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The University of Oslo () is the oldest
List of oldest universities in continuous operation

This is a list of the oldest extant universities in the world. To be listed on this page, an educational institution must satisfy the definition of a university at the time of founding; it must have been founded before 1500 or be the oldest university in a region; and it must have been operational without a significant interruption ever sin...
, largest and most prestigious university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 in Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo
Oslo

is the Capital and largest List of cities in Norway in Norway.Metropolitan Oslo or the Greater Oslo Region makes up the third largest urban area in Scandinavia after Metropolitan Stockholm and Metropolitan Copenhagen....
. It is considered the only Norwegian world-class research university.

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
Humboldt University of Berlin

The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities....
, and originally named after King Frederick
Frederick VI of Denmark

Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark from 1808 to 1839, and as king of Norway from 1808 to 1814. He also served as Regent of Denmark from 1784 to 1808 under his father's name, just like his British cousin George IV of the United Kingdom....
 of Denmark and Norway.






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The University of Oslo () is the oldest
List of oldest universities in continuous operation

This is a list of the oldest extant universities in the world. To be listed on this page, an educational institution must satisfy the definition of a university at the time of founding; it must have been founded before 1500 or be the oldest university in a region; and it must have been operational without a significant interruption ever sin...
, largest and most prestigious university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 in Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo
Oslo

is the Capital and largest List of cities in Norway in Norway.Metropolitan Oslo or the Greater Oslo Region makes up the third largest urban area in Scandinavia after Metropolitan Stockholm and Metropolitan Copenhagen....
. It is considered the only Norwegian world-class research university.

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
Humboldt University of Berlin

The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities....
, and originally named after King Frederick
Frederick VI of Denmark

Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark from 1808 to 1839, and as king of Norway from 1808 to 1814. He also served as Regent of Denmark from 1784 to 1808 under his father's name, just like his British cousin George IV of the United Kingdom....
 of Denmark and Norway. It received its current name in 1939.

The university has faculties of (Lutheran
Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century Germans Reformer Martin Luther....
) Theology
Theology

Theology is the study of the existence or attributes of a deity or gods, or more generally the study of religion or spirituality. It is sometimes contrasted with religious studies: theology is understood as the study of religion from an internal perspective , and religious studies as the study of religion from an external perspective....
, Law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
, Medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, Humanities
Humanities

The humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural science and social sciences....
, Mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
 and Natural Sciences
Natural science

In science, the term natural science refers to a methodological naturalism approach to the study of the universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of nature origin....
, Dentistry
Dentistry

Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body....
, Social Sciences
Social sciences

The social sciences comprise academic disciplines concerned with the study of the social life of human groups and individuals including anthropology, communication studies, economics, human geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology....
, and Education
Education

File:Inukshuk Monterrey 1.jpgEducation can be seen as a product or a process and considered in a broad sense or a technical sense. According to philosophy of education George F....
. The Faculty of Law
LAW

LAW may refer to:* Anti-tank warfare, e.g. the US Army M72 LAW or the British Army LAW 80*Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights ...
 is still located at the old campus on Karl Johans gate
Karl Johans gate

Karl Johans gate , named after Charles XIV John of Sweden, is the main street of the city of Oslo. In its current route, it connects the Oslo Sentralstasjon in Oslo and the Royal Palace, Oslo, changing its direction and width halfway between them....
, near the National Theatre
Nationaltheatret

Nationaltheatret is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theater had its first performance on September 1, 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theater, which was founded in 1829....
, the Royal Palace
Royal Palace, Oslo

The Royal Palace in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norway residence of Norwegian and Swedish king Charles XIV of Sweden and is used as the official residence of the present Norwegian Monarch....
, and the Parliament
Storting

The Storting is the Norway Parliament, and is located in the capital city Oslo. It sits in the Storting building which was completed in 1866 and was designed by the Sweden architect Emil Victor Langlet....
, while most of the other faculties are located at a modern campus area called Blindern
Blindern

Blindern is the main campus of the University of Oslo. The others are Oslo, Gaustad, St. Hanshaugen and T?yen. Blindern contains most of the university departments, with the exception of some facilities for Law school and Medical school....
, erected from the 1930s. The Faculty of Medicine is split between several university hospitals in the Oslo area.

