NORWAY: Male Student Changes “Gender”To Gain Admission To Esteemed University Program Which Prioritized Female Applicants

(TJV) A male student in Norway used the leniency of the country’s gender self-identification laws to his advantage and gained admission to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The student exploited a policy at NTNU that awards extra admission points to applicants identifying as “female” in programs with a significant gender imbalance. This policy was put in place as part of NTNU’s efforts to address gender inequality in certain academic disciplines. The student changed his gender marker to secure the necessary points for admission into the Industrial Economics and Technology Management program, which offered additional points for “female” applicants.

The student revealed that the process of changing his gender marker took around 7 weeks, and he mentioned that other male students have also undertaken this approach to secure their spots at the university.

Despite this revelation, the Faculty of Economics Dean, Monica Rolfsen, stated that the school has no intention of investigating the matter further. She maintained that the gender change was a private and legitimate decision, emphasizing that the school has no role in determining or questioning a student’s gender identity.

While the policy initially aimed to balance the gender ratio by awarding extra points to female applicants, the student’s case highlights potential shortcomings in the system. In the current admission cycle, a significant number of admitted students claimed to be women, resulting in a reevaluation of the “gender points” system by NTNU, with a planned review in the upcoming fall.