Summary of a study visit in Trondheim | Gdańsk University of Technology

From September 2022 until April 2023, Gdańsk University of Technology conducted a project titled “Hey, are you ok?”, coordinated by the International Relations Office. The main objective of the project was the emotional health support of students and staff. One of the tasks within the project included study visits to European universities engaged in activities within the area of wellbeing. 

The first study visit to Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, took place at the beginning of February 2023 (read here). Two weeks after, between 20-22 February, Gdańsk Tech employees visited Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. Gdańsk University of Technology was represented by: Anna Modrzejewska, the Head of the International Relations Office, Marta Wojcieszenko and Justyna Sudakowska both from IRO, and Katarzyna Dzięcielewska, the Director of the HR Center. Gdańsk Tech team met, among others, with employees of the Nordic Research Center for Wellbeing and Social Sustainability, Dissability Office, HR Center and library.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology is the biggest university in Norway that has 44 thousand students. NTNU has campuses in three cities - apart from Trondheim also in Gjøvik and Ålesund. More information about the university can be found here.

Solutions necessary for some and good for everyone

The guiding principle at NTNU when it comes to designing various services for students is "universal design". Its expression is the slogan “Necessary for some, good for everyone”. According to this principle, activities addressed to students are designed to be as inclusive as possible from the very beginning and take into account very different needs.

- NTNU employees told us about their students who, for example, due to Tourette's syndrome, narcolepsy or other health problems, needed special conditions to take exams. A student suffering from ADHD came to the exam with her dog – its mere presence, and also the possibility of petting it, calmed her down and allowed her to pass the exam. It was also not a problem to arrange a separate room with a bed for a student with sleep disorders and thus help him to pass a course - says Anna Modrzejewska, the Head of IRO.

The category of students with special needs is treated very comprehensively at NTNU. These are not only people with disabilities related to mobility, hearing, sight, but also people with chronic diseases, dyslexia, the so-called temporary challenges (e.g. with a broken leg), but also struggling with mental health problems. The latter constitute the largest group of recipients of the services offered by the Disability Office. The employees of this office themselves said that perhaps a more appropriate name for their department would be the Diversity Office, in order to include the wide range of activities and groups of students who benefit from its support.

Fall in love in the library

Imagine a university library open from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. In the morning there is no personnel there, but you can still go in, study in silence and borrow a book using special vending machines. From 10:00 a.m., full-time employees come to help students, employees and the residents of Trondheim who willingly use the university library. From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the employees are replaced by students who are regular, paid employees at the university, not there as volunteers. From 6:00 p.m. to midnight, there is no personnel in the library again, but you can study and borrow books. This is how the library at NTNU works.

Of course, the question of security raises concerns. However, as the university employees informed, students feel co-responsible for this place and so far there have been no cases of theft or devastation. The library is obviously monitored and there are security gates at the entrance, however the key is mutual social trust, which is at a very high level throughout Norway. 

Valentine's Day at the Library? Why not. On past Valentine's Day, students could choose a pen from a cup when entering the library - its color indicated that one was single and thus one was open to making new friends. A pen in a specific color, placed on the desk next to books and notebooks, was supposed to encourage interaction between students. It was a lot of fun and will be repeated in the following years.

Drink coffee in a cafe run by students

In Norway, student organizations are very active and very popular. In consequence, the recruitment process for new members becomes more and more rigorous, which in turn makes some student organizations too exclusive / elitist, and this is the problem that NTNU now faces.

One of the largest and most active student organization is Sit. supporting the emotional health of students, but the scope of its activities is much wider. The organization is divided into three teams: Sit Welfare (kindergartens, healthcare, student services including financial support); Sit Housing (dormitories) and Sit Welfare (sports centres, canteens, cafeterias).

- Immediately after arriving in Trondheim, we noticed the chain of "Stop by" cafes located on and around the campus. We were very impressed that they are run by students from Sit. The cafes operate on a business basis, and the income from their service contributes to the organization's budget – says Marta Wojcieszenko from IRO.

NTNU employees really liked the "Hey, Everything OK" project run at Gdańsk Tech. Future meetings of student organizations from Poland and Norway are already planned. The cooperation will therefore be continued, especially since NTNU is a partner of Gdańsk Tech in the ENHANCE Alliance.