Currently the university has about 25,000 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 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities

The Academic Ranking of World Universities is compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University?s Institute of Higher Education and includes major institutes of higher education ranked according to a formula that took into account alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals , staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals , ?highly-cited researchers...
. Also, in 2005 its faculty of humanities was ranked as the best in the Nordic countries
Nordic countries

File:Location Nordic Council.svgThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and far northeastern North America, called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and ?land....
, the 5th best in Europe and the 16th best in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement. In 2008, the university was ranked as the 177th best by Times, with the Faculty of Social Sciences ranked the 104th best in the world.

Until the founding of the University in 1811, the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen

The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, a majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees....
 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, and hence informally often known as simply "The University".

The University of Oslo is home to five Nobel Prize winners, with one of the Nobel Prizes (the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. According to Nobel's will , the Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for :wikt:fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the h...
) itself being awarded in the city of Oslo, close to the Faculty of Law.

Units

Fiedrichvidenmark

Faculty of Theology


Faculty of Law

  • Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law
    Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law

    Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law at the University of Oslo is the second-oldest academic institution in the world working specifically with the interrelationship of law and information / communication technology. ...
     (NRCCL)
  • Department of Criminology and the Sociology of Law
  • Department of Private Law
  • Department of Public and International Law
  • Section for Information Technology and Administrative Systems (SITAS)
  • Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law
  • Centre for European Law
  • Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
Universitetet I Oslo Sentrum
Uio 004

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
    Rikshospitalet

    Rikshospitalet is located in Oslo, Norway, and was founded 1826. It is a highly specialized university hospital with special assignments in research and the development of new methods of treatment....
  • Faculty Division Ullevaal University Hospital
  • Faculty Division The Norwegian Radium Hospital
    Radiumhospitalet

    The Norwegian Radium Hospital is a hospital in Oslo, Norway dedicated to cancer treatment. It is the largest cancer centre in Northern Europe, with 400 beds and around 2,000 employees....
  • The Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience


Faculty of Humanities

  • Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History
  • Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages
  • Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas
  • Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages
  • Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies
  • Department of Media and Communication
  • Department of Musicology
  • Unit for Digital Documentation
  • Centre for Ibsen Studies
  • Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature
  • The Norwegian University Centre in St. Petersburg
  • The Norwegian Institute in Rome
  • Centre for French-Norwegian research cooperation within the social sciences and the humanities


Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

  • Department of Biology
  • Department of Molecular Biosciences
  • School of Pharmacy
  • Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics
  • Department of Physics
  • Department of Informatics
  • Department of Geosciences
  • Department of Chemistry
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Physics of Geological Processes
  • Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
    Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

    The Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry was founded by the Norwegian Research Council in 2007. The duration of the project is ten years....
  • Centre of Mathematics for Applications
  • Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis
  • Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology
  • Centre for Entrepreneurship


Faculty of Dentistry

  • Department of Oral Biology
  • Institute of Clinical Dentistry


Faculty of Social Sciences

  • Department of Sociology and Human Geography
  • Department of Political Science
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Social Anthropology
  • Department of Economics
  • Centre for technology, innovation and culture
  • ARENA - Centre for European studies


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


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


Units directly under The Senate

  • The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo
  • Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research
  • Centre for Development and the Environment
    Centre for Development and the Environment

    The Centre for Development and the Environment is a research institute affliated with the University of Oslo....
  • International Summer School

Museums


Museum of Cultural History

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


Natural History Museum

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


People


Rectors


Nobel laureates

Five researchers at the University of Oslo have been awarded Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize , established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize in Literature, and Nobel Peace Prize in 1901....
s:
  • Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Nansen

    Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norway explorer, scientist and diplomat. Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his work as a League of Nations High Commissioner....
     - 1922 - Peace
    Peace

