About the Student Society - Samfundet

Photo: foto.samfundet.no

Samfundet is an organization for students in Trondheim that is owned and run by its approximately 16100 members. Our mission statement is Samfundet will be the natural meeting place for students in Trondheim. In our red, round building we regularly host concerts and various cultural events, and have countless bars, a café and a restaurant.
The Society Meetings are perhaps our most famous events. These meetings serve as a place for debating politics and current events, and but also for entertainment and fun. Samfundet also has three of Trondheim's best music venues.

Norway's largest cultural festival, UKA, and the world's largest international thematic student festival, ISFiT, both have their roots in Studentersamfundet. They are still closely connected to us, with many students volunteering at both Samfundet, and at the festivals.

A large part of the student media in Trondheim - Under Dusken, Student-TV and Radio Revolt - is also created partly in our building, and this represents an important part of Samfundet's identity.

The Society Meeting is our highest organ. We elect the leader here, as well as members of the Finance Board and the Council. The leader, elected politically, chooses his or her own Board, which forms the House's political profile and represents all of Samfundet's members. The Finance Board manages the business. The Council ensures that all activities at Samfundet take place according to Norwegian and internal laws. Samfundet has a general manager, financial manager, house-economist, caretaker and cleaning staff who are employees.

Samfundet's current leader is Astri Elgethun.

The rest of the work at Samfundet is done on a voluntary basis by students. The work is organized into units called groups (gjenger). Prospective new members must apply to the appropriate group for admission and the group reviews each applicant. With around 1700 volunteers, the internal environment of Samfundet constitutes a significant part of organized leisure activities for students in Trondheim.