Governance
of the Maison de Norvège

Tell us about your background and how you came to the Cité internationale.

Living at the Cité internationale takes me back to my early years of higher education, when I first discovered the campus, among other things for its sports facilities, although I never lived there at the time. I was then a student at the Sorbonne Paris IV, studying Scandinavian languages and literature. During my studies, I took part in various European programmes, first working as a language assistant at a secondary school in Trondheim and then continuing my studies in Bergen. I subsequently studied music and performing arts administration. I spent several years working at the Centre régional des Lettres de Basse-Normandie, where I was involved in organising the Les Boréales festival, dedicated to Nordic cultures. I then worked in the Culture and Communications Department of the Norwegian Embassy in Paris, before becoming an administrator at the Norwegian University Centre in Paris, hosted by the Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme, where I have been working since 2021.

In your view, what makes the Cité internationale a unique campus in the world?

There are probably very few places in the world that bring together such an exceptional concentration and diversity of international communities, a wide range of daily cultural, scientific and sporting activities, an urban park with remarkable biodiversity, an extraordinary variety of architectural styles, and the vibrant energy of student life, all on a single campus. This unique environment benefits the entire academic community of the Paris region. Every year, thousands of residents are able to make the most of it and, I believe, enrich their lives in a truly incomparable way.

How does living in your residence give residents a different perspective on the world and provide a springboard for their future?

This imposing building has a strong Nordic identity and is reminiscent, in some respects, of Oslo City Hall. The individual rooms offer simple accommodation, while residents share the sanitary facilities and kitchens. Bringing together people of many different nationalities means that everyone has the opportunity to share everyday experiences with people whose cultural and educational backgrounds may differ considerably from their own. These living conditions require cooperation and active involvement, and I believe that Norwegian culture lends itself particularly well to this, with its strong emphasis on openness, consideration for others and mutual support. This is reflected in the Norwegian concept of “dugnad”, which refers to working together voluntarily and without compensation for the benefit of the community. Sharing, pooling resources, but also encountering different ideas, cultures and habits seems to me to be an important experience for understanding the world in which we live.

If you had to sum up the Cité internationale in one word, what would it be and why?

The word “compass”, which helps us find our way physically, but also enables us to maintain a moral direction in a world that seems increasingly fragmented and in which crises follow one another. The Cité internationale was founded in the interwar period around a powerful idea: to promote peace and understanding between peoples by bringing students from all over the world together. The creation and history of the Cité internationale remind us of the importance of these values and of our responsibility to uphold them. This internationalist and pacifist project can therefore be seen as a compass for those who are, and will be, connected with this place.