For the 2023-2024 academic year, the US-Norway Fulbright Foundation accepted its largest cohort since 1954: 39 American grantees to Norway, and 28 Norwegian grantees to the US. This year’s grantees are conducting research on maternal mortality, supporting Ukrainian refugees, underwater autonomous vehicles, climate change in the arctic, and many other endeavors.
Orientation & legacy
The US-Norway Fulbright Foundation pulled out the red carpet for us by hosting orientation at Schafteløkken, one of Oslo’s largest timber buildings. Schafteløkken was built in 1807 first as a homesteading farm, and is a classic example of the Empirestil (empire style) of architecture that originated in the Napoleonic era of France and gained popularity during the early 1800s in Scandinavia. Despite being located in the cosmopolitan city of Oslo, this introduction to the country gave us a taste of the agrarian heritage that still defines much of Norway. As my middle school students would often say, ‘’vibes.’’
Schafteløkken
Orientation sessions served as a crash course introduction to Norwegian culture, engaging with our host institutions, traditional foods, and an explanation of Senator J. William Fulbright’s controversial legacy. It’s safe to assume that most Fulbright grantees are unaware of much information about our program’s namesake. A stalwart opponent to McCarthyism and the Vietnam War, Senator Fulbright was also a staunch WWII-era Southern Democrat: he voted against the Civil Rights Act, opposed public school desegregation, and sought to preserve Jim Crow laws.
Prior to his work in Congress, Senator Fulbright served as the president of the University of Arkansas, which now houses the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as well as a statue in his likeness. Former and current Black students, faculty, and staff at the University of Arkansas beginning in 2020 created the hashtag #BlackatUARK on twitter ‘’to oppose dominant public memories of Fulbright and share their experiences of anti-Black racism on campus.’’
Hearing the Fulbright staff describe the organizing and activism at the University of Arkansas, I left wrestling with the ideas of legacy and accountability. What responsibility do we have to the actions of those who came before us? How does this responsibility change when we are participants in programs that bear their names? How can we move past acknowledgement into tangible change?
My thoughts turned to my graduate school. Founded by President Lyndon B. Johnson, public events and informational placards within the school look at his administration through rose-colored glasses, emphasizing LBJ’s ‘’Great Society’’ domestic programs and policies to address poverty, education, healthcare, and civil rights. At the same time, rarely are the consequences of his policies interrogated, or much less even acknowledged, by the school. Take for example the 1.3 million deaths during the Vietnam War, over a third of which were Vietnamese civilians. During my time at the LBJ School, I also saw how international students often knew much more about LBJ’s legacy than the American students.
Perhaps it was due to spending two days in a 200-year old building, but I left thinking about how to build something that lasts. There’s a famous adage attributed to Maya Angelou that feels particularly instructive: ‘’You did then what you knew how to do. Now that you know better, you do better.’’ We have an obligation to address hard truths about our past, and to move forward with that collective knowledge.
Reception at the Norwegian Nobel Institute
After orientation, we attended a reception at the Norwegian Nobel Institute with United States Ambassador to Norway Marc Nathanson, and Norway’s State Secretary for Research and Higher Education Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel. After hearing remarks from these leaders, each of us took a turn at the podium to share about our background and research. Naturally I had to throw my horns up.
Introducing my research and bringing a little Texas to Norway
2023-2024 US Fulbright Grantees to Norway with US Ambassador to Norway Marc Nathanson and Norway’s State Secretary for Research and Higher Education Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel
The Nobel Institute lies across the street from the Royal Palace, and is where the Nobel Committee works from January to October to decide who should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Many Norwegians take national pride in being the sole country responsible for awarding the Peace Prize, a duty granted separate from all other Nobel prizes and possibly due to Norway’s reputation for peace efforts in the modern era. This year’s winner is Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist fighting against the oppression of women in Iran.
Entering through the Institute’s ornately carved wooden doors, the interior is designed in a stately art nouveau style. Adorned with images of past Peace Prize recipients, there’s a sense of sacredness inside - not of a religious kind, but rather resonating with deep significance.
This year’s cohort has already been a fantastic group of people to connect with, with many instances of remarking what a small world it is because of our shared backgrounds. For example, meeting my fellow Oles (people from St. Olaf College) Emily Johnson, who is researching nature-based preschools in Trondheim, as well as Pat and Scott Anfinson — Pat was on staff at St. Olaf when I was a student!
Norse Nibbles
At the end of each blog post, I’ll have a recurring series called ‘’Norse Nibbles,’’ sharing interesting stories and tidbits about Norwegian culture, though not always directly related to the topic of the post itself.
For the first Norse Nibbles installment, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite topic: FOOD. While the food scene in Norway has undergone a massive transition in recent years, largely due to Norway’s burgeoning immigrant population, it’s no secret that the Norwegians aren’t particularly known for having the most delicious food in the world (if you’ve ever had Lutefisk, you know what I’m talking about). However, centuries of cultivating food in such a harsh climate have created a unique culinary style that is hearty, at times quirky, and not to be missed.
The Fulbright Norway staff during orientation treated us to what we in the US would call a smörgåsbord, though that’s really a Swedish word, of traditional Norwegian foods.
My good friend Marit has also taken great pride in making traditional Norwegian meals for me and my roommate. One particular highlight was Fårikål, the national dish of Norway. It is made with mutton with bone, cabbage, whole black pepper, wheat flour, and served with potatoes. After eating this, I felt ready to go herd sheep for the day.
Fårikål
One hilarious food tradition in Norway is ‘’Taco Fredag’’ (Taco Friday). This is a direct equivalent of what we jokingly refer to as ‘’white people taco night’’ in the states: crispy taco shells, ground beef with a package of seasoning mix, Ortega sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, etc. But what makes Norway’s Taco Fredag truly special is that almost every grocery store has an entire aisle dedicated solely to this meal. Don’t worry, Norwegians know it’s silly.
The next post will be about my research at the University of Oslo. To get an email update the next time I publish here, you can sign up below. :-)