Annual Report 2016 Annual Report 2016 About UWC Red Cross Nordic Founded in 1962, UWC offers a challenging and transformative educational experience to a diverse cross section of students, inspiring them to create a more peaceful and sustainable future. Students are selected by UWC National Committees or selection contacts in over 150 countries. UWC Red Cross Nordic was opened by Her Majesty Queen Sonja in 1995 as the ninth of today’s 15 existing Colleges. Supported by Nordic governments and the Red Cross, the College focuses on the promotion of its three pillars: Nordic Values, Humanitarian Issues and Environmental Concerns. It is located in western Norway and hosts 200 students from over 95 countries, aged 16-19, selected on merit and potential - irrespective of race, religion and background. The programme is for two years and follows the International Baccalaureate. It shares facilities with the Red Cross Haugland Rehabilitation Centre, working closely together with a shared belief in the resourcefulness of the individual. The College’s objective is to help students become active, involved and educated citizens whose attitudes towards intercultural understanding and service will be a powerful catalyst for change. Contents Letter from the Chair 2 Rektor’s Report 3 The Fjaler Prize 4 Board and Council Members 4 Tom Gresvig - A Tribute 5 Red Cross at the Heart of Our Work 6 Academics - Value Added 6 New Centre - New Era 7 A New UWC in Mainland China 7 Three Pillars: Nordic, Humanitarian & Environmental 8 Hands Dirty - Plates Green 8 Protectors of the Rainforest 8 Looking North 9 Red Cross: Agents for Behavioural Change 9 Jubilee Fund and Donors 10 Newcomers in our Area 11 Peace Education Begins at Home 11 A Common Cause with the Horizon Foundation 12 Geir Lundestad: ‘Count your Blessings’ 12 University Admissions 13 Host Families 13 Students 2015 - 2016 14 Staff 2015- 2016 16 Funding and Results in General 17 Financial Statements 2015 19 Notes to the Financial Statements 20 1 Annual Report 2016 Letter from the Chair - Nowhere and Somewhere motivation for being mobile. They societies they will be part of. We are have received a scholarship that grateful to all who contribute towards enables them to study abroad – in establishing, refining and maintaining a context that makes them suited the Foundation Year. Without it, we to become global citizens, aspiring may set up vulnerable young persons to take the lead in an increasingly for failure. With it, we can enable them complex world. At RCN we have also and become a learning institution in made a strong point of recruiting every sense of the word. students from marginalized “If you can’t go home, there is nowhere backgrounds: orphans, refugees and to go, and nowhere is the biggest place survivors of conflict. They come to in the world - indeed, nowhere is the a deliberately diverse environment world.” Tove Veierød, Chair of highly motivated individuals. And These are also the words of indeed the contribution of each and Alexander Hemon, beautifully sad, “Where can you go from nowhere, one is to make life richer for all. By but also containing a challenge for except deeper into nowhere?” These are facing true differences, we can also mobilization – for domesticating the words of the Bosnian-American sensitize ourselves to who we are the void. Our new strategic plan author Aleksandar Hemon, whose and want to be. This may not always expresses an ambition to increase writing circles around themes of be easy, but in our context, students our relevance in society by recruiting displacement, loss and exile, but are given safety to open up to the from the marginalized, by setting up also express a playful longing for other and thereby also gain a better a culture to enable them and also to belonging. His writing has become understanding of themselves. share our experience and competence acutely topical for us all. Around the with the society around us. Visits to I gain courage from seeing that world millions are forced to leave the our nearest centre for asylum seekers our College actively seeks new place they used to call home, due have given many students rewarding ways of recruiting young persons to armed conflict or environmental weekly experiences. The number from displaced or marginalized changes. As this reaches a certain of persons seeking refuge in these backgrounds – and set up support scale, persons become masses – centres is increasing. With our new systems so that they have a realistic with what this does to our empathy. capacity to receive visitors in the Henry chance of finding their footing The Red Cross is at the heart of Dunant and Thor Heyerdahl Buildings, and thrive. The introduction and both the immediate and long term our considerable experience