University of Oslo

University of Oslo
Universitetet i Oslo

Latin: Universitas Osloensis
Established	1811
Type	Public university
Rector	Professor Geir Ellingsrud (2006-2009)
Staff	4,600
Students	approx. 30,000
Location	Oslo, Norway
Affiliations	EUA
Website	www.uio.no

The University of Oslo (Norwegian: Universitetet i Oslo, Latin: Universitas Osloensis) was founded in 1811 as Universitas Regia Fredericiana (the Royal Frederick University, in Norwegian Det Kongelige Frederiks Universitet). It was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin, and originally named after King Frederick of Denmark and Norway. It received its current name in 1939. The university currently has about 30,000 students and employs about 4,600 people. It is the largest and oldest university in Norway, situated in the country's capital city, as well as one of the leading universities of Scandinavia. Its faculty of humanities was ranked as the best in Scandinavia, the 5th best in Europe and the 16th best in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement. In 2006, the university was ranked as the 12th best in Europe.

The university has faculties of (Lutheran) Theology, Law, Medicine, Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Dentistry, Social Sciences, and Education. The Faculty of Law is still located at the old campus on Karl Johans gate (Oslo's central pedestrian street), near the National Theatre, the Royal Palace, and the Parliament, while most of the other faculties are located at a modern campus area called Blindern, erected from the 1930s. Professor Geir Ellingsrud was in 2005 elected rector for the period 2006-2009.

Until the founding of the University in 1811, the University of Copenhagen was the only university of Denmark-Norway. After the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union in 1814, close academic ties between the countries have been maintained.

Units

King Frederick of Denmark and Norway was the founder of the university

Central campus of the university, where today only the faculty of law is located. These buildings were inspired by the famous buildings of Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel in Berlin.

The new library building at the Blindern campus, houses the Library of Arts and Social Sciences.

Faculty of Theology

Faculty of Law

• Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL) [1]
• Department of Criminology and the Sociology of Law [2]
• Department of Private Law [3]
• Department of Public and International Law [4]
• Section for Information Technology and Administrative Systems (SITAS) [5]
• Nordic Institute of Maritime Law [6]
• Centre for European Law [7]
• Norwegian Centre for Human Rights [8]

Faculty of Medicine

• Institute of Basic Medical Sciences
• Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine
• Institute of Psychiatry
• Psychosocial Centre for refugees
• Institute of Health Management and Health Economics
• Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences
• Faculty Division Aker University Hospital
• Faculty Division Akershus University Hospital
• Faculty Division Rikshospitalet
• Faculty Division Ullevaal University Hospital
• Faculty Division The Norwegian Radium Hospital
• The Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience

Faculty of Humanities

• Department of Archaeology, Conservation and Historical Studies [9]
• Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages [10]
• Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas [11]
• Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages [12]
• Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies [13]
• Department of Media and Communication [14]
• Department of Musicology [15]
• Unit for Digital Documentation [[16]]
• The Ibsen Centre [17]
• Centre for Viking and Medieval Studies [18]
• The Norwegian Institute in St. Petersburg [19]
• The Norwegian Institute in Rome [20]
• Norwegian Centre for Research Cooperation with France

Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

• Department of Biology [21]
• Department of Molecular Biosciences [22]
• School of Pharmacy [23]
• Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics [24]
• Department of Physics [25]
• Department of Informatics [26]
• Department of Geosciences [27]
• Department of Biochemistry [28]
• Department of Chemistry [29]
• Department of Mathematics [30]
• Physics of Geological Processes [31]
• Centre of Mathematics and Applications [32]
• Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis [33]
• Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology [34]
• Centre for Entrepreneurship [35]

Faculty of Dentistry

• Department of Oral Biology
• Institute of Clinical Dentistry

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Department of Sociology and Human Geography [36]
• Department of Political Science [37]
• Department of Psychology [38]
• Department of Social Anthropology [39]
• Department of Economics [40]
• Centre for technology, innovation and culture [41]
• ARENA - Centre for European studies [42]

Faculty of Education

• Department of Teacher Education and School Development
• Department of Special Needs Education
• Institute for Educational Research
• The Autism Unit
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in New Media and Communication Technology

University Library

• Library of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Library of Arts and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Law Library
• Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Library

Units directly under The Senate

• The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo
• Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research
• Centre for Development and the Environment
• International Summer School

Museums

Museum of Cultural History

• The Historical Museum
• Collection of Coins and Medals
• Ethnographic Museum
• The Viking Ship Museum

Natural History Museum

• Mineralogical-geological Museum
• Paleontological Museum
• Zoological Museum
• Botanical Garden
• Botanical Museum

People

Nobel laureates

Five researchers at the University of Oslo have been rewarded with Nobel Prizes:

• Fridtjof Nansen - 1922 - Peace (Although it was not Nansen's scientific work that earned him the prize.)
• Ragnar Frisch - 1969 - Economics
• Odd Hassel - 1969 - Chemistry
• Ivar Giæver - 1973 - Physics
• Trygve Haavelmo - 1989 - Economics

Student life

The university charges only a symbolic tuition fee of 500 NOK for its Norwegian students. Students are also required to pay a fee to the student welfare organisation Studentsamskipnaden i Oslo, to subsidise kindergartens, health services, housing and cultural initiatives. The student body maintains the weekly newspaper Universitas and the radio station Radio Nova.

External links

• The University of Oslo website
  • A brief history in English of the University of Oslo
• The Foundation for Student Life in Oslo (Studentsamskipnaden)
• Universitas (student newspaper)
  • Universitas in English

• Radio Nova (student radio)

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