University of Tromsø

University rankings
University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World	601–700 (2023)
QS World	=577 (2024)
THE World	501–600 (2024)
USNWR Global	=475 (2023)

University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway
UiT – Norges arktiske universitet
UiT – Noregs arktiske universitet
UiT – Norgga árktalaš universitehta
Motto	Drivkraft i nord
Motto in English	Driving force in the North
Type	Public University
Established	1968
Chair	Marianne Elisabeth Johnsen
Rector	Dag Rune Olsen
Total staff	3776 (2021)
Students	17,808 (2021)
Location	Tromsø, Alta, Hammerfest, Harstad and Narvik, Norway
Affiliations	EUA, UArctic
Website	www.uit.no

The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet; Northern Sami: Romssa universitehta – Norgga árktalaš universitehta) is a state university in Norway and the world's northernmost university.^[3] Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established by an act of parliament in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of ten universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in Northern Norway and the sixth-largest university in Norway.^[4] The university's location makes it a natural venue for the development of studies of the region's natural environment, culture, and society.

The main focus of the university's activities is on auroral light research, space science, fishery science, biotechnology, linguistics, multicultural societies, Saami culture, telemedicine, epidemiology and a wide spectrum of Arctic research projects. The close vicinity of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Polar Environmental Centre^[5] gives Tromsø added weight and importance as an international centre for Arctic research. Research activities, however, are not limited to Arctic studies. The university researchers work within a broad range of subjects and are recognised both nationally and internationally.

History

Mergers

On 1 January 2009, the University of Tromsø merged with Tromsø University College. The college's teacher education department (the descendant of the Tromsø Seminarium first established in 1848) became part of the university's department of education and pedagogy. On 1 August 2013, the university merged with Finnmark University College to form Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet (The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway), thereby adding campuses in Alta, Hammerfest, and Kirkenes.^[6] On 1 January 2016, Narvik University College and Harstad University College merged with UiT - The Arctic University of Norway. As of January 2016 the university now has six campus locations in northern Norway, the main campus being Tromsø.

Spy case in 2022

In October 2022 a guest researcher at UiT was arrested by the Norwegian Police Security Service and charged with espionage against Norway. The researcher posed as a Brazilian researcher named José Assis Giammaria, but later revealed that he is a Russian citizen by the name Mikhail Valerijevitsj Mikusjin.

Mikusjin is a suspected illegalist who worked for the Russian intelligence service GRU.^[7]

Faculties and other units

The university is primarily divided into six faculties with multiple subordinate departments and several associated centres.^[8]

Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology
- The Norwegian College of Fishery Science
- School of Business and Economics
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science
Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology
- Department of Industrial Engineering
- Department of Building, Energy and Material Technology
- Department of Automation and Process Engineering
- Department of Computer Science and Computational Engineering
- Department of Electrical Engineering
Faculty of Health Sciences
- Department of Medical Biology
- Department of Community Medicine
- Department of Clinical Medicine
- Department of Pharmacy
- Department of Clinical Dentistry
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Health and Care Sciences
- School of sport sciences
- Department of Social Education
Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education
- The Barents Institute
- Centre for Women's and Gender Research
- Centre for Peace Studies, Tromsø (CPS)
- Department of Tourism and Northern Studies
- Centre for Sami Studies
- Department of Archaeology, History, Religious Studies and Theology
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of History and Religious Studies
- Department of Culture and Literature
- Department of Education
- Department of Language and Linguistics
  - Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics
- Department of Social Sciences
- Department of Language and Culture
- Department of Child Welfare and Social Work
Faculty of Law
- Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea
The Arctic University Museum of Norway and the Academy of Arts
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway
- Conservatory of Music
- Academy of Arts
Faculty of Science and Technology
- Department of Chemistry
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Geosciences
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics
- Department of Physics and Technology
- Department of Technology and Safety
  - Tromsø School of Aviation
- Lie-Størmer Center for fundamental structures in computational and pure mathematics
The University Library

Rankings and reputation

Buildings & architecture

Campus Tromsø

University Campus Brevika in Tromsø consists of total 34 buildings and objects.

