Norway

Healthcare expenditure in Norway per capita is among the highest in the world. The Norwegian healthcare system is organized on three levels, national, regional and local. The Ministry of Health at the National level has overall responsibility for the healthcare system. The regional level is represented by five regional health authorities, which have responsibility for specialist health care; and the local level represented by 434 municipalities, each has responsibility for primary health care.

The Norwegian health care system is primarily funded through taxation. The regional level provides the basis for specialist health care and plans the work according to the needs of the population and services are provided by the regional health authorities' hospital trusts (Helseforetak).

Each municipality has to decide how best to serve its population with primary care. Primary care is mainly publicly provided. The objective of primary care is to improve the general health of the population and to treat diseases and deal with health problems that do not require hospitalization. General practitioners are in practice self-employed, but financed through the National Insurance scheme, the municipalities and by the patient's out-of-pocket payments.

The main benefit of the Norwegian health care system is health care services for all based on need regardless of personal income.

Norway provides excellent and beautiful conditions for outdoor sports. Living there you will get a chance to discover the fjords and the mountains that have made Norway world famous.

Most Norwegians have a deep love of the great outdoors. In the summer you can go mountain biking, whale watching, kayaking, and caving. During the winter you have good opportunities to go skiiing and see the northern light. Fjord Norway and Northern Norway are popular destinations.

Fjord Norway is known for its stunning scenery with deep blue fjords, flowing waterfalls and sharp, snow-capped mountains that tower high above the water. Popular cliffs to hike to are Strolltunga and Preikestolen. The fjords form a natural playgrounds for all sorts of salt-water activities.

Northern Norway stretches from the idyllic Helgeland region to mainland Europe's northernmost point. Tromso and Lofoten are popular destinations. Tromso for exceptional hiking in the summer and skiing and dog sledding in winter. Lofoten is simply Norway at it's magic best.

The eastern of Norway is region of contrasts. You will not only find Oslo here as it is also known for Norway's highest mountains and glaciers offering great skiing, hiking and biking opportunities.

High season: June - August

Low season: November - April

The best time to do activities in Norway depends on the adventures you have planned. Mountain biking, whale watching, kayaking, and caving are just a few examples you can do in the summer. During the winter you have good opportunities to go skiiing and see the northern light. Norway is nowadays recognized as a year-round destination with shoulder season spring and fall combining great weather with less tourists.

Source: outdoyo.com

Despite its challenging geography, Norway has a decent developed infrastructure and trains and ferries that are ready to take you across the fjords. Ferries are popular in the Western part of the country and trains even reach beyond the Artic Circle in the North!

Driving around Norway takes you to places outside the cities and where public transport is limited or infrequent. This is a good way to travel if you are interested in seeing Norway's natural sceneries. Traffic is safe, speed is modest and most roads have little traffic. Drivers should allow plenty of time of for the drive and for frequent sightseeing stops.

Norwegian roads have varying quality. The main roads are the European highways indicated with an "E" in front of the number. For instance E6 is the main north-south corridor from Sweden via Oslo to Kirkenes in the very east of Northern Norway; see also E6 through Sweden and Norway. European highways connect cities, regions and countries. E18 connects Kristiansand and towns in South Norway to Oslo and Sweden. E16 connects Bergen to Oslo (via Flåm and Voss), road 7 is an alternate route to Bergen (via Hardangervidda). E39 is the coastal main road from Kristiansand via Stavanger, Bergen and Ålesund to Trondheim. The E-roads are excellent for navigation. Other main roads (national highways, "riksvei") have low one- or two-digit numbers, the most important of these are indicated with white fonts on green background (as opposed to black on white for most highways). Note however that the importance of the road does not indicate quality: even the E's may have narrow and slow sections. Most of Norway's motorways are on E6 and E18, but the E6 has less than 10 % motorway, while the E18 has almost 50 % motorway stretches.

