Internationalisation and Internationalisation and Globalisation of Higher Globalisation of Higher Education in NorwayEducation in Norway

Ole-Jacob SkodvinOle-Jacob Skodvin

Deputy Director GeneralDeputy Director General

Ministry of Education and ResearchMinistry of Education and Research

Department of Higher EducationDepartment of Higher Education

Policy issuesPolicy issues

• Internationalisation important for a small Internationalisation important for a small countrycountry

• Increased emphasis on the importance of Increased emphasis on the importance of seeing the national HE system in its seeing the national HE system in its international contextinternational context

• The Norwegian Quality reform:The Norwegian Quality reform:– Internationalization seen as a key area to Internationalization seen as a key area to

enhance the quality of HE and researchenhance the quality of HE and research– Internationalization vital in realising Norway’s Internationalization vital in realising Norway’s

commitment to the Bologna process and to the commitment to the Bologna process and to the creation of a European Research Area (ERA)creation of a European Research Area (ERA)

Policy issuesPolicy issues

• Emphasis on quality has been strongly underlined Emphasis on quality has been strongly underlined as the underlying rationale for internationalisation as the underlying rationale for internationalisation through the implementation of the Norwegian through the implementation of the Norwegian Quality reform (2002 – 2006)Quality reform (2002 – 2006)

• Internationalisation has been re-framed as a Internationalisation has been re-framed as a major instrument for the general objective of major instrument for the general objective of improving the quality of higher education, in both improving the quality of higher education, in both its teaching and learning aspects and in its its teaching and learning aspects and in its research functionresearch function

• Internationalisation is emphasised both as an aim Internationalisation is emphasised both as an aim in itself and as a means to ensure quality in in itself and as a means to ensure quality in higher education and research in a much broader higher education and research in a much broader sensesense

Policy issuesPolicy issues

• The quality of national higher education The quality of national higher education and research shall be measured by and research shall be measured by international standards, and not with international standards, and not with reference to national standards alone reference to national standards alone

• The Quality reform is also an adaptation The Quality reform is also an adaptation of elements in the Bologna Process:of elements in the Bologna Process:– introducing the bachelor-master structureintroducing the bachelor-master structure– a new grading system similar to the ECTSa new grading system similar to the ECTS– increased modularisation of study programmes in increased modularisation of study programmes in

NorwayNorway

Internationalisation of HE in Internationalisation of HE in Norway – an overviewNorway – an overview

• Multifaceted internationalisation of Multifaceted internationalisation of Norwegian HE:Norwegian HE:– A Nordic dimensionA Nordic dimension– A Northern dimensionA Northern dimension– A European dimensionA European dimension– A Global dimensionA Global dimension

Future challenges and Future challenges and issuesissues• The quality aspect: Internationalisation as a The quality aspect: Internationalisation as a

means to improve quality of education and means to improve quality of education and research,research,

• But also as a mechanism that can be used for:But also as a mechanism that can be used for:– profiling/marketing of institutions in the domestic higher profiling/marketing of institutions in the domestic higher

education marketeducation market– increase recruitment of qualified staff and students (in increase recruitment of qualified staff and students (in

disciplines and fields where the recruitment of disciplines and fields where the recruitment of Norwegians is low) Norwegians is low)

– stimulate and develop the research portfolio of the stimulate and develop the research portfolio of the institutions (often as part of an ambition to increase institutions (often as part of an ambition to increase institutional status i.e., become a university)institutional status i.e., become a university)

– develop partnerships that can protect the institutions develop partnerships that can protect the institutions from mostly domestic, but also an expected increased from mostly domestic, but also an expected increased international, competitioninternational, competition

Future challenges and issues – Future challenges and issues – Policy responsesPolicy responses• Internationalisation given priority through Internationalisation given priority through

the Norwegian Quality Reformthe Norwegian Quality Reform– Financial incentives: Introduction of a new result-based Financial incentives: Introduction of a new result-based

budgeting system that contains a premium that directly budgeting system that contains a premium that directly addresses internationalisationaddresses internationalisation

– Every study program should offer students a possibility to Every study program should offer students a possibility to spend a period abroadspend a period abroad

• Stimulating HE-institutions to take on a Stimulating HE-institutions to take on a more pro-active role concerning more pro-active role concerning internationalisationinternationalisation– Developing study programmes in English (- tendency to Developing study programmes in English (- tendency to

increased number of study programs in English)increased number of study programs in English)– Establishment of joint degrees in collaboration with a Establishment of joint degrees in collaboration with a

foreign partnerforeign partner

Future challenges and issues – Future challenges and issues – Policy responsesPolicy responses

• Want to have more students abroad Want to have more students abroad at graduate level rather than at the at graduate level rather than at the undergraduate levelundergraduate level– A change in the student financing system implemented A change in the student financing system implemented

from 2004-05 is aimed at stimulating students on higher from 2004-05 is aimed at stimulating students on higher degrees and on exchanges and placements abroad degrees and on exchanges and placements abroad

• Special programs towards developing Special programs towards developing countriescountries

• The use of EU/Nordic programsThe use of EU/Nordic programs• Bilateral exchange programsBilateral exchange programs

Future challenges and Future challenges and issuesissues

• Internationalisation in Norway: a non-Internationalisation in Norway: a non-profit activityprofit activity

Senter for internasjonalisering Senter for internasjonalisering av høyere utdanning (SIU)av høyere utdanning (SIU)

• ProgramforvaltningProgramforvaltning• Profilering av Norge som studie- og Profilering av Norge som studie- og

forskningsland overfor utlandetforskningsland overfor utlandet• Informasjon og kommunikasjonInformasjon og kommunikasjon• Kompetanseoppbygging for å fremme Kompetanseoppbygging for å fremme

internasjonalt samarbeid i sektoreninternasjonalt samarbeid i sektoren• Rådgiving og utredning for norske Rådgiving og utredning for norske

myndigheter myndigheter

Viktige program som berører Viktige program som berører studenterstudenter

• EUs Program for livslang læring 2007-EUs Program for livslang læring 2007-1313– Erasmus og Erasmus Mundus (høyere Erasmus og Erasmus Mundus (høyere

utdanning)utdanning)– