About this tour
The aim of the Study Tour is to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences involving sustainable development. Oslo was winning the European Green capital in 2019 and Norway is a world leader in green transition and sustainable urban planning.
We will take public transportation where possible including the ferry to Oslo which is both our transportation, and also a great opportunity to enjoy the extraordinary Norwegian landscape. This landscape made it possible for Norway to be 99% relaying on hydropower for their electricity. We will stay in a hotel which has received an Eco Award for their use of carbon offsets and charitable contributions to the community. We will eat at sustainable restaurants, whether they serve organic or local food, or run on renewable energy.
Specific visits have previously included national-level policy organizations, international NGOs, and examples of urban (re)development. A goal of the tour is to compare and contrast sustainability discourses and practices in Europe with those in the U.S. You are encouraged to examine the different approaches of mainstream and grassroots initiatives, as well as questions of scale in implementing sustainable practices, and gain specific awareness of these issues in a Norwegian context.
Learning outcomes
- Gain a more nuanced understanding of how classroom theories apply to the real world environment
- Develop a deeper understanding of the Norwegian approach to a sustainable economy, community initiatives, and responses to climate change in Oslo Municipality
- Engage in your personal learning process outside the classroom by actively participating and challenging our current ideas and assumptions
Possible activities
- Visit the Municipality of Oslo (Agency for Urban Environment, City of Oslo) to understand the background of Norway’s commitment to sustainable development
- Visit the Fjordbyen, a green city port, aiming at redesigning part of Oslo’s port for human scale and great quality of life and they aim at zero emission construction site
- Visit the NGO Spire, a youth organization working for food system transition and for ways to combat the climate and biodiversity crisis
- Visit the Centre of Global Sustainability at University of Oslo, where we will hear about their research on regenerative farming, a collaboration project between farmers, municipalities, vocational schools and many more.