TAU Canada presents …
Lauritz Nathaniel Myking Udjus
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- Norway’s only foreign correspondent in Israel for TV12-News
- Inaugural Irwin Cotler Fellow at TAU
- Recipient of an MA from TAU’s Security and Diplomacy Program
Lauritz Nathaniel Myking Udjus is Norway’s only foreign correspondent in Israel for TV12-News. The path that has led him to this role is paved with a series of chance occurrences that make one ponder the significance of coincidence, perhaps even bringing to mind words such as fate and destiny.
Oddly, the roots of many of these occurrences stem from his family farm in Grimstad, Norway, which dates back to 1500!
Slowly building from years spent reading newspapers with his grandfather and conversing about global events, Lauritz’s interest in global politics grew throughout his years as an undergraduate in Oslo, studying PR & Communication Management.
One day, while attending a university event on international internships, the booth run by the Embassy of Israel in Norway caught his eye. Lauritz was, at the time, largely familiar with Israel from his family’s Christian faith and subsequent connection with the bible. With a mounting interest in geopolitics and the lure of exploring new lands, Lauritz found himself deep in conversation and joyfully connecting with the Israeli representative.
Within two weeks, Lauritz’s application to work as an intern at the Israeli Embassy in Oslo was approved, and he began work in March 2020, just as Covid-19 was about to put the world on pause.
Despite the obstacles of life in a new job and under Covid, Lauritz entered into a transformative year as an intern. Recognizing the strong fit with their young hire and his remarkable capacity and energy, the Embassy offered Lauritz a job as an Economic Officer in the trade department, focusing on a special project to analyze trade opportunities for Israeli embassies around the world with their host countries.
As much as the Embassy was impressed with Lauritz, so was he impressed by his mentor, Alon Roth. Lauritz was deeply taken with Roth’s way of working and thinking, with his vast knowledge and ability, and with his hands-on approach to tasks, particularly with their shared trade project. All this while also undertaking his second BA in Digital Communication and Management, at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo.
Wanting to continue exploring his interest for Israel, and inspired by his Israeli colleagues and this new culture, Lauritz decided to pursue his MA at Tel Aviv University. His experience at the Embassy was so impactful that he began to explore masters degree options that would further develop his interest in foreign relations. Intent on honing in on a specific focus with a clear direction, he was thrilled to learn about TAU’s MA in Security and Diplomacy. The program did not disappoint, and led to his eventual application to become an Irwin Cotler Institute Fellow. Of his time in the program, Lauritz says:
“As a Norwegian student participating in the Cotler International Graduate Fellowship Program at TAU, this was a profoundly enriching experience. The program offered deep insights into the history of the Jewish people, the Zionist movement, and the diversity of Israeli society through a mix of academic learning and immersive field trips. It emphasized understanding and combating antisemitism and other forms of racism, providing practical tools and strategies. Exposure to various perspectives fostered critical thinking, while training in public speaking and community organizing equipped me with the skills and knowledge needed to host the support rally for Israel in Southern Norway. Overall, the fellowship broadened my understanding and prepared me to make a positive impact in my community and beyond.”
After graduation, Lauritz wanted to stay in Israel and to attend the Nova Music Festival with his friends, before his student visa expired on October 9. Suddenly he started missing Norway, his family and their farm. A dear Israeli friend of Lauritz offered to place his belongings in his spare bedroom, so Lauritz could come back after visiting his family for a couple of weeks. These fortuitous circumstances made Lauritz decide to not go to the music festival and instead take a trip back to Norway, resulting in most of his friends also deciding not to go to the Nova Music Festival.
One shivers to ponder that because Lauritz decided not to attend the festival, his friends also decided to stay home. All remain safe and well, and Lauritz’s love for his second home and Israeli friends deepened further.
With his plans to return to Tel Aviv on hold, due to the war, Lauritz once again pondered what should come next. One fateful and hectic day, his grandparents had forgotten plans to attend a meeting being held by a well-known Christian leader in Norway, Bjarte Ystebø. Of course, at the last minute, they decided to attend.
Ystebø was launching a Norwegian Christian TV channel and, by chance, was looking for a journalist to report on connections between Norway and Jerusalem. Ystebø asked the crowd an oddly specific question, wondering if anyone knew of a young Norwegian with a background in communications and knowledge of Israel. Lauritz’s grandparents connected the young man with Ystebø, who knew from the first meeting that he had found his foreign correspondent.
The channel,TV12-News, which launches on September 2, 2024, asserts that it is important to bring “true facts” from Israel to Norway and abroad, to combat anti-israeli sentiment and foster understanding of the Israeli perspective.
From the first sparks of an interest in geopolitics – lit by his grandfather at their family farm in Grimstad – to a chance encounter with an Israeli in Oslo, to his Irwin Cotler Fellowship, and now to his role as a very public and influential liaison between Norway and Israel, there seems to be a path laid out for Lauritz to follow. We await with fascination to see how his story and the intertwining of his two nations continues to unfold.