"It was really nice that he came over and greeted us right after the lecture. We talked a little about how we had been involved in politics before, which he thought was really great", say Ingri Furuheim and Frida Grimestad Udøy.
A very important study programme
They arrived early to Stoltenberg's lecture to secure a seat in Auditorium A. Ingri and Frida met the day before as first-year students on the bachelor's degree programme in international studies.
The programme is particularly well suited for students who are interested in how the world is interconnected, and who want to learn more about, and understand, key developments in international relations both in real time and in the past.
"I am very invested in the topic of Norway within the world and could eventually want to work behind the scenes in, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so the programme really hits the nail on the head", says Ingri.
"My dream is to become a diplomat. It's a tall order, but I I've done my research and discovered that this is in fact one of the best programmes to take in order to eventually become one", says Frida.
A full auditorium
The Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland welcomed the Lillehammer students to the new academic year on Monday, and on the second day, Ingri and Frida had the opportunity to listen to the lecture "Norway in a troubled world" with Minister of Finance and former secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg.
"The fact we're starting our student life with two such high-profile visits is very meaningful", says Frida.
"I had expectations that a number of politicians would come here to give lectures during my studies, but not to this extent from the start. It has been a surprising, and very good start", says Ingri.
Stoltenberg was introduced by Rector Peer Jacob Svenkerud, who had previously met with the Minister of Finance about our crisis and emergency preparedness studies.
"It is nice to be back and I would like to congratulate you on your university status. I like the smell of universities, so maybe this is where I really should have been", Stoltenberg jokingly told those present.
Stoltenberg himself is a trained economist, and in his lecture he pointed out the similarities and differences in terms of challenges between being Minister of Finance now and when he first was one in 1996-1997.
While the 1990s were largely characterized by optimism and an open world economy, the world is now characterized by conflicts.
"We have not seen warfare like this since World War II. We cannot solve all crises abroad, but we must take better care of what we have control over here at home", said Stoltenberg, who also talked about the Government Pension Fund, tax rates, the impact of population growth on available labour and the aging population.
Questions about Trump and Putin
After the lecture, the students were given the opportunity to ask questions, and Ingri asked Stoltenberg about the consequences of the friendship between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump for the West and NATO, and especially for Norway.
"He talked quite a bit about the topic, as politicians often do. I expected a long answer since it was a big question, and I think it was nice that he elaborated on it a bit", says Ingri.
The question resulted in Stoltenberg initiating a conversation with the two students immediately after the lecture was over.
"It was very exciting to be able to have a normal conversation with him, so we were very lucky. We said that we'll see each other in the future, and he was looking forward to it", the two say.