The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet; Northern Sami: Romssa universitehta – Norgga árktalaš universitehta) is a state university in Norway and the world's northernmost university.[3] Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established by an act of parliament in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of ten universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in Northern Norway and the sixth-largest university in Norway.[4] The university's location makes it a natural venue for the development of studies of the region's natural environment, culture, and society.

University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway
UiT – Norges arktiske universitet
UiT – Noregs arktiske universitet
UiT – Norgga árktalaš universitehta
Seal of the University of Tromsø
Motto
Drivkraft i nord
Motto in English
Driving force in the North
TypePublic University
Established1968
ChairMarianne Elisabeth Johnsen
RectorDag Rune Olsen
Total staff
3776 (2021)[1]
Students17,808 (2021)[2]
Location,
CampusMultiple sites
AffiliationsEUA, UArctic, YERUN, EUGLOH
Websitewww.uit.no

The main focus of the university's activities is on auroral light research, space science, fishery science, biotechnology, linguistics, multicultural societies, Saami culture, telemedicine, epidemiology and a wide spectrum of Arctic research projects. The close vicinity of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Polar Environmental Centre[5] gives Tromsø added weight and importance as an international centre for Arctic research. Research activities, however, are not limited to Arctic studies. The university researchers work within a broad range of subjects and are recognised both nationally and internationally.

History

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Mergers

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On 1 January 2009, the University of Tromsø merged with Tromsø University College. The college's teacher education department (the descendant of the Tromsø Seminarium first established in 1848) became part of the university's department of education and pedagogy. On 1 August 2013, the university merged with Finnmark University College to form Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet (The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway), thereby adding campuses in Alta, Hammerfest, and Kirkenes.[6] On 1 January 2016, Narvik University College and Harstad University College merged with UiT - The Arctic University of Norway. As of September 2024 the university has eleven campus locations in northern Norway, the main campus being Tromsø.

Spy case in 2022

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In October 2022 a guest researcher at UiT was arrested by the Norwegian Police Security Service and charged with espionage against Norway. The researcher posed as a Brazilian researcher named José Assis Giammaria, but later revealed that he is a Russian citizen by the name Mikhail Valerijevitsj Mikusjin.

Mikusjin is a suspected illegalist who worked for the Russian intelligence service GRU.[7]

Faculties and other units

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Theoretical Subjects building at Tromsø Campus
 
Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics

The university is primarily divided into six faculties with multiple subordinate departments and several associated centres.[8]

  • Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics
  • Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology
    • Department of Industrial Engineering
    • Department of Building, Energy and Material Technology
    • Department of Automation and Process Engineering
    • Department of Computer Science and Computational Engineering
    • Department of Electrical Engineering
  • Faculty of Health Sciences
    • Department of Medical Biology
    • Department of Community Medicine
    • Department of Clinical Medicine
    • Department of Pharmacy
    • Department of Clinical Dentistry
    • Department of Psychology
    • Department of Health and Care Sciences
    • School of sport sciences
    • Department of Social Education
  • Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education
    • The Barents Institute
    • Centre for Women's and Gender Research
    • Centre for Peace Studies, Tromsø (CPS)
    • Department of Tourism and Northern Studies
    • Centre for Sami Studies
    • Department of Archaeology, History, Religious Studies and Theology
    • Department of Philosophy
    • Department of History and Religious Studies
    • Department of Culture and Literature
    • Department of Education
    • Department of Language and Linguistics
    • Department of Social Sciences
    • Department of Language and Culture
    • Department of Child Welfare and Social Work
  • Faculty of Law
    • Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea
  • The Arctic University Museum of Norway and the Academy of Arts
    • The Arctic University Museum of Norway
    • Conservatory of Music
    • Academy of Arts
  • Faculty of Science and Technology
    • Department of Chemistry
    • Department of Computer Science
    • Department of Geosciences
    • Department of Mathematics and Statistics
    • Department of Physics and Technology
    • Department of Technology and Safety
      • Tromsø School of Aviation
    • Lie-Størmer Center for fundamental structures in computational and pure mathematics
  • The University Library

Rankings and reputation

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University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World[9]601–700 (2023)
QS World[10]=577 (2024)
THE World[11]501–600 (2024)
USNWR Global[12]=475 (2023)

Buildings & architecture

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Campus Tromsø

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University Campus Brevika in Tromsø consists of total 34 buildings and objects.

