The Scandinavian Languages and Literatures Department
The Scandinavian Languages and Literatures Department at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca was created in 2001, on the basis of The Norwegian Studies Centre which was founded in 1991. It is the only such department in the country. One can study here Norwegian language and literature as B specialisation, which also comprises courses in Danish and Swedish languages and literatures.
The Department is supported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs through its Department of teaching Norwegian language in foreign countries universities, by the Swedish Institute in Stockholm, by the Royal Embassies of the Scandinavian countries in Bucharest with:
- documentary material (books, subscriptions to magazines and newspapers, material of general interest)
- visits of important personalities belonging to the cultural and academic life in Scandinavia
- scholarships for students and graduates
- material for cultural activities: exhibitions, films
The official visit in Romania in 1999 of Their Majesties, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, brought the Norwegian Department in the centre of Their attention. Their Majesties offered two scholarships to Norway for the students in the 1999-2000 academic year.
The Scandinavian Languages and Literatures Department offers the following types of courses:
- Norwegian language and literature, B specialisation, (8 hours per week); the possibility of writing the B.A. paper in Norwegian
- Norwegian language as C specialisation (6 hours per week with 6 credits)
- Norwegian, Swedish, Danish languages as optional courses (2 hours per week).
The Norwegian language and literature curriculum covers Norwegian phonetics, morphology, syntax, lexicology, history of Norwegian literature, Scandinavian culture and civilisation, notions of Scandinavian philology and literatures.
The number of students in Norwegian as B specialization rose from 12 in 1991 to 120 in 2004. Other 20 students study Norwegian language as an optional course. The total number of students taking optional courses in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish amounts to about 80.
Contact
E-mail: sanda@tomescu.cluj.astral.ro
http://lett.ubbcluj.ro/scandinave.htm
Admission Requirements
The students are admitted on the basis of an exam in Norwegian language or any other language studied in high school. The language for the B specialisation will be different from the one for the A specialisation.
Graduating Exam
The students can choose to write the B.A paper in Norwegian on a Norwegian topic.
The Norwegian Language and Studies Centre cooperates with different famous institutions in Cluj:
- The Visual Arts Academy Ion Andreescu, Cluj
- The Faculty of Political Sciences
- The Faculty of European Studies
- Sidan Cultural Centre
- British Council Library
- French Cultural Centre
- Belgian Studies Centre
The Library of Scandinavian Studies
The Libary of Scandinavian studies was opened in 1997 with the aid of the Scandinavian Embassies in Bucharest and is supported with donations from:
- The Department of teaching Norwegian in foreign countries universities
- The Central Library in Norway
- The Ibsen Studies Centre
- The Department of Scandinavian Languages and Theory of Literature from Oslo University
- Bergen University
- The Royal Library in Stockholm
- Finnish cultural institutions
The library has almost 6000 volumes in the four Scandinavian languages: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish. Besides books of literature (novels and poetry books) the library is equipped with dictionaries, anthologies, text books (with tapes), CD-rom, video tapes, leaflets containing information about the Scandinavian countries both in English and Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish. The library subscribed to the following newspapers and magazines: Edda, Kulturnytt, Norskelæreren, Norwegian Literature Today, Nordisk Litteratur.