Not many Greek students think of Norway as a natural place to study. For Giorgios Liassas the answer was obvious. He studied computer science in Trondheim through the Erasmus programme.
– I’ve always wanted to go to Scandinavia. The way of life seemed very nice, and since I snowboard it is a great destination, but the main reason I chose to go to Norway was for the high quality of the education system, he says.
From January to June 2009 he studied in Trondheim at NTNU. NTNU is widely known for its engineering programs, and the university cooperates closely with SINTEF, which has its headquarters in Trondheim.
SINTEF is the largest independent research institution in Scandinavia and among the leading institutions in Europe.
NTNU, the university Giorgios Liassas attended. . Photo: Mentz Indergaard/NTNU Academic Quality
– The way the university structure was organized impressed me, and the professors were really good. Their lectures were well prepared and the labs had everything I needed.
The degree structure of the Norwegian universities is adopted from the Bologna Process. The universities and colleges issue the following degrees; bachelor’s degree (three years), Master’s degree (two years) and Ph. D. (three years).
Norwegian institutions of higher education welcome applications from qualified students from around the world. Nearly 10,000 foreign nationals are currently enrolled at this level of Norway’s educational system. International students are defined as all students without a permanent residence permit in Norway.
There are three categories of international students: self-financing degree students, exchange students and students participating in various fellowship programmes.
– I went to Norway as an exchange student through erasmus programme, says Liassas.
In the past twenty years, well over one-and-a-half million European students have benefited from Erasmus grants.
Trondheim where NTNU is located is the third largest city in Norway, and the university NTNU has 20 000 students. Twenty percent of the city’s population are students.
– A great thing about studying in Trondheim was that there were so many students compared to the size of the city, says Liassas.
Wants to go back
Compared to Greece, the living expenses in Norway are higher. For many people the country may seem expensive. A scholarship from the Greek government helped Liassas during his stay.
– Economically it was of course more expensive to study in Norway than studying in Greece. I got a grant from the Greek government. It was enough to live for, but since I wanted to get the most out of my stay I used some of my own money for travelling and other activities, he says.
There are no tuition fees at Norwegian higher education institutions, although fees may be imposed for certain professional education programmes, further and special education programmes and study at some of the private institutions.
Cost of living grants are only awarded to international students accepted for selected fellowship programmes. Self-financing students must document that they possess a minimum of NOK 80,000 (approx EUR 10,000) per academic year.
After finishing his bachelor at Athens University of Business and Economics, Liassas is planning to go back to Scandinavia.
– Now I am seriously considering going back to Scandinavia to do my masters there. It will either be in Sweden or in Norway.