Written by: Hanna Maria Jones

Read more: Press release from the Ministry of Education and Research (in Norwegian)

– This means a lot to NTNU, but most importantly to the staff and students in our health and social sciences. They will get better study conditions closer to colleagues on Øya. Now our health and social sciences can be combined with the rest of the health and medical environments, integrated with the hospital and relevant municipality health services, says Acting Rector Anne Borg.

Proximity between subjects and relevant professional practice

The building is important for completing the integration of the health and social sciences in Trondheim after the merger. Unifying them on Øya will facilitate increased interaction internally between the health disciplines, and between health and the technology disciplines.

Proximity to professional practice in the municipality health sector and the university hospital adds further value to the education that now becomes part of the health and medicine cluster centered around St. Olavs hospital.

– Norway benefits greatly from a new building for the health and social sciences. This means that we can educate candidates with relevant interdisciplinary skills to meet modern day working life, says the Rector.

Strengthens health and social science environments

Co-location on Øya will bring researchers and teachers from the various health professions closer together. This will lower the threshold for collaboration in research, teaching and guidance, and will provide opportunities for mutual academic boost.

The new building av Elgesetergate 10 has been designed with the potential for new, more student-active teaching methods. The new premises are a contribution to improving the quality of teaching.

– Now we can finally offer our students flexible and modern solutions for education, where several of the activities that the students need during the day can be carried out in the same place, says Dean Marit Reitan at the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences.

 
Health and social sciences and sports facilities in the same building

In the new building, the health and social sciences are co-located with a new sports building for Sit. The link between health and sports is not accidental. A collaboration with Sits sports areas will provide valuable learning space for students during the day, and good sports facilities for Trondheim’s students after school.

– The workout areas will give great value to the various academic communities, such as physical therapy and exercise science, who can use the areas for their teaching, says Björn Gustafsson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

– A building that can be used for teaching, research, social arena, training and student culture is a positive addition to the students in Trondheim. And when they get close to the rest of NTNU, students can spend their time on the actual study day, and not on where and when the bus goes to their next class. Hurray! This is a good day for the students, says Nina Salvesen, Chair of the Welfare Council and Cecilie Bjørnsdotter Raustein, Chair for the Student Parliament at NTNU in a joint statement.

Read more: Elgesetergate 10 project website