The Norway Scholarship is a scholarship to the University of Oxford that is awarded in Norway. Norway Scholars receive funding for one or two years of study and research at Oxford University, and the scholar always becomes a member of Wadham College.
The first Norway Scholarship was awarded in 1920. Since then, one Norway Scholar has been selected annually, except for a few periods, such as during the Second World War. The scholarship is highly competitive, and is awarded to a current student, or recent graduate of Oslo University. Past Norway Scholars have included Nordahl Grieg, Peter A. Munch and Harald Sverdrup.
History The idea for a scholarship fund enabling students from Royal Frederik University, (now University of Oslo) to study for one year at Wadham College in Oxford was conceived in 1919 by a young alumnus of the college, who during the war years 1914–18 had held the post of British vice-consul at Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. Arthur Ivor Garland Jayne (1882-1958) was a son of Francis Jayne (1845–1921) Lord Bishop of Chester. Arthur Jayne had married Fredrikke Marie Cathrine von Munthe af Morgenstierne, daughter of Professor Bredo Henrik von Munthe af Morgenstierne (1851–1930), Rector of the University of Oslo (1912–1918). As with famous Polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, he gave NOK 5000.- towards the establishment of a Norwegian Oxford Scholarship Fund. Altogether Jayne succeeded in raising NOK. 60 000.- or approximately GBP 2780. Jayne spent his later life as a lecturer in English at the University of Oslo.
Arthur Jayne retrospectively explained his initiative in a letter dated 14. October 1945 to Professor Didrik Arup Seip (1884–1963), then Rector of Oslo University, in the following words:
At the time of the first world war – - – a considerable amount of ‘Allied’ propaganda material, sent to Norway and intended to inform Norwegian opinion about the war, proved ill-adapted to enlist the understanding sympathy of those who had previously had cultural or business contacts with the nations in conflict with the Allies. The experience seemed to indicate the great importance of any educational facilities which would bring the youth of Norway and Britain into really close association with each other. It struck me that one useful step in that direction could be some permanent arrangement which would enable Norwegian students to participate in the typically English form of university life that exists in the college system of Oxford and Cambridge. Without actual residence in a college this is impossible. But whereas foreign students have been able to attend courses at English universities, it has always been very difficult for them to obtain permission to reside at a college, sharing to the full all that the college environment can offer.
From 1920, with the exception of the years 1926–27 and the war years 1940–44, Norwegian students were awarded the Norway Scholarship for studies of the most varied description. However, as the basic funding of the scholarship proved inadequate, the scholars soon became dependent on supplementary grants from other university funds, but from the late 1970s even this arrangement proved inadequate to meet rising costs. For some years no scholars were appointed at all. The basic foundation capital had by then shrunk to only NOK. 130 000.- (about GBP 6500.- at the current rate of exchange).
In the late 1970s Alf Bøe (Wadham. 1952) as head of the Committee, called on Andor Birkeland (Wadham. 1946) of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, accountant Sven Guldberg (Wadham. 1937) and former Minister for Culture Helge Sivertsen (Wadham. 1938). With the help of the College and of William Bentley, British Ambassador to Norway, they were able to raise NOK 1 170 000 (around GBP 117 000). In the 1990s Bøe formed a new committee consisting of Michael Benskin (St. Peter's. 1965), Haakon Melander (Balliol. 1966) and Erik Rudeng (Norway scholar. 1969). Iver B. Neumann (Norway Scholar. 1988) was recruited in 1993. When Bøe retired in 2003, Neumann took over as chair. Bjørn Blindheim (Norway Scholar. 1992) and Neumann formed a Norwegian chapter of the Oxford Society, with Blindheim as chair. Since 1981 the Committee has organised an annual dinner with a guest of honour from Oxford University, who has also given one or more lectures locally in Oslo. King Harald V of Norway (Balliol College.1960) often participates at the grand dinner of Norway Scholars that is held each year in Oslo by the Oxford University Society Norway.