    Peace is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility, but which also represents a larger concept wherein there are healthy or newly-healed interpersonal relationship or international relations, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political re...
     (Although it was not Nansen's scientific work that earned him the prize.)
  • Ragnar Frisch - 1969 - Economics
    Economics

    File:Ballard Farmers' Market - vegetables.jpgEconomics is the Social sciences that studies the Production theory basics, Distribution , and Consumption of Good and Service ....
  • Odd Hassel
    Odd Hassel

    Odd Hassel was a Norway physical chemistry and Nobel Laureate....
     - 1969 - Chemistry
    Chemistry

    Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
  • Ivar Giæver - 1973 - Physics
    Physics

    Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
  • Trygve Haavelmo
    Trygve Haavelmo

    Trygve Magnus Haavelmo was an economist with main research interests centered on the fields of econometrics and economics theory. During World War II he worked with Nortraship in the Statistical Department in New York City....
     - 1989 - Economics
    Economics

    File:Ballard Farmers' Market - vegetables.jpgEconomics is the Social sciences that studies the Production theory basics, Distribution , and Consumption of Good and Service ....


Alumni

  • Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen
    Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

    Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen was an American author and college professor.He was born at the Norwegian naval base Fredriksvern, near the village of Stavern in Vestfold County, Norway....
    , Ph.D., 1868
  • Trygve Lie
    Trygve Lie

    Trygve Halvdan Lie was a Norway politician. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first elected United Nations Secretary-General of the United Nations....
    , Law 1919
  • Gro Harlem Brundtland
    Gro Harlem Brundtland

    is a Norway politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She is a former Prime Minister of Norway, and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization....
    , Medicine, 1963
  • Svein Gjedrem
    Svein Gjedrem

    Svein Ingvar Gjedrem is a Norway economist and current Norges Bank#List of Central Bank Governors of the Norges Bank.He graduated in political economy from the University of Oslo in 1975, worked as a consultant in the Central Bank of Norway from 1975?1979 and in the Norwegian Ministry of Finance from 1979 to 1998....
    , Economics, 1975
  • Jens Stoltenberg
    Jens Stoltenberg

    is the Prime Minister of Norway. He took office in October of 2005; he was previously Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001. He has also been the leader of the Norwegian Labour Party since 2002....
    , Economics, 1987
  • Geir Lundestad
    Geir Lundestad

    Geir Lundestad is a Norway author and educator best known for his association with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, for which he serves as Director, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee, for which he serves as a permanent Secretary....
    , History
  • Jan P. Syse
    Jan P. Syse

    was a lawyer and Norway politician from the Conservative Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1989 to 1990. He also served as Minister of Industry from 1983 to 1985....
    , Law
  • Ulrik Vilhelm Koren, Theology, 1852
  • Nicolai A. Grevstad
    Nicolai A. Grevstad

    Nicolai A. Grevstad was an American diplomat, politician and newspaper editor. Nicolia Andreas Grevstad was born in Sunnm?re, the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of M?re og Romsdal....
    , Law, 1878


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
Universitas

Universitas is a Latin word meaning "corporation". It may refer to:*Universitas 21, an international network of research-intensive universities....
 and the radio station Radio Nova
Radio Nova (Norway)

Radio Nova is a non-commercially run student radio situated and broadcasting in Oslo, Norway, at FM 99,3. The radio is devoted to playing underground music, and is run by a team of volunteered journalists and technicians....
.

See also

  • Against Nature?
    Against Nature?

    Against Nature? was an exhibition on homosexuality in animals made by The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway. The exhibition focuses on occurrence and function of homosexuality in animals, and is the first of its kind....
    , an exhibit at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum, taking place until August 19, 2007.
  • Sigmund Mowinckel
    Sigmund Mowinckel

    Sigmund Olaf Plytt Mowinckel was one of the world's most significant Psalms scholars....
    , one of the world's most notable Psalms scholars. He was educated in the University and then taught there beginning in 1917.


External links