FOTO: Silje Eide

Due to a poor turn–out, with only nine or ten guests at 9 p.m., the StudAID concert at Betong proved a failure. The proceeds of the concert, scheduled for Thursday 17 February, were to go to the tsunami–affected areas in Southeast Asia, and several bands and DJs performed free of charge. The concert was the first event organized by StudAID, and the plan to set up a new aid organization for emergency aid from students has not proven a success.

The figures for students participating in exchange programmes have risen by 130 per cent. This year’s number of Norwegian students studying abroad and students from abroad studying in Norway is set to reach 250, a dramatic increase from 2004, when there were 149 exchange students. The principal challenge is drawing international students to Norway. Svein Hullstein, acting section for international programmes, says that the number of English–language courses has risen significantly in order to attain the goal of doubling student mobility by 2006. A further challenge is that Norwegian exchange students abroad tend to concentrate in English–speaking Countries