and Cambridge. Without actual residence in a college this is impossible. But whereas foreign students have been able to attend courses at English universities, it has always been very difficult for them to obtain permission to reside at a college, sharing to the full all that the college environment can offer. From 1920, with the exception of the years 1926–27 and the war years 1940–44, Norwegian students were awarded the Norway Scholarship for studies of the most varied description. However, as the basic funding of the scholarship proved inadequate, the scholars soon became dependent on supplementary grants from other university funds, but from the late 1970s even this arrangement proved inadequate to meet rising costs. For some years no scholars were appointed at all. The basic foundation capital had by then shrunk to only NOK. 130 000.- (about GBP 6500.- at the current rate of exchange). In the late 1970s Alf Bøe (Wadham. 1952) as head of the Committee, called on Andor Birkeland (Wadham. 1946) of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, accountant Sven Guldberg (Wadham. 1937) and former Minister for Culture Helge Sivertsen (Wadham. 1938). With the help of the College and of William Bentley, British Ambassador to Norway, they were able to raise NOK 1 170 000 (around GBP 117 000). In the 1990s Bøe formed a new committee consisting of Michael Benskin (St. Peter's. 1965), Haakon Melander (Balliol. 1966) and Erik Rudeng (Norway scholar. 1969). Iver B. Neumann (Norway Scholar. 1988) was recruited in 1993. When Bøe retired in 2003, Neumann took over as chair. Bjørn Blindheim (Norway Scholar. 1992) and Neumann formed a Norwegian chapter of the Oxford Society, with Blindheim as chair. Since 1981 the Committee has organised an annual dinner with a guest of honour from Oxford University, who has also given one or more lectures locally in Oslo. King Harald V of Norway (Balliol College.1960) often participates at the grand dinner of Norway Scholars that is held each year in Oslo by the Oxford University Society Norway. Past Norway Scholars References External links Oxford University Society Norway Education in Norway Scholarships in the United Kingdom Awards and prizes of the University of Oxford 1920 establishments in England 1920 establishments in Norway Wadham College, Oxford Awards established in 1920 Norway–United Kingdom relations