Norwegian ambassador visits Freeman

Anniken Huitfeldt, Norwegian Ambassador to the United States, visited the Freeman School on Nov. 20 as part of a trip designed to learn more about the Gulf Coast energy industry. She was accompanied by her Energy Councilor, Havard Henga. While here, the World Trade Center of New Orleans announced a formal MOU with Innovation Norway, a unit of the Norwegian government, to expand cooperation in clean technology, maritime innovation, workforce readiness and global trade opportunities.

The Ambassador is an experienced civil servant and first served as a member of parliament in 2005. She held the leadership role in three Norwegian ministries and was appointed Ambassador to the US on Aug. 26, 2024. She resides in the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence on Embassy Row in Washington D.C., which has been home to 11 Norwegian ambassadors and served during WWII as the temporary residence of Crown Princess Martha, the wife of then Crown Prince (now King) Olav V of Norway. 

Huitfeldt's visit focused specifically on the Louisiana energy industry. The Ambassador’s visit and Tulane meeting followed an overseas trade mission organized by Harrison Crabtree, head of the World Trade Center in New Orleans, a unit of GNO, Inc., that had visited Oslo, Norway during the prior week.

While at Tulane, Huitfeldt and Hegna visited with Tulane Provost Robin Forman, professors Pierre Conner and Eric Smith of the Tulane Energy Institute, as well as with Brent Rosen, the Freeman School's Director of Corporate Relations, and Frédéric Sourgens, Director of the Energy Law Center. She also met with Kyle Huber, director of the Tulane University Future of Energy Conference. 

Provost Forman delivered an invitation to Ambassador Huitfeldt from President Michael Fitts requesting her participation in the upcoming Future of Energy Conference to be held next September. 

As part of the visit, the Ambassador attended a Master of Management in Energy class in the Templeton Trading Center and was able to meet with two current Norwegian exchange students, Viktor Bjelland and Julian Sandoe, currently studying finance at the Freeman School. The balance of Thursday was devoted to a morning meeting with a branch of the Norwegian company, Kongsberg, and  a visit to the WWII museum with Crabtree.

A final Friday meeting, hosted by William Baldwin, partner at Jones, Walker and Honorary Norwegian Consul here in New Orleans, included Crabtree and was attended by Norwegian diplomatic officials from Houston and Miami as well as by Smith and representatives of Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and the Port of New Orleans.