and refinement of the Foundation Year consequences of this displacement. competence with this kind of work can Programme is central in our efforts As an educational movement serving be shared with many more. “But your for reaching this goal. It helps give peace and sustainable development, college is in the middle of nowhere”, a the individual the starting point for UWC complements this by equipping friend once said to me. succeeding in the various arenas the the young to contribute towards College offers, not least the academic. Let us continue to make it a building and rebuilding societies. The overall aim is to make them somewhere which creates the human UWC students are also on the move; active participants – on campus, and skills and mindset that will be part of most of them have a privileged later as change makers for the new the global solutions for the future. 2 Rektor’s Report - ‘Every time I come here it is even better’ The progamme started with the After the show, HM Queen Sonja and official opening of the Thor Heyerdahl the crew of her motor launch were Building and the Henry Dunant given a spectacular send-off with 200 Building (named after the Norwegian students standing on the shoreline Explorer / UWC International Patron holding aloft 200 flaming torches. and the founder of the Red Cross We also took the opportunity to respectively). launch UWC RCN’s Strategy 2020 at A main focus for the royal visit was our main Jubilee. We are a unique value-based learning, voluntary college within the UWC, with our service and ethical leadership – the Nordic heritage and partnership underlying ethos of our Red Cross with the Red Cross – and, through Richard Lamont education. In practical terms this was a nine month consultation phase done through stands of student work during 2015, we worked alongside 2015 marked the 20th anniversary of which exhibited projects which are all constituencies to establish a the opening of UWC Red Cross Nordic part of the College’s extra-academic strategic plan which preserves the and provided us with the opportunity programme. HM Queen Sonja’s tour values, traditions and spirit that to celebrate the history of the College also included a mountain rescue distinguish the place but, at the and its commitment to peace and a scenario conducted by student Red same time, prepares the College and sustainable future. Cross First Aiders and some activities the students for the demands of a We held three main Jubilee events run by our students for patients at the new world. during the course of 2015: a Rehabilitation Centre with which we The Jubilee focused on the 20th reception in June at the Norwegian share a campus. anniversary of UWC Red Cross Ambassador’s Residence in London; Nordic and the 150th anniversary a two day programme on campus In the evening, Her Majesty returned of the Norwegians Red Cross with in September focused on our 20th from the Royal Yacht ‘Norge’ and a real appreciation of the past – anniversary and the 150th anniversary attended a drinks reception in the but, more so, our Jubilee year was of the Norwegian Red Cross; and Høegh Building – some students dedicated to looking ahead for what a drinks reception at Marianne and staff had set up a photographic the UWC and the Red Cross can Andresen’s house in Bygdøy for our exhibition on the theme of ‘Peace’ achieve together. Oslo-based supporters. for this event. The students designed an evening of entertainment which For, with the ambition, vision and At UWC Red Cross Nordic, we are introduced out guests to the diversity spirit of our founders in mind, hugely fortunate to receive royal and the magic of our world. After a ‘Our future [must] be greater than patronage - Her Majesty Queen breathtaking show HM Queen Sonja our past’ [Ben Okri]. A trumpet- Sonja has served as our patron since addressed the audience and paid call to collective contribution, to the founding of the College twenty tribute to the evening’s performance new voices and to new global years ago and attended our Jubilee and Jubilee programme, “Every time I potential for prosperity, peace and a event on campus on UWC Day on come here it is even better’. sustainable future. 21st September. HM Queen Sonja has remained committed to and an advocate of our UWC mission and values – and a champion of education in a changing landscape in Norway - and we remain deeply appreciative of Her Majesty’s work as our patron: raising public awareness of Red Cross Nordic and for the supportive engagement, warmth and generosity of spirit that Her Majesty continues to bring into our world. On this special occasion, HM Queen Sonja chose to visit the College in the Royal Yacht ‘Norge’ to our Jubilee – adding an exciting and spectacular new marine dimension to the event.