Swedish Ambassador to Visit Gustavus

His Excellency Jan Eliasson, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, will visit the Gustavus Adolphus College campus Monday, May 10. Eliasson will meet with students and faculty in the Scandinavian Studies program at the Barbro Osher Swedish House in the Carlson International Center. He will also join Gustavus students, faculty, and administrators for an open reception in the Presidents Dining Room in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center. Contact Jonathan Kraatz at 507/933-7510 or jkraatz@gustavus.edu if interested in covering the ambassador’s visit.

Schedule

1:30 — 2:20 p.m. Meet with Scandinavian Studies students, Swedish House

2:30 — 4 p.m. Reception, Presidents Dining Room

The many Gustavus connections to Sweden include:

• Gustavus was recently ranked fourth in the Institute of International Education’s “Top 20 Baccalaureate Institutions” for the number of students studying abroad. Students have the opportunity to study in a variety of locations around the world, ranging from Australia and Peru to Japan and Sweden. There are also seven students from Sweden studying at Gustavus for 2003-04; four seeking degrees and three on exchange programs.
• In addition to hosting an Out of Scandinavia residency, the college — named for Swedish King Gustav II Adolf — maintains other Swedish ties. For example, it hosts the annual Nobel Conference® — the first ongoing educational conference in the United States to have the official authorization of The Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, has exchange programs in Scandinavia, and has many buildings that extol the Swedish heritage.
• The interdisciplinary program in Scandinavian Studies acquaints students with different aspects of Nordic culture and society. In addition to a four-year curriculum in the Swedish language, the program offers courses, taught in English, dealing with Nordic history, masterworks of Scandinavian literature and film, Finnish and Sami culture, the sagas of the Viking Age, and units on Scandinavian-American immigration. Emphasis is placed on modern life and the influence of the New Europe in present-day Scandinavia.
• Barbro Osher Svenska Huset and the adjoining Curtis and Arleen Carlson International Center opened in September 2000 to support the college’s mission of bringing an international dimension to a Gustavus education. Established at Gustavus in 1974 for students wanting to immerse themselves in Swedish culture and language, it serves as a home to as many as 10 students per year — often including Swedish international students along with American students studying Swedish language and culture — and a place for cultural and social events.