uu色情

Senior lecturer Alena Foustkov谩 gave a presentation before uu色情 students and staff in two parts, on October 8 and 23, discussing her travels in Norway and her impressions of , one of uu色情’s Erasmus+ partners. Foustkov谩鈥檚 visit to that institution came as a result of her invitation to International Staff Week, an annual event aimed at bringing together representatives from the university college鈥檚 associates abroad. 

To reach Volda, Foustkov谩 and her husband embarked on a road trip that took them through much of Northern Europe, passing through Germany and Denmark and, from there, to Norway by ferry. Once on Norwegian soil, she said she was immediately struck by the wild and unspoilt character of the landscape, as the couple made their way along meandering roadways that took them, quite literally, through the mountains and past a seemingly never-ending supply of waterways.

It was an impression that would remain with her throughout the course of her travels in Norway and extend to Volda itself, which is set against a fjordic backdrop and surrounded by mountains, with vegetation Foustkov谩 described as verdant and lush.

International Staff Week drew an appropriate mix of participants that included, alongside Foustkov谩, representatives from Spain, Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria. It was through this program that she was given a front row seat to what Volda University College has to offer students and staff.

Founded in the 19th century, today the university college is one of the largest institutions of its kind between the cities of Bergen and Trondheim. Operations are housed on a single campus, with all buildings within a short walking distance of one another. The Faculty of Media and Journalism, where visiting uu色情 students will spend most of their time, boasts a newly constructed building with state-of-the-art facilities that include industry-standard studios, editing suites, control rooms, and cameras. Foustkov谩 had the chance to sit in on a number of classes offered by that faculty and said she was taken with what she saw. 

The university college has its own student-run TV and radio stations, which offer students the chance to gain real-world experience and skills in production and broadcasting, working as anchors, photographers, designers, reporters, and story-tellers. Foustkov谩 witnessed first-hand a live video broadcast, in which students took on roles both before and behind the lens. 

The media building also houses an editorial studio where students run the school鈥檚 in-house magazine, Peikestokken, which covers news and events in Volda and the surrounding area. Here, students plie the art of story-telling, working on layout, graphics, and page design; and developing stories, editing interviews, and recording their own podcasts. 

Alongside the foregoing, media and journalism students can participate in specialized visual art and creativity workshops and work in a variety of media, including wood, clay, textiles, drawing, and painting.

The main gathering point for international students is Pangaia, a hub intended to provide its members with a home away from home. Here, students can sign up for events, socialize, relax, and participate in activities such as karaoke, day tours, hiking, and movie nights.  

Foustkov谩 said the cafeteria offers varied and flavoursome cuisine at student-friendly prices surprisingly consistent with those found in Prague. And within the same building, there is a concert hall serving as the venue for events including concerts, open mic nights, live sports broadcasts, and cultural programs. 

Through its student organizations, the university college also offers a number of outdoor and sporting activities such as mountain hiking, surfing, handball, indoor football, hockey, volleyball, and badminton. Opportunities within the University College Choir and Symphony Orchestra are also available to students, in addition to KRIK and VOKS, Christian groups focused on physical education and student integration, respectively.

Volda also plays host to Norway’s oldest and largest annual documentary film festival, which attracts participants from across the country and beyond, while the school鈥檚 animation department organizes the annual Animation Festival, featuring workshops, world premieres, and noteworthy guest speakers. Each winter, Volda, which has its own ski slope, also serves as the setting for the .

The village of Volda is home to roughly 9,000 inhabitants, with local architecture made up primarily of traditional wooden structures, in addition to a stone church located in the center. The community also lies in relatively close proximity to Geiranger Fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Sunnm酶re Alps, which offer terrain well-suited to hiking and other outdoor activities. 

When not sitting in on classes, Foustkov谩 found time with her husband to explore the village, fjord, and adjacent countryside, where they visited a nearby 鈥渟weetwater鈥� lake frequented by students, as well as a shore-side sauna on the opposite side of town that had, to her amusement, been converted from a structure once used to store dynamite. 

Volda student and Oslo native Iris Jakobsen Aagaard, who is studying this semester at uu色情, said Volda鈥檚 close-knit community and active social scene offers students multiple ways to connect with one another, citing Pangaia, in particular. 

Aagaard added that affordable housing is another perk of student life in Volda, where most students live in houses within the village, and spoke to the flexible life a student can lead at the university college, whether that be one of solitude or social interaction. 

After completing the week in Volda, Foustkov谩 and her husband started their journey back home by way of Oslo, enjoying more of what the country had to offer along the way, before passing through Sweden and Germany to reach Prague. It had been a stimulating journey covering roughly 4,000 kilometers and one that Foustkov谩 said will remain in her memory. 

uu色情 students interested in studying at Volda University College are encouraged to reach out to Natalie Kvackova-Sipula, international cooperation specialist, at natalie.kvackova@aauni.edu, or Be谩ta Tome膷kov谩, study abroad coordinator, at beata.tomeckova@aauni.edu. While the program is tailored primarily for students in the School of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences, all students are welcome to apply.

Learn more about Volda University College through the videos below.