  • Administration building, 1989 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
  • Arctic Biology building, 1993 (Arkitektkontoret Amundsen AS)
  • Ardna
  • Breivang building, 1951 / renovated 2016 (Arkitektkontoret Amundsen AS)
  • Breivika III, 1983 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS / Borealis Arkitekter AS)
  • Exact Sciences (Realfag) building, 1978 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor)
  • Lower and Upper Gazebo buildings (Nedre og Øvre Lysthus), 1991 (Blå strek arkitekter AS)
  • Medical and Health Faculty building, 1991 (Borealis Arkitekter AS & John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
  • Museum Botanical Unit (Kvaløyvegen 30), built in 1952 as aquarium (Reidar Kolstrand), taken by museum in 1959, converted to Marine biology station in 1982 (Eigill Hallset), rebuilt and restored in 1999.
  • Natural Sciences (Naturfag) building, 1974, extended 1988, restored and rebuilt 2003 (A2-arkitektkontor AS, by architect MNAL Øyvind Ragde, Aall & Løkeland AS Redevelopment: Paul Pincus, Borealis AS)
  • Norwegian College of Fishery Science, 1994 (Steinsvik Arkitektkontor AS)
  • Northern Lights Observatory, 1971 (Terje Jacobsen & Eigill Hallset)
    • Northern Lights Planetarium / Science Centre of Northern Norway, 1989 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
  • Operations Centre, 1985 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS)
  • Pharmacy Building, 1998 (Borealis Arkitekter AS)
  • Polar Museum
  • Theoretical Subjects (Teorifag) building, Houses 1-6, 2004 (Telje-Torp-Aasen Arkitektkontor AS)
  • Tromsø University Museum, 1961 (Blakstad & Munthe-Kaas Arkitektkontor, Oslo)
  • University Library, 1981 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS in cooperation with Ark. MNAL Leif Olav Moen)

Honorary doctors

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received an honorary doctorate at the University of Tromsø in 2011 for having secured an agreement on the dividing line in the Barents Sea but lost his status after 28 February 2022 due to a board decision related to his co-responsibility for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14][15]

Notable faculty

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Notable alumni

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The ravens in the university's logo are Huginn and Muninn. In Norse mythology, Hugin and Munin travel the world for Odin, bringing him news and information. Huginn represents thought and Muninn memory. Ravens are an early Norse symbol, used, for example, on the raven banner.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Database for statistikk om høyere utdanning - DBH". dbh.hkdir.no. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  2. ^ "Database for statistikk om høyere utdanning - DBH". dbh.hkdir.no. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  3. ^ About UIT UiT - The Arctic University of Norway. September 22, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2020
  4. ^ The largest study locations in Norway Statistics Norway. March 23, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2020
  5. ^ Polar Environmental Centre Archived 2005-12-11 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Offisielt fra statsråd 15. Februar 2013 - regjeringen.no". www.regjeringen.no. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. ^ Skeie, Torgeir. "PST ferdig med etterforskning av spionsiktet gjesteforsker på UiT" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  8. ^ UiT Faculties and units
  9. ^ "ARWU World University Rankings 2023". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  10. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2024". topuniversities.com. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  11. ^ "World University Rankings". timeshighereducation.com. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  12. ^ "U.S. News Education: Best Global Universities 2022-23". Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ^ Thuen, Trond (2010). "Robert Paine (1926-2010)". Acta Borealia. 27 (2): 237–238. doi:10.1080/08003831.2010.527540.
  14. ^ "Universitetet i Tromsø fratok Sergei Lavrov æresdoktoratet".
  15. ^ "Honorary Doctoral Degrees".
  16. ^ "Nekrologer". Aftenposten. 2012-06-13. p. 15.
  17. ^ Beau Riffenburgh (2007). Encyclopedia of the Antarctic. Taylor & Francis. pp. 1095–1096. ISBN 978-0-415-97024-2.
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69°40′49.84″N 18°58′23.28″E / 69.6805111°N 18.9731333°E / 69.6805111; 18.9731333

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