We are thrilled that the Department of Philosophy has received final approval for an Erasmus+ staff mobility exchange scheme with the University of Tromsø (UiT), the 'Arctic University of Norway'.
Tromsø prides itself on being the 'world’s northernmost university', and one of the 'four main research universities' in Norway, boasting a high-quality research infrastructure (not to mention the northernmost branch of Burger King in the world...). The Philosophy Department at UiT is a large department (over 40 staff members), with several internationally well-regarded members of staff. Academics from both institutions will be able to visit each other and collaborate mainly in the area of 'Philosophy and Ethics' (e.g.see here) – whether it be for sharing good practice, producing publication outputs, or bidding for funds.
There is already a large overlap of research interests between Liverpool and Tromsø. In fact, Dr Attila Tanyi worked at Liverpool before moving to Tromsø, and Prof. Simon Hailwood recently delivered a talk at Tromsø, as part of a conference series on environmental philosophy. (In his words: 'The hotel was great – best one I’ve stayed in at an academic conference – and had an excellent notice in the bathroom. Words to the effect: ‘Is it very windy and raining outside? Good – that’s how we power this hotel!’)
We hope that with the support of the Erasmus+ scheme we can expand this fruitful collaboration and extend it to participating students in the near future. From trying reindeer pizza and seeing the Northern Lights to making the most of research and infrastructure on the cutting edge, few things can add more to a student's portfolio!