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The visit of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark to ANU has helpd to highlight the University’s increasingly strong ties with Scandinavia.
Just a week after the visit of the royal couple, ANU hosted the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik, and also the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Mr Paavo Lipponen.
Australia’s national university is increasingly popular with students from Scandinavia, with the number of ANU students trebling between 2001 and 2004.
The Crown Prince and Princess were greeted by more than 300 well-wishers when they arrived at University House to witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between ANU and the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark.
The agreements provide for collaboration in research, the possibility of joint degrees and joint teaching, and for staff and student exchange.
The Vice-Chancellor of ANU, Professor Ian Chubb, the Rector of the University of Copenhagen, Professor Linda Nielsen, and the Rector of the University of Aarhus, Professor Niels Sidenius, signed the Memoranda of Understanding with the royal couple looking on. The Crown Prince and Princess then signed the University House visitors’ book.
Cooperation
“The Memoranda of Understanding represent a formal milestone in an ongoing period of negotiation which has seen many visits between institutions to explore the possibilities for cooperation,” Professor Chubb said.
“They establish a platform for cooperation in areas such as undergraduate and graduate student exchange, the exchange of staff, and potential development of joint research and teaching programs in areas like law, European studies, Asian studies, international business and science.
“The Australian National University warmly welcomes these partnerships with two universities of very high calibre and strong traditions of achievement.
“It was a very special occasion for us to welcome Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark to our university to witness the signing of these agreements.
“I am confident that these Memoranda of Understanding will continue to grow our relationship with each university and complement our strengths into the future,” Professor Chubb said.
The Norwegian Prime Minister came to the University to meet staff and students on the Peace and Conflict Studies program — part of Graduate Studies in International Affairs in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. This special program gives students the opportunity to study on both sides of the world, spending a semester at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, before taking further courses at ANU.
The first cohort of students began the program in Oslo in August 2004 and is now back in Canberra completing their studies.
Mr Lipponen was the guest of the National Europe Centre at ANU.
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