University Centre In Svalbard
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The University Centre in Svalbard ( no, Universitetssenteret på Svalbard AS; UNIS) is a
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
state-owned
limited company In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...
that is involved in research and provides some higher education in
Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
studies. The company is wholly owned by the Ministry of Education and Research, and the universities of
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
,
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
,
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
, NTNU and NMBU appoint the board of directors. It is led by a director appointed by the board for a four-year term. The centre is the world’s northernmost research and higher education institution, in Longyearbyen at 78° N latitude. The courses offered fall into five main science disciplines: Arctic biology, Arctic geology, Arctic geophysics, Arctic technology and Arctic safety.


Organization

The centre was established in 1993 in Longyearbyen, a town of 2,100 inhabitants on the western coast of
Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norw ...
island. Despite its name, it is not a university (a status that can only be conferred by the government under certain conditions to larger institutions), but a state owned enterprise involved in research and some university-level education. The main idea behind establishing UNIS was that the unique geographic location of the island permits the study of Arctic sciences
in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...
, right outside the company walls. Its official language is Norwegian, but English is used in all tuition and 68% of its 690 students originate from outside Norway (in 2015, foreign students came from 43 countries).Annual Reports
unis.no
Of the international students, the largest groups were from Nordic countries outside Norway (12%), Germany (11%), the Netherlands (9%), the United Kingdom (6%), and Russia (6%). The tuition is free of charge and is carried out by 27 full-time professors, 43 adjunct professors and 160 guest lecturers. The latter are invited from Norwegian and foreign institutions within various joint research projects.
unis.no
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 company conducts both teaching and scientific research. The original UNIS building opened in 1995. The new Svalbard Science Centre, designed by Jarmund/Vigsnæs architects, was officially opened on April 26, 2006 by the
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and the
Queen of Norway The list of Norwegian monarchs ( no, kongerekken or ''kongerekka'') begins in 872: the traditional dating of the Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which victorious King Harald Fairhair merged several petty kingdoms into that of his father. Named after ...
. On September 2, 2009, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
,
Ban Ki-Moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
visited UNIS. Together with the Norwegian Minister of Environment
Erik Solheim Erik Solheim (born 18 January 1955) is a Norwegian diplomat and former politician. He served in the Norwegian government from 2005 to 2012 as Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment, and as Under-Secretary-General of ...
, Ban Ki-Moon led a debate on the impact of a melting Arctic on the environment. The Norwegian Polar Institute, the Svalbard Museum, and the Svalbard Science Forum share the building.


Services

Although UNIS has no formal tuition fee, students are required to pay a semester fee of 580
NOK Nok is a village in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site. Archaeology The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, of which these ...
(about 65
EUR The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens ...
). For overnight scientific cruises, fieldwork and excursions, students must pay a daily rate of NOK 200 for food. UNIS has a library, established in 1993. A significant part of the library is electronic: the company is subscribed to a number of electronic databases that can be accessed from the library computers. UNIS has several research laboratories and a 15 m long research ship ''Viking explorer''. Most students at UNIS live in five renovated mining barracks in Nybyen (4,150 NOK), a settlement on the southern outskirts of Longyearbyen (30–40 minutes by foot). From September 2014, some students live in the newly built campus Sjøskrenten (4,500–4,600 NOK), which is a 2-minute walk from UNIS. Both campuses are owned and administered by th
Arctic Student Welfare Organization
in Tromsø.


Safety and well-being

There is a small hospital and a dentist in Longyearbyen, and a search and rescue team led by the
Governor of Svalbard The governor of Svalbard ( no, Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen). The position reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, but it mai ...
. Any seriously ill person is transported by airplane to mainland Norway. The nearest regional hospital is located in
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
, a two-hour flight away. Polar bears are abundant in the area and are a potential 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 fieldwork carried out on boats,
snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...
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.


Student life

There are various self-organized student groups at UNIS. Many change each semester according to students' areas of interest, whereas some are fixtures. The UNIS student council is elected once per semester and represents the students' interests at university meetings and towards outside parties. Students are able to rent outdoor equipment, such as skiing or camping gear, from the student equipment group, which is also self-organized by students who are into outdoor pursuits. Due to nature being easily accessed in the Arctic, outdoor sports and hiking are popular recreational activities for many students.


See also

*
List of northernmost items This is a list of various northernmost things on earth. Cities and settlements Geography Nature Wild animals Plants These lists only contain naturally occurring plants and trees, excluding individuals planted by humans. General ...


References


External links


University Centre in Svalbard
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Centre In Svalbard Research institutes in Norway Longyearbyen Education in Svalbard Science and technology in Svalbard 1993 establishments in Norway Organisations based in Longyearbyen