Past Norway Scholars Year Scholar Degree subject1920 G. Astrup-Hoel Law1921 Bjarne Hamre English1922 Christian Lasson Brun Economics1923 Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg English History and Literature1924 Erling Groth Languages and Social-Economic Studies1925 Hallvard Langeland Maritime Law1926–1927 No award given 1928 Halfdan Olaus Christophersen Dissertation work on the 18th century Danish-Norwegian philosopher Ludvig Holberg and his relations to the philosophy of John Locke1929 Paul Quale Audit studies1930 Georg E. Pettersen Philology1931 Christian Brinch Languages, Literature and Finance1932 Trygve Leivestad Old English Law1933 Peter A. Munch Studies in the Old Testament1934 Arne Grieg Medicine1935 Fredrik Christian Stoud Platou Law1936 Kåre Birkelund English Language and Literature1937 Sven Dalhoff Guldberg Social economy (part of an Audit studies examination), and British Culture1938 Helge Sivertsen English History, Politics and International Relations1939 Harald Brinchmann Studies in English1940–1944 No scholarships awarded during the War 1945 Just Faaland Audit studies1946 Andor Birkeland Modern English social history1947 Arne Aasgaard Modern English social history1948 Harald Ulrik Sverdrup 1949 Per Fuglum 1950 Jan Fredrik Marstrander English Literature1951 Jan Fredrik Marstrander English Literature1952 Alf Bøe B.Litt. on Theories of Victorian design1953 Alf Bøe B.Litt. on Theories of Victorian design1954 Ivar Johnsen History of Literature1955 Leif Mevik 1956 Magne Malmanger Early 19th century English landscape painting1957 Tor Neumann Russian, and comparative studies in English and German literature1958 Knut Nordli English language1959 Hjalte Lymann English law, particularly maritime law1960 Lars Jacob Krogh English language and literature1961 No award given1962 Jørgensen, Nils-Johan 1963 No award given1964 Dag Christopher Wold 1965 Jostein Stokkeland Studies for Thesis, Cand.Philol. on subjects English and William Tyndale.1966 Tryggve Gjesdal B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics1967 John Arthur Jayne Skard Independent studies in Physics 1968 Jon Haakstad English Literature1969 Erik Rudeng B.A. in Modern History1970 Erik Rudeng1971 Ulf Andenæs 1972 Frode Haverkamp Diploma in History of Art1973–1975 No award given1976 Jon M. S. Haarberg Classical Philology1977 No award given1978 Trond B. Hansen English Literature1979 No award given1981 & 1982 Widar Halén Studies for D.Phil. on Victorian designer Christopher Dresser1983 Sverre Rustad English Literature1984 Pål Foss Industrial Relations1985 No scholar1986 Martin Hoftun Studies for a D.Phil. on the history of Nepal1987 No award given 1988 Iver B. Neumann International Relations, M.Phil. 19891989 Kirsti Kvaløy D.Phil. in Biochemistry (Genetics)1990 Alexandra Bech International Law1991 Nils A. Nissen English Literature1992 Bjørn Blindheim Economics1993 Jonas Jølle Greek1994 Haakon Skaaner Theoretical chemistry, quantum mechanics1995 Kristin Joachimsen Studies in the Prophet Jesaiah1996 Grete Synnøve Foss Analysis of amoloid light chagin protein (AL-protein) isolated from the spleen of the patient1997 Ole-Reinert Abildsnes History of Ideas and of Literature1998 Anne Hammerstad Studies for D.Phil. in International Relations1999 Røttingen, Jon Arne Studies at Department of Zoology, Mcc Course in Epidemiology, Evolution and Control2000 Nilsen, André Industrial Relations2001 No award given2002 Otterholt, Tor Studies for M.Phil in Russian and East European studies.2003 Abid Q. Raja Law2004–2005 No award given 2006 Guri Rosén Studies for MSc in Sociology 2007 No award given 2008 Sara Shah Medicine2009 Kristian Alfsnes Medicine2010 Bedeho Mender D.Phil. in Computational Neuroscience2011 Knut Aukland MSt in Oriental Studies2012 Bjørnar Sverdrup-Thygeson MSc in Modern Chinese Studies2013 Mats Julius Stensrud Wadham College Gazette 2013 MSc in Applied Statistics (in Medicine)2014 Louisa Layne Wadham College Gazette 2014 DPhil English Literature2015 Jan Henrik Wiik; Kjølv Egeland Wadham College Gazette 2015 MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science; DPhil in International Relations2016 Julia Kristine Kotthaus Wadham College Gazette 2016 DPhil in Archaeology2017 No award given2018 No award given2019 Simen Olav Njaa Sopp DPhil in Materials2020Dennis Christensen; Peder SkjelbredMSc Mathematical Sciences; BPhil Philosophy2021 No award given 2022 No award given 2023Lene Anika GöddeDPhil Chemistry2024Mia Dobbing; Edvard SyseDPhil Oncology; MSt History2025Mads Prøitz DPhil Classical Archaeology
References
External links Oxford University Society Norway