Universitetet i Agder

The University of Agder ( no, Universitetet i Agder), formerly known as Agder College and Agder University College, is a public university with campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad, Norway. The institution was established as a university college (''høgskole'') in 1994 through the merger of the Agder University College and five other colleges, including a technical college and a nursing school, and was granted the status of a full university in 2007.

History

The idea of a university in the Agder region is not completely new. In his short period as ruler of the union of Denmark–Norway, Johann Friedrich Struensee planned on reforming the University of Copenhagen. He gave Bishop Johann Ernst Gunnerus of Trondheim the task of developing more detailed plans. Gunnerus presented a proposal in 1771 in which he suggested establishing a new university in Norway, and placing it in Kristiansand.

The motives for suggesting Kristiansand as a university town have been debated. Regardless, the idea was soon discarded as planning began for the first Norwegian university. In 1811, a resolution was passed to establish Norway's first university in Christiania ( Oslo).

Even without a university in the region, and as the need for better educated employees rose, several smaller colleges were established throughout the Agder region. The first, ''Christiansands Stiftsseminarium på Holt'', later known as Kristiansand Teacher Training College, was founded at Holt, Aust-Agder in 1839, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Norway. It was followed by Arendal College of Nursing (1920), Agder Music Conservatory (1965), Agder Regional College of Technology (1967), Agder Regional College (1969) and Kristiansand College of Nursing (1976).

Agder University College was established by a merger in 1994, when the six public regional colleges in the Agder counties became one institution. The University College received full university accreditation and became the University of Agder on 1 September 2007.

Organisation and administration

UiA has a shared leadership. The rector, who becomes the head of the university board and bears responsibility for the academic programmes and activities, is elected by the faculty, staff, and students. The university director, by contrast, is the head of administration and is responsible for financial and administrative affairs.

Faculties and academia

The University of Agder has six faculties as well as an own unit for teacher education.

School of Business and Law

* Department of Economics and Finance
* Department of Management
* Department of Working Life and Innovation
* Department of Law
The School of Business and Law is a member of the EFMD and AACSB, and is AACSB-accredited for its high-quality education on an international level as of 2019.

Faculty of Social Sciences

* Faculty of Social Sciences (from 1 Jan 2014) (University of Agder)
* Department of Development Studies (Gimlemoe
Development Studies - University of Agder
* Department of Information System
Information Systems - University of Agder
* Department of Political Science and Management (Gimlemoe
Political Science and Management - University of Agder
* Department of Sociology and Social Work (Gimlemoe
Department of Sociology and Social Work

Faculty of Fine Arts

* Department of Music (Gimlemoe
Departments and Fields of Study - University of Agder
* Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts (Gimlemoe
Departments and Fields of Study - University of Agder

Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences

* Department of Public Health, Sport and Nutrition (Gimlemoen/Grimsta
Health and Sport - University of Agder
* Department of Health and Nursing Science (Gimlemoen/Grimsta
Health and Sport - University of Agder
* Department of Psychososial Health (Gimlemoen/Grimsta
Health and Sport - University of Agder

Faculty of Humanities and Education

* Department of Foreign Languages and Translation (Gimlemoen/Grimsta
Department of Foreign Languages and Translation - University of Agder
* Department of Nordic and Media Studies (Gimlemoe
Department of Nordic and Media Studies - University of Agder
* Department of Education (Gimlemoe
Department of Education - University of Agder
* Department of Religion, Philosophy and History (Gimlemoe
Department of Religion, Philosophy and History - University of Agder

Faculty of Engineering and Science

* Department of Mathematical Sciences (Gimlemoe
- Mathematical Sciences - University of Agder
* Department of Natural Sciences (Gimlemoe
- Natural Sciences - University of Agder
* Department of Engineering (Grimsta
- Engineering - University of Agder
* Department of ICT (Grimstad
- ICT - University of Agder

Teacher Education Unit

The teacher training programmes are organized in an interdisciplinary fashio
Teacher Education - University of Agder

Research centres

* Achieving Accountability in School Practic
Achieving accountability in school practice - University of Agder

Center for Artificial Intelligence ResearchCenter for intelligent networks and signal processing
* Centre for Business Systems
* Centre for Care Research
* Centre for Cultural Studies
* Centre for Development Studie
Development Studies - University of Agder
* Centre for Didactics
* Centre for Digital Transformation (CeDiT
CeDiT - Senter for digital transformasjon
* Centre for Entrepreneurship
* Centre for European Studie

* Centre for Gender Equality
* Centre for Innovation and Work Life Studies
* Centre for International Economics and Shippin
International Economics and Shipping - University of Agder
* Centre for Multicultural Activitie
Centre for Multicultural Activities - University of Agder
* Centre for Norwegian Studies Abroa
Centre for Norwegian Studies Abroad - University of Agder
* Centre for Real Estate
* Center for Sustainable Energy Solution
Domenet er parkert - Webhuset
* Norwegian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (NORCOWE

Library

Agder University Research Archive
(AURA) is a full text digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder
The University Library
administrates AURA.

References

External links

University of AgderAURA - Agder University Research Archive

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University of Agder,
Education in Agder
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Buildings and structures in Agder
Buildings and structures in Kristiansand
1994 establishments in Norway
2007 establishments in Norway
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