Russian students are crowding to Norway

Liudmila is studying to get a Master of Philosophy at the University of Tromsø. The number of Russian students in Norway has triples since 2003.

- It is very fine to be student in Tromsø. There are many international students and classes in English, explains Liudmila. She started on her Master in Tromsø last fall and will stay until next spring at the classes for Peace and Conflict Transformation.

- I studied international relations at St. Petersburg State University and have been exchange student in Slovakia for one semester. Studying in Norway is great. There are many classes in English language, says Liudmila.

1219 Russian students are taking classes at Universities and University Colleges in Norway. That is 20 percent more than last year, and three times more than ten years ago.

Especially northern Norway is popular among the Russian students. For good reasons; both the university in Bodø and in Tromsø have for years cooperated with Russian universities, and then in topics related to the north. Also the University College in Alta has a Bachelor of Northern Studies which attracts many students from cities like Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.

- I got a scholarship from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund, explains Liudmila. –Norway is expensive, but if you don’t smoke and don’t drink too much it is ok, smiles Liudmila Sorokina.

She says the biggest difference between being a student home in Russia compared with Norway is the relations with the teachers. –In Russia we have a way more vertical structure with larger distance to our lecturers, but still a more fulfilment of one’s duty. Here in Norway you are freer and must have a better self-discipline in your studies, says Liudmila.

The Norwegian Barents Secretariat was the first in Norway to grant support to student exchange between northern Norway and Barents Russia. Norwegian students are especially going to Arkhangelsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow, but are in numbers far less than Russian students travelling to Norway.

Norway’s Foregin Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited the University of Tromsø earlier this week. He tributes the increase of Russian students in northern Norway and says the challenge now is to attract more Norwegians to go to Russia.

- I have together with Norway’s Minister of Research and Higher Education had meetings with the most important communities working with Russia here in Norway, especially scientists. Both of us have a clear focus on how we can increase the interest to study in Russia, says Støre.

Norway and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation within education in April last year.