University Centre in Svalbard
Encyclopedia
The University Centre in Svalbard is a Norwegian
state-owned limited company
that provides university-level education in arctic studies
. The universities of Oslo
, Bergen
, Tromsø
and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
in Trondheim are represented on its board. The centre is known as UNIS and forms part of the University of the Arctic
. It is led by a director appointed by the board for a three-year term. The university is the world’s northernmost higher education institution, in Longyearbyen
at 78º N latitude. The courses offered fall into four main science disciplines: Arctic biology, geology, geophysics and technology.
, a town of about 2000 inhabitants on the western coast of Spitsbergen
island. The main idea behind establishing UNIS was that the unique geographic location of the island permits the study of Arctic sciences in situ, right outside the university walls. The university was established with an international spirit – its official language is English, and about half of its 350 students originate from outside Norway (in 2006, foreign students came from 25 countries). The tuition is free of charge and is carried out by 20 full-time professors, 21 assistant professors and 120 guest lecturers. The latter are invited from Norwegian and foreign institutions within various joint research projects. Those projects are also instrumental for the enrollment of master and PhD students – UNIS does not accept its own graduates for those courses and requires potential candidates to present a letter of support from their home institution. One important collaboration is the educational exchange program with Russia. The funding for UNIS is provided by the Norwegian government, research councils and private industry.
and the Queen of Norway
on April 26, 2006. On September 2, 2009, the Secretary-General of the United Nations
, Ban Ki-Moon
visited UNIS. Together with the Norwegian Minister of Environment Erik Solheim
, Ban Ki-Moon lead a debate on the impact of a melting Arctic on the environment.
(about 55 EUR
), plus an extra 120 NOK per day of the outdoor courses. These expenses mostly cover food and administrative costs. UNIS has a wireless computer network connected to the Internet. Every room has a free local phone, and there are several international payphones. Every long-term student and staff member has a key to the main UNIS building and can access it 24 hours a day. UNIS has a library, established in 1993, with a significant volume of printed books. A significant part of the library is electronic: the university is subscribed to a number of electronic databases that can be accessed from the library computers. Electronic are also most publications of the university, such as the UNIS Publication Series which report data obtained within the UNIS research projects and graduate courses. UNIS has research laboratories and a 15m long research ship Viking explorer.
Most students at UNIS live in six renovated mining barracks in Nybyen
, a settlement on the southern outskirts of Longyearbyen.
a two-hour flight away. This decision stems from the finding made in 1930s that buried bodies do not decompose in the cold climate of the island. Recent scientific examination of one body revealed a well-preserved influenza virus, which was the cause of a number of deaths on the island in 1917.
Polar bear
s are abundant in the area and are a threat to human life. As a result local citizens often carry rifles, and every UNIS student and member of staff spends their first day learning how to use a rifle to defend themselves against bears.
Because UNIS activities include field work carried out on boats, snowmobile
s or on foot in a harsh environment, all new students and staff members are required to present a self-declaration confirming that they are in good health.
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...
state-owned limited company
Aksjeselskap
Aksjeselskap is the Norwegian term for a stock-based company. It is usually abbreviated AS or A/S, especially when used in company names. An AS is always a limited company, i.e. the owners cannot be held liable for any debt beyond the stock capital...
that provides university-level education in arctic studies
Arctic studies
Arctic studies may include:*Arctic ecology*Geology*Meteorology*Pedology*Oceanography...
. The universities 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...
, Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
, Tromsø
University of Tromsø
The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...
and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology...
in Trondheim are represented on its board. The centre is known as UNIS and forms part of the University of the Arctic
University of the Arctic
The University of the Arctic is an international cooperative network based in the circumpolar region, consisting of universities, colleges and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the North...
. It is led by a director appointed by the board for a three-year term. The university is the world’s northernmost higher education institution, in Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
at 78º N latitude. The courses offered fall into four main science disciplines: Arctic biology, geology, geophysics and technology.
Organization
The university was established in 1993 in LongyearbyenLongyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
, a town of about 2000 inhabitants on the western coast of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
island. The main idea behind establishing UNIS was that the unique geographic location of the island permits the study of Arctic sciences in situ, right outside the university walls. The university was established with an international spirit – its official language is English, and about half of its 350 students originate from outside Norway (in 2006, foreign students came from 25 countries). The tuition is free of charge and is carried out by 20 full-time professors, 21 assistant professors and 120 guest lecturers. The latter are invited from Norwegian and foreign institutions within various joint research projects. Those projects are also instrumental for the enrollment of master and PhD students – UNIS does not accept its own graduates for those courses and requires potential candidates to present a letter of support from their home institution. One important collaboration is the educational exchange program with Russia. The funding for UNIS is provided by the Norwegian government, research councils and private industry.
Campus and events
The university conducts both teaching and scientific research. Its main campus is the Svalbard science park, which was officially opened by the KingHarald 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...
and the Queen of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
on April 26, 2006. On September 2, 2009, the Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
visited UNIS. Together with the Norwegian Minister of Environment Erik Solheim
Erik Solheim
Erik Solheim is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party . He holds two posts in the current Norwegian cabinet, and carries the title Minister of the Environment and Minister of Development Cooperation...
, Ban Ki-Moon lead a debate on the impact of a melting Arctic on the environment.
Services
Although UNIS has no formal tuition fee, students are required to pay a semester fee of 420 NOKNorwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(about 55 EUR
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
), plus an extra 120 NOK per day of the outdoor courses. These expenses mostly cover food and administrative costs. UNIS has a wireless computer network connected to the Internet. Every room has a free local phone, and there are several international payphones. Every long-term student and staff member has a key to the main UNIS building and can access it 24 hours a day. UNIS has a library, established in 1993, with a significant volume of printed books. A significant part of the library is electronic: the university is subscribed to a number of electronic databases that can be accessed from the library computers. Electronic are also most publications of the university, such as the UNIS Publication Series which report data obtained within the UNIS research projects and graduate courses. UNIS has research laboratories and a 15m long research ship Viking explorer.
Most students at UNIS live in six renovated mining barracks in Nybyen
Nybyen
Nybyen is a small settlement located on the southern outskirts of Longyearbyen, on the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. The name is Norwegian and translates as New Town.-History and features:...
, a settlement on the southern outskirts of Longyearbyen.
Safety and well-being
Visitors and residents are not "permitted" to die in Longyearbyen, as the town's cemetery stopped accepting newcomers in the 1930s. The local authorities try to ensure that deaths do not occur in the region. Any seriously ill person is transported by ship or airplane to another part of Norway. The nearest regional hospital is located in TromsøTromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
a two-hour flight away. This decision stems from the finding made in 1930s that buried bodies do not decompose in the cold climate of the island. Recent scientific examination of one body revealed a well-preserved influenza virus, which was the cause of a number of deaths on the island in 1917.
Polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s are abundant in the area and are a threat to human life. As a result local citizens often carry rifles, and every UNIS student and member of staff spends their first day learning how to use a rifle to defend themselves against bears.
Because UNIS activities include field work carried out on boats, snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s or on foot in a harsh environment, all new students and staff members are required to present a self-declaration confirming that they are in good health.