. ^ Eirik Rossen. "Helge Sivertsen (1913-1986)". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Sir William Bentley (1927-1998)". The Scotsman. 20 June 1998. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Introducing Professor Iver B Neumann". The London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Visit of the King of Norway". Floreat Domus Issue: 13. 2007. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  16. ^ Wadham College Gazette 2013
  17. ^ Wadham College Gazette 2014
  18. ^ Wadham College Gazette 2015
  19. ^ Wadham College Gazette 2016
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