Minnesota State Mankato will add a new Scandinavian option to its study abroad offerings when it signs an exchange agreement with Telemark University College of Norway on Thursday, Feb. 8.
The agreement will mean that Minnesota State Mankato students can travel to Norway to take Telemark University College courses that complement several Mankato programs – especially Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Marketing, Scandinavian Studies and Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services. The courses are taught in English.
Students will be able to participate in the exchange program starting later this semester. They will pay Minnesota State Mankato tuition and will receive credit for the courses. Housing and visa support will be provided for all exchange students and faculty.
The agreement also will allow students from Telemark University College to enroll at Minnesota State Mankato. “We anticipate an equal number of incoming and outgoing exchange students,” said Caryn Lindsay, director of the International Programs Office at Minnesota State Mankato.
The University has a history of exchange programs with Scandinavian universities, but this will be the first with a Norwegian institution. “We currently have exchanges with two Finnish and two Swedish universities,” Lindsay said.
A delegation from Telemark University College will visit Mankato on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8 and 9, to finalize legal arrangements and discuss exchange details. Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Scott Olson will sign the agreement on Thursday, Feb. 8.
An informal “meet and greet” session for faculty and staff and Telemark University College delegates will be Friday, Feb. 9, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Heritage Room of Centennial Student Union.
New study abroad course options at Telemark, made possible by the agreement, include Ecophilosophy and Environmental Ethics, Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Nordic Surface Waters, Conservation Biology, Tourism and the Environment, and Peace-Building and Conflict Management. Classes such as skiing and wild water rafting are available for Outdoor Life and Recreation majors.
College of Business students can take Telemark University College classes in Marketing Analysis and Operations Analysis, as well as courses on the interplay between entrepreneurs and society. Scandinavian Studies students may take classes in Norwegian as a Second Language and Scandinavian Culture and History.
Officials of both universities also will explore the possibility of further cooperation in the areas of health care and nursing, teacher education, engineering, and English/ English as a Second Language.
Telemark University College is the fifth largest state university college in Norway. It has four campuses in the county of Telemark, in the picturesque mountains west of Oslo. Its main campus, in Bø, is 90 minutes from Oslo.
The university offers undergraduate and post-graduate studies in a wide range of academic fields, including arts and sciences, teaching, nursing, social work, art, Norwegian folk art, folk music and technology (engineering). Telemark University College’s English website is at http://www.hit.no/english/.
Faculty and staff members who would like to meet with the delegation can arrange a meeting through Lindsay, (507) 389-6669. Those who want more information about the exchange program or the delegation’s visit may contact Lindsay or Maria-Claudia Tomany (Scandinavian Studies).
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