five questions to the professor

This week we moved ourselves to Oslo. In Oslo there is currently two students in the third cycle, and unfortunatly no students in the second cycle.  We hope they will have many applicants for semesterstart 2012. Look at the pictures below and see how nice Oslo is :)

Interview:

1. Please state your name,age, university and connection to the
RREprogram:

Stig Frøyshov, 50, University of Oslo, RRE coordinator and teacher


2. What is your area of expertise? and which courses do you teach in
the RREprogram?

My area of expertise is Christian liturgy and ritual, especially in Palestinian, Byzantine and other Eastern traditions. I work with sources in Greek, Georgian, Slavonic and to some degree Syriac and Armenian. In my doctoral thesis I edited, translated and commented upon the oldest Horologion (Book of daily offices, originated at the Resurrection cathedral in Jerusalem), preserved in Georgian only and for its content datable to about 600 CE.


3. How do you find the this way of teaching, which is not regular
university courses but also not distance learning?

I think it is the best we can do within the program model that have we. Regular university classes are not always totally relevant and useful, either. It seems to me that the hardest part is on the students, because the contact with the teacher is not immediate and there is more individual and independent study. All in all, the student learning in RRE is not inferior to that of "regular" students. If there is a vital student group locally this weighs up for a lot. Finally, the method of frequent papers and task is beneficial for student learning and helps keeping focused.


4. What do you expect from your students?

I expect serious and regular study, to the best of each student's ability.


5. If you could have any superhuman power, what would it be and why?

I very much would have liked to go back in history and actually be present at the liturgies I study! Then all my questions as to how and what and perhaps why would be answered...





Some pics from Second cycles compact seminar in Oslo, April 2011

 while some people were studying hard...

 ....others enjoyed the sunshine outside the faculty :)

 we went to a nice restaurant to eat....            (Clement, Stig and Jakob)

.... and was even invited home to Professor Halvor Moxnes

...and of course we went out in town :)                 (Magnus and Saara)

All Pictures: Tanya Mylova.