The Prime Minister's speech at the matriculation ceremony at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Check against delivery (translated from Norwegian)

Good afternoon, everyone,

First of all, let me say congratulations to each and every one of you!

You have earned a place at NTNU, one of Europe’s leading universities.

You are here thanks to your own hard work – you have been chosen. That is an achievement you can be proud of.

You are about to embark on what may be the most exciting, challenging, enlightening – and perhaps also the most transformative – period of your life.

Studying at university is not a straight line leading to your final exam and diploma. It is a personal, academic and intellectual journey that unfolds – week by week, month by month, year by year. 

You will of course learn about your chosen subject of study – but you will also learn more about yourself, about other people, about community and about the world around you.

You will discover more about what is true.

And that while some of life’s truths are comforting, others can be harder to accept.

The life that awaits you after NTNU will offer you both.

That is something I realised after finishing my studies in the 1980s.

I arrived there expecting to find many answers. I left with even more questions.

At the time, it felt quite frustrating.

Now, looking back, I think it was actually a good thing.

Because we must never stop learning, asking good questions and seeking answers – this takes a lifetime.

It is exactly what NTNU is for.

NTNU has a clear, ambitious vision – a promise: ‘Knowledge for a better world’.

Knowledge must be developed, applied and put to good use – to make the world a better place.

I think about what this institution has meant for Norway, about the knowledge generated here that has helped to bring us to where we are today.

From its beginnings as Det Trondhjemske Selskab (the Trondheim Society) in 1760, to the establishment of NTH in 1910, to the merger that created NTNU in 1996.

Take a moment to reflect on how things have changed in that time span.

Just think, in 1813, no more than 18 students began their studies at Norway's first university in Kristiania.

When NTH opened its doors in 1910, 103 students were admitted.

In 2026, 117 000 applicants were offered places at higher education institutions across Norway. Including over 17 700 here at NTNU.

Today, across all its campuses and faculties, there are 43 500 students at NTNU.

These numbers tell the story of equal access to education – in practice.

Think of all those before you who have stood here in August – at Gløshaugen Campus – looking ahead and wondering what their time at NTNU would bring. The Norwegian verb å gløse can mean just that: to look out, to gaze at what lies in front of you.

None of them have known what their future careers would hold, how the country would develop, how its natural resources would be used and managed, or how its wealth would be distributed.

Just as neither you nor I can know what lies ahead. Even though, in 2026, we now have more knowledge, more advanced technology – we even have artificial intelligence. 

And that is the point. You are here to ask the important questions – and to play a part in shaping some of the answers. It is an extraordinary opportunity – and a great responsibility.

The story of Norway contains an important chapter about the value of knowledge.

We may ask ourselves:

Why did so many Norwegians emigrate to North America in the 1800s? Many of my relatives from Levanger set out on that journey.

Why did they choose to leave behind a country with rivers and waterfalls that could generate electricity, fjords ideal for fish farming, and oil and gas beneath the seabed?

Today, we know the answers to these questions – thanks to research.

But, of course, back then they didn’t know what we know now. 

Our country has developed as it has because more and more people have gained access to knowledge – knowledge that has provided answers to these questions – and to many others.

And because after the Second World War, forward-thinking politicians made sure that future generations would have the opportunity they themselves never had. The opportunity to pursue higher education.

Access to knowledge is the key to the development of Norwegian society.

It enables us to create more value together.

To use our natural resources sustainably.

To reduce emissions.

To build more energy-efficient homes and buildings.

To improve people’s lives and health.

We know, too, that democratic, equitable access to knowledge cannot be taken for granted; it is not without conflict.

Today, for example, a handful of tech giants control the vast amounts of knowledge accumulated by artificial intelligence systems.

Ensuring that knowledge remains accessible to all is a major task for policymakers in every country – and one that will also require close cooperation between countries. 

And we must not forget: artificial intelligence is dependent on what NTNU is cultivating here – human intelligence.

Speaking of human intelligence: many of you have achieved excellent academic results to get here.

And in the years ahead, you will naturally think about what it will take to achieve good grades at NTNU. That's good, and I fully understand it.

But keep this in mind too: just as important as your grades is how you develop as a person. You will be shaped by your time here.

The results you achieve here – the grades on your transcript – will eventually end up on your CV.        

But think about this: will it be your grades that a family member or friend will choose to highlight in a speech at your birthday party or wedding?

No. They will talk about who you are as a person: whether you are trustworthy, generous, fair, thoughtful, whether you are a true friend.

Just as important as an A, B or C on your transcript is your development as a fellow human being and as a friend. Your ability to collaborate with others to find solutions and to tolerate disagreement. 

Students,

Before I conclude, I would like to leave you with five pieces of advice – drawn from my own life experiences – from my years as a student up to today.

First, take a breath and relax.

Take a moment each day to remind yourself that this is a journey. You do not need to have it all mapped out now.

Third, spend time on campus and also explore the city.

This wonderful city of learning – Trondheim, or Nidaros as it was once called, or Tråante in the South Sámi language.

You can read a textbook in a reading room, at home, at Dromedar Cafe, or under a tree in Bymarka (nature reserve).

But bear in mind that we learn more together than we do on our own – that is the benefit of attending a university.

Be present on campus. Use the libraries. Take part in Samfundet (Trondheim’s student organisation), in student societies, and in the academic communities.

As a new student, you are in the same boat as many others here. You may be living alone for the first time. Don’t wait for others to set up a study group – take the initiative and set one up yourself. Together we are less alone.

Fourth, use your voice.

As university students you are now a part of something greater than yourselves – the defence of values that are under pressure across the world: academic freedom, freedom of expression, critical thinking and diversity.

A struggle is currently taking place, where facts and truth are under attack from disinformation and conspiracy theories.

We must fight back. Universities are crucial to our success in this battle.

Universities stand for humanism: human dignity, compassion, respect for others, and sound judgement.

Let us work to foster open and safe public debate by building on our strengths: our culture of tolerance that accommodates differences of opinion, where we can disagree with one another, but it does not make us enemies.

And fifth, show consideration for others.

The world needs not only your knowledge and your bright ideas, but also your kindness and consideration.

A better world starts with us taking care of each other in our daily student life.

This is where who you are as a person really shines through: in the kindness and consideration you show to others.  And then others will be kind and considerate to you.

Students,

Let us pay tribute to NTNU.

This university is founded on a commitment to free and independent thought – freedom of thought as a human right – and to the application of knowledge to the benefit of society as a whole.

I urge you all to think out loud, think big and think free – with respect and consideration for each other.

Good luck and have a wonderful journey!