The Nordic Information Office in Umeå

The Nordic Information Office in Umeå was established in 1981 and its task is to provide general information services about Nordic co-operation. The Nordic Information Office also functions as a center for Nordic Co-operation Projects. The Information Office in Umeå is one of eight information offices in the Nordic countries.

The activities are funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, Västerbotten´s County Council and the Municipality of Umeå. Responsible for the activities of the office are the Norden Association in Västerbotten.

Apart from the official information activities in co-operation with the Nordic Council of Ministers and other Nordic organizations, the office also co-operates closely with the Norden Association. The official activities include the organization of seminars, courses and cultural activities with perticipants from our neigbouring Nordic countries. Two people are employed at the office. The Information Office is situated in the center of Umeå and is directly attached to the city library.

The Nordic Information Offices
The main purpose of the Nordic Information Offices are to spread knowledge about the Nordic countries and Nordic co-operation. We try to reach different groups of people in the society by exhibitions, cultural programmes, publications, courses and debates. We also work as a Nordic Information bureau for the public and we answer questions in many different subjects. 

Norden - the Nordic Region
The five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and the three autonomous territories (Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland). Norden cover an aggregate area of 3.436.631 km2 and have about 25 million inhabitants.

Information Offices in the Nordic countries
The 8 Nordic Information Offices are located in Akureyri in Iceland, Alta and Arendal in Norway, Umeå and Gothenburg in Sweden, Jyväskylä and Vasa in Finland and Flensburg in Sydslesvig.

Assembling of Nordic material
The office in Umeå has assembled facts about all Funds and Aid which exist in the co-operation between the Nordic countries. We have the official collection of Nordic publications as well as reports and transcripts, together with information documents of Nordic institutions. We also have publications of the Nordic Council of Ministers and books of the Norden Association which may be borrowed.

Education
Our educational activities cover many different levels. We arrange students and teachers exchanges, courses and conferences in co-operation with the Norden Association. Nordplus is one such exchange programme between the Nordic universities.

Information on schooling
The Norden Association conciders that it is very important to have a Nordic perspective in teaching. One of our most important tasks is to make the youth aware of the value of the Nordic model, the Nordic cultural similarities and the all round Nordic co-operation. A few years ago, the Norden Association started a special membership for schools that will take up teaching in the Nordic Countries. The Norden Association is an exciting strating-point irrespective of whether one is interested in the teaching of language, music, art, biology, geography, etc. Membership gives the schools continuous information, new teaching material, possibilities to apply project funds as well as invitations to courses and conferences.

Co-operation and Co-ordination
We organize contact between groups and individuals for different types of exchange. Another of our activities is to co-ordinate the activities of the Nordic region.

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