At the same time as Norwegian universities and colleges have opened their doors to physical teaching, Tiril Aasen (20) has had to follow the teaching in China online at home in Norway – in the middle of the night.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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The first year of study did not go quite as planned for Tiril Aasen (20). She was actually supposed to be on campus in China, but for the past year has had to participate in the teaching from her desk at home in Sandnes.
The fact that the compulsory teaching begins at 02 in the morning does not make the situation any easier.
– It’s very special, I feel like I’m living in two time zones at the same time. I always know what time it is both here and in China.
Aasen studies international relations at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, located in the city of Suzhou outside Shanghai. She took Mandarin lessons at high school and at the folk high school, and has wanted to learn more about the language and culture.
– I wanted to study somewhere that was very different from Norway. In addition, it seems exciting to work with Norway-China relations in the future.
Never been to China
Despite planned trips at both upper secondary school and with the folk high school, Aasen has never been to China himself.
– I have tried to get to China many times, but never succeeded.
While the borders in many places in the world have been open for a long time, China has retained the strict border regulation. There are few planes that travel to China and according to Aasen, China has not accepted international students.
For a long time she hoped that she would be able to travel after Christmas, but when the infection increased again in Shanghai, that was not possible. Now she says that she has chosen to put aside any hope of being able to travel in the near future.
– I’m just disappointed. We’d rather take it as it comes.
Shanghai has had strict infection control regulations. This video shows the corona police in action.
Digital student life
It is not only the lectures and seminars that are digital. Aasen has had to make friends and join student organizations online.
– It was a bit strange not to meet the other students physically, but my generation has become very good at adapting to a digital everyday life.
Aasen says that the students have created a digital campus on the social media Discord. Here it has its own channels for various classes, colloquiums and student activities.
– The sports clubs have died out a bit, but some school clubs have events digitally.
The student must also take the “physical” exam online. When she took her last exam, she had to sit with two cameras at different angles showing the screen and her room, to show that she wasn’t cheating.
China investment
President of ANSA, the Association for Norwegian Students Abroad, Sine Schei, says that the situation is improving for Norwegian students abroad.
– I don’t think there are very many people who have to sit at home and study abroad anymore. But it is particularly China and New Zealand where it has been difficult to get in, she says.
–Schei says that there are many people who have chosen China for studies and exchange after the pandemic. She points out that in the academic year 2021–2022 there were 29 Norwegian degree students and 14 exchange students in China who received support from the Lånekassen.
This is a clear decrease from the academic year 2017/2018, where there were around 50 degree students and well over 100 exchange students. Schei nevertheless believes that more people will apply to China in the future.
– From the autumn, you will receive an extra stipend to go on exchange in China, NOK 2,500 a month. China is one of the countries in the government’s Panorama strategy, so I have good faith that we will see higher student numbers there in the future.
The panorama strategy is the government’s strategy from 2021–2027 for research and higher education cooperation with a selection of countries outside the EU/EEA.
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