Patrons and Governance
Her Royal Highness Queen Sonja of Norway is the patron of UWC Red Cross Nordic. She opened the College formally on September 30th, 1995. She has supported the College from its earliest days and has consistently spoken positively about the UWCs in general and our College in particular. Since 1993, she has visited the College many times and has expressed a desire to meet every single student who graduates from the College.
Governance
The College is governed by a Board and a Council in accordance with the statutes of the Red Cross Nordic United World College Foundation.
UWC Red Cross Nordic Board:
- Chair: Geir Jørgen Bekkevold
Geir Jørgen Bekkevold is a Norwegian politician representing the Christian Democratic Party in his 3rd period in the Parliament. Since Jan 2019 Mr Bekkevold has been the leader of the Health Committee in the Norwegian Parliament and 2nd parliamentary leader for his party. Bekkevold has also been active in YMCA/YWCA locally. He was a board member of Teater Ibsen from 2004 to 2008, and the county library from 2007.
- Deputy Chair: Hans Lindemann (Denmark)
- Sweden: Jan Bjørkman
- Iceland: Sigridur Anna Thordardottir
- Norwegian Red Cross: Liv Ronglan
- UWC Norway: Ivar Lund-Mathiesen
- Staff Rep: Kåre Dale
- Student Rep: Alejandro Quecedo del Val
Deputies
- Norway: Laila Bokhari
- Astrid Søgnen
- UWC Norway: Espen Stedje
- Norwegian Red Cross: Dag Hovland
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The Elected Members of the Council are:
- Franz Bernstorff – Chair, Denmark
- Henrik Wilén – Nordic Association
- Ingegerd Wärnersson – Sweden
- Johan Aura – Finland
- Tomas Urvas – Åland
- Bjarki Bragason – Iceland
- Teresita Alvarez Bjelland – Norway & International
- Zhe Wang Gresvig – Independent
- Ingrid H. Warner – Norway
- Ezequiel Jimenez – Alumni
The Honorary Members of the Council are:
- Marianne Andresen
- Einar Steensnæs
- Astrid Marie Nistad
- Tove Veierød
There are appointed members of to the Council from the UWC National Committees of Denmark, Finland, Færoe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Åland.
I am glad that
our work in
setting up a
Nordic UWC here
in Fjaler succeeded.
You can feel
the warmth once
you come to campus,
and the College
is everything
we hoped it would be
Queen Sonja of Norway
Patron