– ISFiT will affect all of Trondheim
A lot of people don't know what ISFiT is. To find out, Under Dusken asks the president.
Every other year ISFiT becomes a topic of discussion. But a lot of students, especially new ones, don't know what it is. The president of the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT), Jørgen Thorsen, describes ISFiT in the following way:
– ISFiT is the largest international student festival in the world. 450 foreign students along with 400 students from Trondheim gather to fulfill ISFiT's vision: to create the ideas and attitudes that will change the world, he says.
«Globalize This: Health»
During the festival, which will take place from the 11th to the 20th of February, 17 different workshops will be open, all of them based on the theme of the festival, which in 2011 will be global health.
– This time we will focus on global health, and the festival is named «Globalize This: Health», the president of ISFiT says.
He emphasizes that even though the festival is arranged by students, it is not exclusively for students.
– ISFiT is for everyone! From the 11th to the 20th of February parts of Samfundet will be open for everyone. We have a wide range of cultural activities planned, including conserts, stand-up comedy and a variety of speeches. ISFiT will affect the entire city, he says.
International recognition
The festival has been praised by the former US president Bill Clinton for it's contribution in gathering the students of the world. Prominent figures such as Gro Harlem Brundtland, Dalai Lama and Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu has also acknowledged ISFiT's importance by attending the festival.
– ISFiT is a meeting place for students around the world. We work toward establishing connections and breaking down barriers, Thorsen says.
4300 foreign applicants
ISFiT is a non-profit organization which is made possible by voluntary work. Thorsen points out that ISFiT does not earn any money for arranging the festival, and he goes on to explain how contributors are selected:
– To be a part of ISFiT one must apply, like at Samfundet and UKA. In addition to the 400 volunteers from Trondheim, this year we recieved roughly 4300 applications from foreign students, of which 450 of the most motivated are chosen to be participators, he says.
The Student Peace Prize
The Student Peace Prize is awarded annually under the direction of ISFiT, but the president calls attention to the fact that even though they organize the Student Peace Prize, it is not up to ISFiT to choose who recieves the prize.
– In resemblance to the Norwegian government's relation to the Nobel Peace Prize, we at ISFiT are only responsible for the main process and the establishment of an award-committee, he says.
The Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assist Fund and the Norwegian Studentorganization are amongst those represented in the committee, along with the former head Ole Danbolt Mjøs of the Nobel Peace Prize committe and secretary-general Børge Brende from the Norwegian Red Cross.
