On September 11, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited Fudan and delivered a speech titled “On top of the Globe - Norway, the Arctic and geopolitics” at Zhihe Hall, Guanghua Building. He also visited the Nordic Centre located on Handan campus.

On behalf of Fudan University, President JIN Li welcomed Støre and his delegation. He looks forward to Støre’s visit enhancing mutual trust between the peoples of the two countries and promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation in academic research and education.

The 1995 visit of the then Prime Minister of Norway Ms. Gro Harlem Brundtland to Fudan marks a milestone in the development of Fudan-Norway collaborations. Fudan takes pride in what it has achieved with its partners over the past 29 years in enhancing mutual understanding and knowledge sharing of Nordic and Chinese scholars and students.

“When we look back at this history, we are always amazed by the great vision and good faith our predecessors held when they initiated this very first and the only Nordic Centre in China three decades ago,” said Jin in his welcoming speech. 

Brundtland’s visit back in 1995 led to the establishment of the NordicCentre, a platform located in Fudan dedicated to fostering research and educational collaboration between the five Nordic countries and China. Since then, the Nordic Centre has hosted numerous visiting scholars from Norwegian universities and organized research workshops and various other activities in coordination with Nordic partners. Its educational programs including summer courses and Nordic Studies course are highly popular among both Nordic and Chinese students.

Prime Minister Støre as a member of the delegation when the then Prime Minister of Norway, Madam Gro Harlem Brundtland visited Fudan in 1995

“We are happy to see the friendship with Norway continue with today’s visit by the current Prime Minister, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre,” said Veli-Matti Palomäki, programme manager at Nordic Centre, Fudan University. “Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the Nordic Centre. We hope to bring about new initiatives and find new ways to building lasting partnerships.”

The BI-Fudan MBA Program, being “the jewel of the crown in Sino-Norwegian educational cooperation” according to Jin, which began in 2003, was upgraded from the Change Management Program jointly launched by the Fudan University School of Management and BI Norwegian Business School in 1996. With continuous effort of the two parties, the program has a total of over 3,000 alumni so far.

“The BI-Fudan MBA Program was among the first Sino-foreign Master’s programs approved by the Ministry of Education,” said Dr. QIU Lijin, executive director of the program.

In its early years, the BI-Fudan MBA Program primarily focused on cultivating management talents and helping international corporations establish a presence in China. Over the past 28 years, with the overall trend gradually shifting from “coming in” to “going out”, BI-Fudan MBA Program has consistently facilitated China’s entering global market.

YAO Yanping, a second-year student in the program, shared that the BI-Fudan program has significantly broadened her network and deepened her understanding of sustainability. Working at a domestic-oriented shipping company, she found the courses taught by professors from both schools to be highly focused on ESG and sustainability, highlighting the potential to “achieve more at a higher level”.

“The Prime Minister’s speech has greatly strengthened my confidence in future collaborations with Norway on green shipping,” Yao said. This was echoed by ZENG Mingfang, an incoming student of the BI-Fudan Program and an employee at a Norwegian Marine Technology firm. Zeng noted that the Prime Minister’s confidence in future cooperation reassured her of the possibility of deeper technological collaborations. “With talents from both sides, we can better overcome institutional and cultural barriers and do more meaningful work!”

“Today’s speech is truly inspiring,” said ZHANG Xinyue, a master student at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs and also a participant of NEWDAY 2024 hosted by Nansen Academy, Lillehammer.

Gathering of NEWDAY participants at Nansen Academy

“As the Prime Minister pointed out, cultural exchanges aren’t just limited to in-person interactions, but also include keeping connected with the friends we’ve made.”

According to Xinyue, her participation in NEWDAY made her realize that breaking down stereotypes and building trust is an ongoing task. “The Prime Minister’s visit has confirmed my belief that these student-led conversations can help build a more connected, cooperative global community,” she said.

TrinleyJigme, a junior undergraduate majoring in sociology also said that the Prime Minister’s speech has been reassuring by “emphasizing the opportunity of cooperation between China and Norway as well as importance of enhancing dialogues”. “I think our generation can play a role in global progress through collective efforts,” he said.

As a lot of people mentioned, it’s a pleasure to see the friendship between Norway and Fudan University continue with the visit by the Prime Minister. We expect to see more and deeper cooperation in the near future.