Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day.
Beloved children have many names – and for more and more people, 14 February has become a day for celebrating love and romance.
So also at the University of Tromsø – Norway’s Arctic University (UiT). Here they celebrate the day with an ever so small Facebook tribute to two of their academic “love birds”.
Professors
American Laura Jandag and Norwegian Tore Nesset are both professors of Russian linguistics and experienced lecturers at UiT.
The met for the first time in 1998, when Tore invited Laura to give a guest lecture in Tromsø.
But on the way to Tromsø, Laura’s luggage disappeared – so the first thing she said when Tore met her at the airport was “I stink, and we have to go shopping”.
Tore said “ok”.
Personal chemistry
– What did you like about each other?
– Tore is calm, and that creates a good balance as I am not. And then I can trust him one hundred percent.
– Laura has such beautiful hair, says Tore, who noticed that the personal chemistry was right from day one.
– It’s strange to think about, because we were born on different continents and have completely different backgrounds, he says.
RESEARCH STAY: The two professors are currently at Princeton University in the USA. Photo: Private
About both living and working together, both say that it is intense.
– Sometimes there can be a lot of focus on work. But it’s mostly nice, and we’ve managed to achieve more together than we would have achieved individually, says the turtle doves, who are currently on a research stay at one of the USA’s prestigious universities, Princeton.
Sharing love tips
– Do you have any good tips for taking care of love?
– Tore is good at telling me that he loves me – many times every day, says Laura.
Tore will emphasize that Laura always stands up and supports him.
– I know that it is not a matter of course. It is important not to take the other for granted. And then Laura gives me space to be at peace when I need it. he says.
Communications advisor Trude Haugseth Moe at UiT says that the idea of sharing Laura and Tore’s love story was the desire to show the people behind the research results and the teaching at the university – both for the staff, students and people outside the university.
– Perhaps it can broaden people’s perception of researcher and university life, Moe says to TV 2.
