|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NORWAY
Introduction
Norway is a country "at the top of Europe" and a part of Scandinavia. Often, visitors come to Norway because of its beautiful and unspoiled nature with deep fjords and high mountains. However, Norway is also a modern industrialised society with oil industry, fishing industry, metallurgical industry, shipping etc. Oslo is the capital of Norway, as well as the cultural and political centre of the country. The city is situated in the south-east of the country, and has a continental climate, with cold winters (0 to -10 degrees Centigrade) and warm summers (+15 to +25 degrees Centigrade). Oslo covers a rather wide area and has approximately 500.000 citizens. Oslo is located on the inner Oslo fjord, surrounded by hills, forests and agricultural areas.
The Norwegian Research Centre for Computers and Law
The Norwegian Research Centre for Computers and Law (NRCCL) is a part of the Law Faculty at the University of Oslo (the largest of 3 Faculties of Law in the country). The total number of students at the University of Oslo is approximately 34.000, with nearly 6.000 students at the Faculty of Law. The NRCCL has a research staff of approximately 15 and an administrative staff of 2. In addition, a varying number of students does paid work on their thesis as part of their computers and law education. Each year, approximately 70 students attend computers and law courses. Since January 1994 the NRCCL is located close to the street of Karl Johan, at the very centre of Oslo city.
The law degree
The Norwegian law degree is only to a very limited extent integrated with other subjects outside the Faculty of Law. The law degree is organised into five levels, each level with a written examination. The total duration of the law education is 5 and a half years. Optional subjects, of which Computers and Law is one, is arranged on third and fifth level. Separate examinations are arranged. The marks from the special subject counts with 1/3 when the total mark of the fifth level is established.
Computers and Law courses
Two courses are arranged mainly for Norwegian speaking students. One joint course with emphasis on private law oriented issues is arranged for students at third and fifth level of law education. The topic in spring term is computer contracts, and copyright law in the autumn term. This course is composed of 10 hours lecturing and 10 hours seminar. A public law oriented subject is offered to students on the fifth level of the law study. The education each spring term concerns privacy/data protection and computer based decision systems in public administration. The topic each autumn term is legal decisions processes. The education consists of 12 hours lecturing. All students with one of the two subjects, attend a 10 hours text-retrieval course with free text search in the law data base, which includes a large fraction of legal sources. In addition, approximately 750 of the other students at the Faculty of Law attend the same course.
For ERASMUS students a special course, taught in English, has been developed. The course, named Public Administration and Information Technology, will highlight legal problems connected with computer-based decision-making within public administration. Special emphasis is put on issues concerning the use of large databases and the transformation of legal rules into computer programs. What are the challenges for data protection and the principle of rule of law in a computerised public administration, and which solutions and changes are required? The education consists of 30 hours lecturing in the period February to May 1994, followed by a separate examination for ERASMUS students.
Languages
Most Norwegians speak English. All lecturing and literature for ERASMUS students will be in English.
Facilities
Students will have access to reading rooms and to several libraries. The library at the NRCCL contains a comprehensive collection of computers and law books and magazines. IBM PS/2 or similar computers will be available for ERASMUS students. The main location of the Faculty of Law and the NRCCL constitutes an ideal position for both education and pleasure, as the street gives address to the royal castle, the parliament building and many restaurants, pubs etc.
The Norwegian Association for Computers and Law arranges meetings with lectures on computers and law subjects. The association has its own student group. The Foreign Students' Union (FSU) organises a walking tour of Oslo, called "Walkabout", at the beginning of each semester, for all newly registered international students. The Norwegian Students' Society is run by students only. It arranges debates, cultural evenings and parties. The many paths and lakes of Oslo are used for various leisure activities. Numerous possibilities exist for cross-country and down-hill skiing, hiking, swimming, camping or staying overnight at cabins during the summer and winter. Its vastness makes it attractive for outdoor activities and it is used year round by Oslo's population. Students can reserve cabins in the forests and countryside around Oslo, either for weekends or for shorter visits.
The Department of Sports at the University have organised sports and recreational activities for students. Depending on personal preferences, students may choose between activities ranging from competitive sports to aerobics and individual work outs in fitness centres. Registration for the various activities takes place at the beginning of each semester.
Accommodation
The Housing Office (Boligavdelingen) operates 6 student towns with 3.824 single rooms and 555 apartments. If you have informed International Education Services within 1 December that you are accepting the offer to study at the Oslo University, a single room at the student halls of residence (Sogn or Kringsjå) will be reserved for you. Family apartments are scarce because of the large number of applicants, and students on exchange programmes are not given any special priority.
Cost of living
The cost of living in Norway is relatively high. The estimate for monthly expenses per student is about NOK 5.500 (housing, food, books and transport). Additional expenses such as medicine, dental treatment, entertainment etc., are not included in this estimate.
Whom to contact for more information
Before coming to Oslo, ERASMUS students will receive a leaflet with more detailed information about the city of Oslo, housing, leisure activities, insurance, cost of living, climate, letter of admission, student advisors, immigration authorities etc. Please contact professor Jon Bing or researcher Dag Wiese Schartum at the NRCCL for additional information concerning the computers and law education in Oslo:
Universitetet i Oslo
Institutt for Rettsinformatikk
PO Box 6702, St Olavs plass
0130 OSLO
Norway
Fax: +47 22 850102
Phone: +47 22 850101
Email:
jon.bing@jus.uio.no(jon.bing@jus.uio.no)
d.w.schartum@jus.uio.no(d.w.schartum@jus.uio.no)