Dear friends, alumni, partners and ambassadors of the International Summer School, thank you for your contribution and support during 2019.
As 2019 draws to an end, the ISS application portal has been opened and we are already receiving applications for the 2020 summer session. This means that the new year brings with it the promise of yet another summer school we can look forward to in a few months.
I will also be excited to welcome our Norwegian language students in January, when we will be receiving many new students as well as seeing many of our current students successfully progressing to the next language level. I wish them a fun and challenging spring semester with us.
For the 2020 summer session we will, as always, consciously work to provide the most diverse student body possible. It is our students that are the Summer School’s most valuable asset.
The scholarships provided by the ISS are an important means of ensuring a diverse student body that spans differences in terms of countries, cultures, backgrounds and perspectives. During recent years, we have also started to offer a limited number of scholarships every summer to program students at the University of Oslo. This initiative was inspired by a desire to increase the academic and cultural exchange between our students travelling from abroad and those residing in Norway, for the mutual benefit of both. It also serves to increase international experiences at the University of Oslo more generally – a trend we hope to see expand as we extend this scholarship initiative for the 2020 session. We thank the UiO and our many partners who contribute toward the ISS scholarship fund.
At the threshold of a new year, I rejoice in the work of the ISS and in our diverse student body. At a time when more than ever our world needs international cooperation and peacebuilding efforts, our international classrooms represent meeting points and arenas to foster dialogue as well as the possibility of engaging one another on equal terms. Not only do our students partake in constructive discussions and learn from one another; they also create new friendships and bonds!
Therefore, my heartfelt appreciation to our students, alumni, faculty, staff and partners for being part of The International Summer School community and contributing to its continued success.
The Season’s Greetings and a very Happy New Year to you all!