Max Graff, a graduate student in the School of Management’s Norwegian Entrepreneurship Program, said he finds it “strange” to come home after a long day of school and work and find news reports about his home country, Norway.
“I have mixed feelings about being here,” Gruff said. “Part of me wants to be here, but there’s so much that has happened in the last few days that makes me want to go back to my family.”
The country reported a death toll of 92 after Anders Behring Breivik, who calls himself a Norwegian anti-Islamic crusader, executed a bombing of the Prime Minister’s office and a shooting of a youth camp for the Labor Party, according to reports.
The shock that hit Norway after the attacks is felt by students at Boston University, said Elizabeth Nassar, the director of SMG’s executive learning center. BU has close academic connections with Norway International and several students, including Graff, participate in the Norwegian International Entrepreneurship Program.
SMG has 37 graduate students from Norway participating in the semester-long program. The students, as well as the BU community, are “incredibly saddened” by the recent events, Nassar said.
“I’ve been in charge [of the Entrepreneurship Program] for over 10 years, and I think this comes as a shock,” Nassar said. “I never thought something like this would happen in a country like Norway.”
“It’s amazingly sad,” she said. “I cannot imagine the pain the people must be feeling.”
Like most students there, Graff said he got in contact with his family to make sure his friends and loved ones were safe.
“I think there’s just no room for doing anything else at all,” he said.
Nassar, who said she has worked with the Norwegian entrepreneurs since the program’s launch, said she expects the Norwegians to “rise to the absolute level of dignity” in spite of the tragedy.
“I really think it’s such a unique society,” she said. “As horrible as this is, I do believe that Norwegians will rise above the horrors and find something positive out of their circumstances.”
BU is looking to facilitate a memorial service with the Norwegian community, Nassar said. Plans have yet to be finalized.
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