Administration building, 1989 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
Arctic Biology building, 1993 (Arkitektkontoret Amundsen AS)
Ardna
Breivang building, 1951 / renovated 2016 (Arkitektkontoret Amundsen AS)
Breivika III, 1983 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS / Borealis Arkitekter AS)
Exact Sciences (Realfag) building, 1978 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor)
Lower and Upper Gazebo buildings (Nedre og Øvre Lysthus), 1991 (Blå strek arkitekter AS)
Medical and Health Faculty building, 1991 (Borealis Arkitekter AS & John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
Museum Botanical Unit (Kvaløyvegen 30), built in 1952 as aquarium (Reidar Kolstrand), taken by museum in 1959, converted to Marine biology station in 1982 (Eigill Hallset), rebuilt and restored in 1999.
Natural Sciences (Naturfag) building, 1974, extended 1988, restored and rebuilt 2003 (A2-arkitektkontor AS, by architect MNAL Øyvind Ragde, Aall & Løkeland AS Redevelopment: Paul Pincus, Borealis AS)
Norwegian College of Fishery Science, 1994 (Steinsvik Arkitektkontor AS)
Northern Lights Observatory, 1971 (Terje Jacobsen & Eigill Hallset)
- Northern Lights Planetarium / Science Centre of Northern Norway, 1989 (John Kristoffersen Arkitektkontor AS)
Operations Centre, 1985 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS)
Pharmacy Building, 1998 (Borealis Arkitekter AS)
Polar Museum
Theoretical Subjects (Teorifag) building, Houses 1-6, 2004 (Telje-Torp-Aasen Arkitektkontor AS)
Tromsø University Museum, 1961 (Blakstad & Munthe-Kaas Arkitektkontor, Oslo)
University Library, 1981 (Arkitektkontoret Dalsbøe & Østgaard AS in cooperation with Ark. MNAL Leif Olav Moen)

Honorary doctors

Mari Boine, Norway (2018)
Olav Holt, Norway (2018)
Richard Horton, UK (2018)
Arieh Warshel, US (2018)
Laila Stien, Norway (2015)
Trond Mohn, Norway (2015)
Oran R. Young, US (2015)
Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway (2011)
Narve Bjørgo, Norway (2008)
Ole Henrik Magga, Norway (2008)
Barbara Neis, Canada (2008)
Steven Pinker, US (2008)
Johan P. Olsen, Norway (2006)
Jan Raa, Norway (2006)
Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Mexico (2006)
Ottar Brox, Norway (2003)
Erica I.A. Daes, Greece (2003)
Tor Hagfors, Norway (2003)
Nawal el-Saadawi, Egypt (2003)
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet (2001)
Mordechai Vanunu, Israel (2001)
William Nygaard, Norway (1998)
Salman Rushdie, UK (1998)
Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia (1998)
Robert Paine, Canada (1998) ^[13]
Susanne Romaine, UK (1998)
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Guatemala (1996)
Carsten Smith, Norway (1995)
Desmond Mpilo Tutu, South Africa (1994)
Jørn Dyerberg, Denmark (1993)
Torstein Bertelsen, Norway (1993)
Georg Henrik von Wright, Finland (1993)
Ragnhild Sundby, Norway (1993)
Helga Marie Hernes, Norway (1993)
Parzival Copes, Canada (1993)
Amy van Marken, Netherlands (1987)
Kjell Bondevik, Norway (1982)
Peter F. Hjort, Norway (1982)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received an honorary doctorate at the University of Tromsø in 2011 for having secured an agreement on the dividing line in the Barents Sea but lost his status after 28 February 2022 due to a board decision related to his co-responsibility for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[14]^[15]

Notable faculty

Nils Jernsletten (born 1934), professor of Sámi and editor of Sámi newspaper Ságat (1964–1966)^[16]
Jelena Porsanger (born 1967), Russian Sami ethnographer, university rector

Notable alumni

Monica Kristensen Solås (born 1950), glaciologist, meteorologist, polar explorer and crime novelist^[17]
Svein-Erik Hamran (born 1960), led the development of the RIMFAX for the Mars rover Perseverance
Sandra Márjá West (born 1990), politician and festival manager of Riddu Riđđu
Marianne Haukland (born 1989), politician and member of the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs

Logo

The ravens in the university's logo are Huginn and Muninn. In Norse mythology, Hugin and Munin travel the world for Odin, bringing him news and information. Huginn represents thought and Muninn memory. Ravens are an early Norse symbol, used, for example, on the raven banner.