Tribute: Marius Hauge

2015-05-28T16:41:03+01:00April 20th, 2015|

Ever since his days at Atlantic College, Marius Hauge (AC 1967-9) has been serving “spiffing refreshments” as he called them. Whether it be at the sea-front down by the Bristol Channel or in the Dining Hall at AC, Marius would create a happy atmosphere to any event, big or small. Marius as a grown man was a UWC enthusiast known for crossing the Skagerrak (a strait running between Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) in a dinghy to benefit UWC, and then attempting to cross the North Sea in the same little wooden dinghy, for the same worthy cause. His mother would not have approved (I doubt if Camilla, his life-long companion ever approved), and Desmond Hoare, the Admiral and Founding Headmaster of Atlantic College perhaps was lucky no longer to be alive.

Marius was one of the five children of Jens Christian Hauge, the Head of the Norwegian Resistance (‘Mil Org’), after the war a Member of the Government and, as a lawyer – forever an eminence grise in Norwegian society. He died only a few years ago, and Marius had been translating some of his books. They both came much closer to each other at the end of their lives, but having divorced parents was, I am sure, not easy for Marius, and like many others at that time, perhaps found AC to be a good place to get away from it all. I am only guessing, but many others guessed that, and he was evidently very happy at Atlantic College.

Later in life Marius was always a bit of a Bohemian, training at the London School of Economics and with an office in the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrave Square as Fisheries Attaché, but an artist at heart. He had so many large paintings in his top floor Embassy room that rumours were that he was given an ultimatum to choose beween art and diplomacy. For many years after Marius worked as a sculptor in a cellar in Oslo, making heavy stuff from iron plates and stone.

Marius was a good friend, and to me especially important because of his enthusiasm and backing of the Nordic UWC project. He never failed in relentless belief and support. He was a true pioneer in this, taking part in the very first meetings at Norefjell back in the early 1970-ies, what one day in 1995 became the Red Cross Nordic United World College. In Camilla he had a wonderful life partner, and my thoughts go to her and to Marius` lasting memory.

Tom Gresvig
Honorary member of UWC RCN’s Council

Aurland Visitors

2018-10-16T09:33:16+01:00April 14th, 2015|

Preparing the herb gardenTwo 3rd year students from Sogn Jord og Hagebruksskule, Aske Tangen and Une Strømme  spent their practice week from 7th – 10th April at the College as part of the cooperation between our two schools. The students chose classes to visit, and worked with College students during our campus cleaning service.

Aske and Une kindly offered to prune trees and bushes around the College, which  was possible as new growth isn’t yet underway due to the cold April weather. Most importantly, they started to plan a small-scale organic agricultural activity in small areas around the College and at ‘Miklagard’,  a nicely located area near the College. We aim to incorporate farming activities that could be run by Aurland graduates as volunteers, with the participation of RCN students. While waiting for the feasibility plan, we will work on the herb garden Aske and Une started to build near the kitchen. We hope to finish this by Earth Weekend in two weeks time.

EdTech Global Foundation

2018-10-16T09:33:17+01:00April 13th, 2015|

UWC RCN has been offered the unique opportunity to form a delegation to attend the third annual conference of EdTech Europe 2015 in London. The conference brings together established learning and education providers, innovators, disrupters, educators, policy makers and investors with an interest in European and global education technology. The 2015 one-day summit will be hosted at Kings Place in London on 18 June 2015.

The UWC (RCN) delegation will consist of Sir John Daniel (Chair of UWC International Board), David Sengeh (Sierra Leone – RCN, Harvard, MIT alumnus), Peter Verhille (UWC Director of International Fund Development), Larry (RCN’s Rektor) and Arne (RCN’s Director of Development). Sir John will be a key note speaker on MOOCs and David Sengeh has been invited to speak about the projects he contributes to – with EdTech Global Foundation partnering in 2015 with Global Minimum to Support Young Innovators in Kenya, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

Thupten Dorji and Zoe HarringtonRCN has been invited to provide two students to attend the conference and to be part of a student panel discussion – Zoe Harrington (Germany) and Thupten Dorji (Tibet) have been selected to represent RCN at the conference and will also be part of the UWC delegation at an event at the Norwegian Embassy with alumni and other London-based supporters as part of our set of events for the 20th anniversary of RCN.

The Newsletter advertising the event can be seen here.

Council Meeting 2015

2018-10-16T09:33:17+01:00April 13th, 2015|

It was a pleasure to welcome the members of Council and other guests from Thursday 9th to Saturday 11th April for the annual UWC RCN Council meeting here on campus. Our Council members continue to act as our supporters, our bridge-builders, and our voice across the Nordic region.

The Council gathers once a year on campus and the Board twice a term, alternating between College visits and other locations throughout the Nordic region.

The CouncilBeyond the formal Council meeting, we designed this year’s programme in a way that provided members with concrete opportunities to engage with students and staff, through careers workshops and focus groups on areas of strategic importance, and to contribute to the present and future architecture of Red Cross Nordic

2015 marks the end of the time period for the current UWC RCN Strategic Plan. We are embarking on the consultation phase essential for the drafting of a strategic plan and to ensure that it complements the development of UWC International’s strategic plan. With this in mind, we set up some Strategic Focus Groups on Friday afternoon – open to Council members including alumni, guests, education and support staff and the newly elected Student Council – for discussion of certain areas identified by the Board.

We are a unique college within the UWC, with our Nordic heritage and partnership with the Red Cross – and it is important that we work alongside all constituencies, including the essential contributions of our Board and Council, to establish a strategic plan which preserves the values, traditions and spirit that distinguish the community but, at the same time, prepares the College and the students for the demands of a new world.

Our aim is, in the end, to produce a concise and meaningful articulation of the strategic plan which we can use both internally and share with pride with external stakeholders. Development and action plans will follow to ensure the implementation of our plans but it essential that we keep the strategic plan succinct and accessible. With this in mind, it is worth considering that the Ten Commandments were written in 297 words, the American Declaration of Independence in 300 – and the EU Directive for Exporting Duck Eggs an unfathomable 26,911 words!

Our strategic goal is to fulfil the UWC’s mission and values – delivered inspiringly and succinctly in 94 words – and this shall drive the strategic plan.

Chef Jonny Lidal with the fruits of his laboursOn Friday morning, the UWC RCN annual report – a printed encapsulation of our work and reflection on the year gone by – was released to coincide with the annual Council meeting. Please see the Report here.

The Council Meeting was followed by a wonderful dinner, coordinated by our Events students and staff team, in the Høegh – with performers from the March African Cultural Show reprising some of their acts for the after dinner entertainment.

Thank you to all those who contributed to the programme for our Council members and guests.

Here are some photos from the events.

Larry
Rektor

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