On Wednesday, Dragvoll will throw open its doors to welcome Trondheim residents, high school students from around Trøndelag and NTNU staff and students. Never before have so many joined forces to do so much to showcase the diversity of Dragvoll’s academic community.
Children. For those who want to learn more about babies and how they acquire language.
The globe. And climate. Debate, stories, theatre and exhibits.
“It will be great. We believe we have activities for absolutely everyone, no matter their age or interests.”
The finish line is in sight for Dragvoll Open Day Project Director Dominique Guyot, and she’s so eager to say as much as she can about the packed programme that she talks both when she inhales and exhales. NTNU's Centennial month begins Wednesday, and the celebration starts at Dragvoll with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management and the Faculty of Humanities as hosts.
The day is organized under six themes: Women and Men; Body and Soul; Books, Words and Music; The Child; The Planet; and “The Reality behind Reality”. The goal is to showcase the breadth and depth of Dragvoll’s academic disciplines, and to present something that’s far more high energy and original than just setting up seats so people can listen to enlightening speeches.
“With a university like NTNU, which has such a great history of research and public outreach, it is a bit like, ‘Yes! Now we’re going for mega outreach!’ We’ll show people a side of us that they may not know that well,” says Guyot.
Toddler theatre and conspiracy theories
The programme features screenings of student films throughout the day, along with four theatrical and musical performances. One of the four performances is of Trine Hild Blixrud’s “Meeting Room”, an interactive theatre event for one-to two-year olds and their grown-ups.
Lectures under the theme “The Child” illustrate the breadth of child-related research programmes at Dragvoll. “Born to talk” focuses on children’s innate ability to learn languages, while other offerings will examine the issue of children and fairy tales, along with a programme entitled, “Early language development - babies are too smart.” The Language Acquisition Laboratory will also be open for tours. “There is a lot for parents who want to learn more about child development,” says Guyot.
A dose of evolutionary psychology
This spring's debate over gender and biology raised issues that lie at the heart of research being conducted at Dragvoll. Wednesday’s open day will also include programmes related to gender issues. Mons Bendixen will give a lecture on gender and conflict from an evolutionary psychological perspective, while Agnes Bolsø will talk about “Questions about evolutionary psychological logic.” This will be opened to questions from the public.
Professor of Film Studies Anne Gjelsvik will hold a mini-lecture on the father as the new hero of American contemporary film. Professor Arnulf Kolstad will examine men and women from a cultural psychological perspective, and will discuss why we are and will always be different.
Your health- whose responsibility?
“Your health – your responsibility or the state’s?” is the theme of a large panel debate that will feature social scientist Borgunn Ytterhus, community medicine specialist and medical doctor Irene Hetlevik and associate professor of nursing education Toril Rannestad. The climate and the planet are the subject of another debate, where the question is whether we should believe the experts.
Under the theme “Body and Soul”, there will be lectures on euthanasia and self-determination, and why people really should exercise.
Conspiracy and vampires
A number of Dragvoll researchers also pursue questions surrounding the issue of “The reality behind reality”. Berit Skog, an expert in digital and new social media, wants people to join the Facebook survey, “Flirting, looking, geek, social ?...”. Bengt Molander will raise questions about the nature of knowledge, while Asbjørn Dyrendal, who studies the history of religion, will hold a mini-lecture on conspiracy theories.
Vampires in mythology, literature and film is the theme of another mini-lecture. Visitors will also be able to make their own lip balm in the “school laboratory”, while local history enthusiasts can meet with historians and ask them questions about anything related to history. There will be tours of the Dragvoll Gård, and a visual tour -- that is, a lecture with slides from the old Strinda.
“At the Human Movement Science Programme, people can enjoy a guided tour that includes a sports test. They have a giant treadmill, among other things,” Guyot says.
Translation Competition
If you are interested in language and arrive by 09.30, you can participate in a translation contest organized by the Department of Modern Foreign Languages. You get two hours to translate a text from Norwegian to Spanish, French, English or German.
“The translations will be assessed over the course of the day. The winner will be honoured on ‘the Street’ (the glassed-over walkway that links Dragvoll’s twelve buildings), with the prize being books from Tapir,” says Guyot.
Guyot has worked on organizing the Open Day since January, and ends her presentation of the event with an earnest appeal for people to come Wednesday and enjoy the diversity of what Dragvoll has to offer in the arts and social sciences.
“There are many, many activities, performances, guided tours, exhibitions, a book cafe and so on. The programme should energize everyone who comes,” says Guyot, who herself is a singer, a statistician and voice teacher. On Wednesday, she will have several roles to fill.
In addition to being the project director for the event, she is responsible for the monthly centennial musical offering. September’s musical event will take place on ‘the Street’, where Guyot will direct the NTNU choir-- and will also sing.
“Sure, I'll sing during the double lecture on Shakespeare and his sonnets, along with Margaret Stachiewicz,” she says.
