Our Norwegian colleagues have been busy as well, according to Gergana May: “The Norwegian program is thriving – classes are fully enrolled and the students are working industriously, gaining solid proficiency in the language and culture of the European North. In Spring 2019, I taught for the first time a 100 level Gen-Ed class surveying Scandinavian culture. The students responded wholeheartedly to the multitude of topics in the class, including the intricacies of Nordic film, the specifics of the welfare system, and the insights that could be gained through solitude and embracing the harshness of polar exploration. This fall we delve again in the fascinating universe of the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. Summer was busy with preparations for the upcoming Study Abroad trip to Norway in 2020 as part of IU’s Bicentennial celebration. The course will constitute an exploration of the way in which the unique natural environment of Norway - its landscape (high mountainous plateau, little arable land, extensive rugged coastline,) the specific climate conditions (the Gulf Stream and large areas above the Arctic circle,) as well as the extremely varied amount of sunlight in the different seasons, have shaped the historical development and culture of the Norwegian people. There is a tight symbiotic relationship between the people and this extreme natural environment, and we will explore the way it has contributed to the shaping of attitudes, mentality, the history, language and culture of the people. We will use train and boat travel, hiking in the mountains and exploring city centers as valuable experiential learning opportunities to address this special relation.”
The College of Arts