University of Oslo

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University of Oslo (The Royal Frederick University)
Universitetet i Oslo (Det Kongelige Frederiks Universitet)

Latin: Universitas Osloensis (Universitas Regia Fredericiana)
Established:	1811
Type:	Public university
Rector:	Professor Geir Ellingsrud (2006-2009)
Staff:	4,600 (2007)
Students:	32,000 (2007)
Location:	Oslo, Norway
Campus:	Urban
Affiliations:	EUA
Website:	www.uio.no

The University of Oslo (Norwegian: Universitetet i Oslo, Latin: Universitas Osloensis) is the oldest, largest and most prestigious university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

It was founded in 1811 as The Royal Frederick University (in Norwegian Det Kongelige Frederiks Universitet and in Latin Universitas Regia Fredericiana). The university was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin, and originally named after King Frederick of Denmark and Norway. It received its current name in 1939.

The university has faculties of (Lutheran) Theology, Law, Medicine, Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Dentistry, Social Sciences, and Education. The Faculty of Law is still located at the old campus on Karl Johans gate (Oslo's central pedestrian street), near the National Theatre, the Royal Palace, and the Parliament, while most of the other faculties are located at a modern campus area called Blindern, erected from the 1930s.

Currently the university has about 32,000 students and employs about 4,600 people. It is considered one of the leading universities of Scandinavia. In 2007 the University of Oslo was ranked as the best university in Norway, the 19th best in Europe and 69th best in the world^[1]. Also, in 2005 its faculty of humanities was ranked as the best in the Nordic countries, the 5th best in Europe and the 16th best in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement^[2].

Until the founding of the University in 1811, the University of Copenhagen was the only university of Denmark-Norway. After the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union in 1814, close academic ties between the countries have been maintained. The University of Oslo was the only university in Norway until 1946.

[edit] Units

King Frederick of Denmark and Norway was the founder of the university

[edit] Faculty of Theology

[edit] Faculty of Law

Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL) [1]
Department of Criminology and the Sociology of Law [2]
Department of Private Law [3]
Department of Public and International Law [4]
Section for Information Technology and Administrative Systems (SITAS) [5]
Nordic Institute of Maritime Law [6]
Centre for European Law [7]
Norwegian Centre for Human Rights [8]

The Faculty of Law

Central campus of the university, where today only the faculty of law is located. These buildings were inspired by the famous buildings of Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel in Berlin.

The new library building at the Blindern campus, houses the Library of Arts and Social Sciences.

[edit] Faculty of Medicine

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine
Institute of Psychiatry
Psychosocial Centre for refugees
Institute of Health Management and Health Economics
Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences
Faculty Division Aker University Hospital
Faculty Division Akershus University Hospital
Faculty Division Rikshospitalet
Faculty Division Ullevaal University Hospital
Faculty Division The Norwegian Radium Hospital
The Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience

[edit] Faculty of Humanities

Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History [9]
Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages [10]
Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas [11]
Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages [12]
Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies [13]
Department of Media and Communication [14]
Department of Musicology [15]
Unit for Digital Documentation [16]
The Ibsen Centre [17]
Centre for Viking and Medieval Studies [18]
The Norwegian Institute in St. Petersburg [19]
The Norwegian Institute in Rome [20]
Norwegian Centre for Research Cooperation with France

[edit] Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Department of Biology [21]
Department of Molecular Biosciences [22]
School of Pharmacy [23]
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics [24]
Department of Physics [25]
Department of Informatics [26]
Department of Geosciences [27]
Department of Chemistry [28]
Department of Mathematics [29]
Physics of Geological Processes [30]
Centre of Mathematics for Applications [31]
Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis [32]
Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology [33]
Centre for Entrepreneurship [34]

[edit] Faculty of Dentistry

Department of Oral Biology
Institute of Clinical Dentistry

[edit] Faculty of Social Sciences

Department of Sociology and Human Geography [35]
Department of Political Science [36]
Department of Psychology [37]
Department of Social Anthropology [38]
Department of Economics [39]
Centre for technology, innovation and culture [40]
ARENA - Centre for European studies [41]

[edit] Faculty of Education

Department of Teacher Education and School Development
Department of Special Needs Education
Institute for Educational Research
The Autism Unit
Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in New Media and Communication Technology

[edit] University Library

Library of Medicine and Health Sciences
Library of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Law Library
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Library

[edit] Units directly under The Senate

The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo
Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research
Centre for Development and the Environment
International Summer School[42]

Oslo's central pedestrian street, the Karl Johans gate, seen from the Domus Media building of the Faculty of Law

[edit] Museums

[edit] Museum of Cultural History

The Historical Museum
Collection of Coins and Medals
Ethnographic Museum
The Viking Ship Museum

[edit] Natural History Museum

Mineralogical-geological Museum
Paleontological Museum
Zoological Museum
Botanical Garden
Botanical Museum

[edit] People

[edit] Rectors

Main article: List of rectors for the University of Oslo

[edit] Nobel laureates

Five researchers at the University of Oslo have been awarded Nobel Prizes:

Fridtjof Nansen - 1922 - Peace (Although it was not Nansen's scientific work that earned him the prize.)
Ragnar Frisch - 1969 - Economics
Odd Hassel - 1969 - Chemistry
Ivar Giæver - 1973 - Physics
Trygve Haavelmo - 1989 - Economics

[edit] Alumni

Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Medicine, 1963^[43]
Svein Gjedrem, Economics, 1975^[44]
Jens Stoltenberg, Economics, 1987^[45]
Geir Lundestad, History

[edit] Student life

Like all public institutions of higher education in Norway, the university does not charge tuition fees However, a small fee of 420 NOK (roughly 80 USD) per term goes to the student welfare organisation Studentsamskipnaden i Oslo, to subsidise kindergartens, health services, housing and cultural initiatives, the weekly newspaper Universitas and the radio station Radio Nova.

[edit] See also

Against Nature?, an exhibit at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum, taking place until August 19, 2007.
Sigmund Mowinckel, one of the world's most notable Psalms scholars. He was educated in the University and then taught there beginning in 1917.