Hello all,
When the leaves begin to show their first early hints of red, it’s surely time again for autumn, and for the start of a new academic year here at UBC. Soon, campus will be bursting with student energy, reunited friends, and the promise and potential of a good year ahead. I’m thrilled to welcome everyone back to campus this year, in my second as the Director of Nordic Undergraduate Studies.
For me, the summer was a good one, filled with writing and travel. The highlight was a 3 week trip to Sápmi, where I attended the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association conference in Bådåddjo, helped run a Sámi-Anishinaabe traditional arts and culture exchange at the Saemien Sijte Museum in Snåsa, and met some distant cousins on the Finnish side of Sápmi. If you want to get to know me or my work better, you’re welcome to visit my faculty page.
We’ve had a busy past year in our program. In addition to our weekly fika coffee hours, and annual St. Lucia festival, we hosted Sámi literary scholar Mathilde Magga and novelist Bill Arnott. We held meetings with the Jari Vilén, the Finnish Ambassador to Ottawa, and Jón Atli Benediktsson, the President of the University of Iceland to explore and initiate the development of Finnish and Icelandic course sequences at UBC. Our Danish lecturer Ann-Kathrine Havemose led the Danish language students on a tour of Seattle’s Nordic area, along with the Thomas Dambo troll art installation.
We’d also like to offer warm congratulations to our recent alum Annika Andersson, who won the Aurora Borealis Prize for Best Undergraduate Paper from the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study; and also to Ashley Kim, Louis Payne, James Sheng and Jane M. Szeto, who were each awarded a Danish Church of Vancouver Granly Prize for scholarly achievement in the Danish Language courses.
What to expect from Nordic Studies in 2024- 2025
In the year ahead, we’re looking forward to carrying all this good momentum forward. Highlights of our upcoming year include:
- Course offerings in Danish and Swedish languages (SWED and DANI 100/110, 200/210), and topics courses on Issues and Conflicts in Danish and Nordic Societies (NORD 414), Norse Mythology (NORD 339), Nordic Cinema (NORD 337), Sámi Culture (NORD 340), Witches (CENS 307), Nordic Contemporary Literature (NORD 334), Indigenous Arctic Art and Activism (CENS 203/NORD 341), and Shamanism (RGST 400).
- The second annual Danish language student trip, led by Ann-Kathrine Havemose—this time to to the Danish settlement, Solvang, in California. The trip will be free or low cost, and scheduled for late February. Enrolled students in a Danish language course will be eligible for the trip.
- Students now have the opportunity to attend a 3-week Icelandic summer school program for credit—offered jointly through UBC, the University of Alberta, and the University of Iceland—giving students the opportunity to learn about Icelandic history, literature, and cultures in Iceland.
- A ramped up calendar of academic, community, and social events (like fika—see schedule here) with double the number of campus visitors, and more special programs like Nordic game or crafting nights for students. If you’d like to join the Nordic studies listserv, email me (below), and you’ll receive notification for any events related to Nordic studies on campus.
Want to talk about Nordic Studies? Reach out!
If you have any interest in the Nordic minor or Nordic courses, studying in a Nordic country or learning a Nordic language (including through Independent study), please feel free to be in touch. The best way to reach me is via email (tim.frandy@ubc.ca). If you’d like to connect with other students with interest in Nordic studies, you may want to connect to the Scandinavian & Nordic Student Association (SNSA).
Looking forward to seeing you all on campus in a few weeks!
