Tom Gresvig (AC 66-68) is currently a Lawyer specialising in criminal, immigration and civil litigation at Kindem & Co, Advokatkollegiet in Oslo. 

 

Previously Tom was Head of Section, lawyer real estate, at the Oslo Port Authority and before that Counsellor at the Ministry of Defence; Office of National Security Policy Adviser, international, territorial and “arctic” law.  Tom was also a Police Lawyer, Hardanger Police District, West Norway and an Assistant Judge, Moss District Court, East Norway.

 

Tom graduated with a Master of Law (Candidatus Juris) from the University of Oslo.  He was also a British Council Scholar for 6 months in London under the Young European Lawyer Scholarship Scheme at Kings College and Treasury Solicitors Office.

 

Tom was instrumental in setting up UWC Red Cross Nordic and remains actively involved in the UWC movement

 

“I have been involved with UWC for the past 42 years, which seems like my whole life.  I arrived at Atlantic College as a young lad and I have never let go, the people and IB programme are so important to me.” states Tom.  “UWC believed in me, which enabled me to succeed academically.  My professional career is satisfying but it is not what you would call spectacular as I kept getting distracted by UWC.  I would say my main interest and achievements centre on international education and UWC.  I am proud of my involvement in the UWC movement and particularly in the setting up a United World College in Norway.” 

 

“I was a student at Atlantic College during its very early days.  However it seemed much more established then I expected, given that it was only just starting its fourth year when I arrived.  The pioneer spirit of joining such a young school was very much sold to me during the application process but I didn’t feel much like a pioneer whilst I was there.  That feeling of doing something brave, of being a pioneer, really only came to me much later on". 

 

“At that time all the students were studying the British A levels.  I completed four A levels, but we were also expected to sit the exams for this newly developed diploma, the International Baccalaureate.  We use to joke that Atlantic College was a laboratory for the IB programme and we were the guinea pigs.  UWC and other schools I suppose, compared the results of the A level exams and IB exams to further develop the IB Diploma".

 

“I was fortunate to meet some of the founders of UWC.   Desmond Hoare was passionate about the project, as were all the teachers.   Everyone was very enthusiastic about UWC; they were working long hours and really wanted it to succeed – this passion was infectious".

 

“In my first year, it was a boys only school, but girls were introduced at the beginning of my second year.  It was a big occasion!  The press flocked to St Donats to take pictures of the nine new female students for all the papers.  Naomi Hoare, the headmasters wife, designed their new school uniforms – this was one occasion that did feel pioneering".

 
“Between all the activities on offer and the school work, I was kept so busy at UWC that I didn’t miss home at all; it was a marvellous experience, almost one long adventure.  Community service is a real focus at UWC and I was involved in manning an RNLI rescue station.  I became a Cox on one of the rescue boats and saw first-hand the level of co-operation that existed between all the staff and students in running that station; it was amazing.  UWC was very interesting place at that time.  I had a roommate from Germany and it was not that long since the end of the Second World War and both our fathers had been involved in the war effort.  We talked a lot and became friends, and it was his friendship that changed my view of Germans".

 

“UWC gave me a sense of being listened to, which was unlike the Norwegian education system at that time which I felt repressed many students.  I got this real sense that UWC believed in me, so I started to believe in myself and with this new confidence, I applied myself and did rather better than I thought. 

 

“Following UWC, I went to the University of Exeter to study law, but I didn’t enjoy it at all.  I was very homesick and felt very aware of being one of, if not the only, foreigner there.  I joined a lot of clubs to try and recreate that sense of involvement that I had experienced at UWC but it didn’t happen so I transferred to the University of Oslo.  At university in Oslo I was much happier, I became very active in the student union and found myself quite enjoying the experience.

 

“As a passionate UWC graduate and supporter, no one was surprised when I started work to develop a college in Norway.  In total I spent together, with a dedicated and patient Foundation Board, and a very dedicated staff about twelve years to move the college from concept to reality.  Three years were spent gaining support, and then another nine years of formal work once the registration took place.  It was a full time job for four of us. 

 

“One of my current passions is for a UWC in China to become a reality.  Together with a team from UWC Red Cross Nordic, we are privileged to be able to help one of our Chinese graduates realise his dream of a UWC China; that really does feel like pioneer work.  It may seem a long shot, but the difference between the impossible and the difficult is that the former takes longer time”.