Norwegian university to develop study programs with emphasis on Islamic theology
The Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo will develop new study programs for religious leaders with specific emphasis on Islamic theology.
This is a direct result of the Norwegian parliament’s decision to allocate NOK 5 million ($640,000) annually to establish a “flexible education of religious leaders” at the University of Oslo (UiO), which was taken in late 2017, Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reported.
According to Oddbjørn Leirvik of the UiO, the Faculty of Theology has long sought to establish a master’s degree level education in Islamic theology. Therefore, the possibility of further expanding its multi-religious studies is more than welcome, he said.
Leirvik stressed the university’s “special responsibility” for developing a wide range of studies of Abrahamic religions.
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest university, and is traditionally ranked among Scandinavia’s best. Until recently it was also the country’s largest, but it has been surpassed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
