CCU students attend International Student Fest in Norway

Four Coastal Carolina University students from the University’s politics, global studies, and the intelligence and national security programs participated in the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT) in Norway.

Charles Stackhouse, Dylan Fender, Austin Nichols and Erin Bair represented the United States along with more than 400 students from all over the world in Trondheim, Norway, Feb. 4 to 12, to deliberate on the theme of global corruption. The students also took part in the event as part of a curriculum for a POLI 491 on global corruption.

The International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT) is the world’s largest student gathering, bringing together students from about 160 countries to discuss and debate current global issues and help shape an agenda for the future.

For 25 years, the event has featured different themes, and with this year’s theme of global corruption, the CCU students were in workshops discussing issues such as cultural differences, governance and development, and democracy. Students from different countries were invited to submit an application through a competitive process, which includes essays. Out of the thousands of applicants, about 400 students are invited to Trondheim for the conference.

ISFiT has featured well-known speakers including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Gro Harlem Brundtland, President Bill Clinton and Dr. Vandana Shiva. This year, participants listened to speakers such as the Dalai Lama and Peter Eigen of Transparency International.

Richard Aidoo, an assistant professor of politics and an adviser of the global studies minor, who teaches the course, led the team to Trondheim.