The transportation sector is in transition all across the world. Norway has already come far in exploring sustainable solutions.

Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Norway, accounting for 31 per cent of the country’s emissions. Reducing these emissions will require large-scale electrification, which in turn requires wide-ranging innovations in all segments of the transport value chain.

Norway has made great strides in electrification. The country has seen nothing short of an electric vehicle revolution. By the first quarter of 2019, more than half of the passenger cars were fully electric. Delegations are coming from around the world to learn how Norway has made this happen.

Meshcrafts’ Smart Charge platform for EV charging.

Sustainability efforts are extending to more and more modes of transport. Maritime transport is gradually making the transition from heavily polluting fossil fuels to greener fossil fuels and electricity, while actors in passenger transport have set ambitious zero-emission targets.

There are a myriad of benefits to a green transition in the transport sector. New technology will not only reduce emissions, but it can also strengthen the transport system as a whole, improving freedom of movement and boosting safety and security.

A maritime revolution

The private and public sectors in Norway have joined forces and established the Green Shipping Programme. One of the programme’s most ambitious projects is the Yara Birkeland – the world’s first fully electric, autonomous container ship. Planned for launch in the course of 2020, the emission-free ship will replace 40 000 road freight trips annually to transport Yara’s fertiliser from the company’s factory near Porsgrunn to terminals further south in Brevik and Larvik. This will reduce carbon emissions by 750 metric tons.

Sources wikipedia.org, theexplorer.no

Norway has a world class school system. All children attend school for a minimum of 10 years. Children who have recently arrived in Norway will usually receive special attention to facilitate learning Norwegian. Primary and lower secondary education is free of charge, and the local authority pays for the children's school books. Children start school in August of the year in which they turn six. Before the age of six there are public day care centers that children may attend.

Education

It is increasingly common in Norway to complete higher education. One of the reasons is the fact that taking a degree is affordable.

The educational system is generally state-supported, to ensure that access to education is equal for all. This means that most institutions have no tuition fees. With such favourable conditions, you are almost expected to get a degree and experience the carefree student life.

The high quality of Norwegian universities and university colleges have led to more and more international students choosing to Study in Norway. The expectation that students should be ‘responsible for their own learning’ can, however, be a challenge for international students – especially considering all the opportunities on and off campus.

Students at Norwegian universities and university colleges are committed, both on and off campus. For international students, extracurricular activities can be the key to successful integration.

The Right to Education

All Norwegian children and youth have a right and an obligation to complete primary and lower secondary school. Adults are also entitled to primary and lower secondary education.

The Norwegian school system can be divided into three parts: Elementary school (Barneskole, ages 6–13), lower secondary school (Ungdomsskole, ages 13–16), and upper secondary school (Videregående skole, ages 16–19). In primary and lower secondary school pupils have one shared curriculum. Upper secondary brings greater freedom of choice – between so-called vocational subjects and specialising in general studies. This forms the basis of your professional life.

Patterns of Education

Today, nearly every third person in Norway has attained a higher level of education. The proportion with higher education has increased more among women than men. The group with the largest percentage taking higher education is women aged 30–39 years.

The largest and oldest universities in Norway are naturally located in the major cities. However, the government actively encourages growth in outlying districts by supporting smaller towns with grants and other funding schemes. In keeping with this policy, university colleges have been established in the countryside as well as in the cities.

Student Life

For most Norwegians, student life is a rich, social and active period in life. Alongside their studies, many have part-time jobs – to supplement their student loan and to gain work experience. As an international student you can also get a part-time job, with an upper limit of 20 hours a week. Many Norwegian students are also involved in student associations, such as student sports teams and student councils, and in organisations in culture and society in general.

Activities on and outside campus represent an important social context for student life; cultivating shared interests is fun and may lead to friends for life. For international students, this type of engagement is key to integrate with Norwegian students.

The living standard is generally high – even for students, making the Study in Norway experience generally.

Source: studyinnorway.no