The present and coming generations will have to tackle serious issues when it comes to climate changes and people being forced to leave their homes. One generation of our students has just graduated, and many leave with an urgency about tackling these issues. Awareness of environmental and humanitarian concerns is central in the education we offer here at RCN.

UWC RCN also has an ambition to engage beyond our campus and to invite groups and individuals to Haugland to gain knowledge and experience on what we have to offer. We are glad to announce that our partnership with Sparebankstiftinga Sogn & Fjordane, Sogn & Fjordane County and UDI has raised a total of 900 000 NOK for activities for this purpose. This will enable young persons from our region as well as refugees and individuals to join our human environment of purposeful diversity on activities that will equip them to meet challenges ahead.

It was a pleasure to welcome Steinar Bryn (senior adviser at the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue) to UWC RCN today. Steinar delivered the fourth UWC RCN Annual Constitution Lecture (based on the College’s Nordic Pillar) – following previous lectures by Kåre Willoch (former Prime Minister of Norway), Sven Mollekleiv (President of the Norwegian Red Cross) and Geir Lundestad (former Director of the Nobel Peace Institute and Secretary to the Nobel Committee).

Steinar has extensive experience working as a dialogue facilitator. He is highly recognized in communities like Vukovar, Prijedor, Srebrenica, Bratunac, Stolac, Kosovo Polje, Obilic, Mitrovica, Bujanovac and Jegunovce. He has also facilitated dialogue in the Middle East and between Somalian clans. He has facilitated hundreds of seminars, published numerous articles and has an extensive record of lecturing worldwide.

Steinar’s programme included: lunch with students from the Balkans and participants on the College’s Survivors of Conflict programme; a lecture to first years and staff on ‘Celebrating the National Day in a Multi-Ethnic Europe’; and a symposium on dialogue. Steinar’s lecture covered many issues – dialogue arenas, integration and assimilation; and stimulating insights into today’s Norway and the Nordic region. He finished the lecture by recognising that RCN is a special dialogue arena and inviting us to continue to develop the partnership with the Nansen School and Centre for Peace and Dialogue.