University of Oslo

The University of Oslo was founded in 1811 as the first in Norway. Today it is the country’s largest public institution of research and higher learning with 27 000 students and 7000 employees. Located mainly on Blindern Campus in the northern part of Oslo, UiO has eight faculties – of Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Theology, Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Education Sciences. The capital university is also home to the Viking Ship Museum, the Historical Museum and the Natural History Museum, a Main Library with 3.6 million holdings and a wide range of associated units and centres. The University of Oslo has an operating annual budget of NOK 6.6 billion, and most of its funding comes from the Norwegian Government.

Ranking

UiO is the highest ranked institution of education and research in Norway - and one of the World's Top 100 universities, according to the Shanghai World Ranking. With five Nobel Prize winners, UiO has a strong track record of pioneering research and scientific discovery.

Research

As a classical university with a broad range of academic disciplines, UiO has top research communities in most areas. Moreover, UiO currently has 8 National Centres of Excellence and a strategic focus on interdisciplinary research in the field of energy and life sciences in particular. As a broadly based, non-profit research university, UiO has access to good public funding schemes. Lab and office facilities, libraries and technical support are at the high end.

Education

UiO offers more than 800 courses in English at all levels, around 40 Master’s degree programmes taught entirely in English and several PhD programmes. UiO focuses on research-based education and attracts highly qualified students from all over the country.

Internationalization

UiO attracts students and researchers from all over the world. As of 2012, 13 percent of the student population is from foreign countries. 17.5 percent of the academic staff and 26 percent of the PhD candidates are from abroad.

Innovation

UiO contributes to innovation directly through commercialisation of research findings, and through cooperation with business partners and the public sector. The most important contribution to innovation, however, is made through education of degree candidates, excellent research, and the exchange of knowledge with important stakeholders in society.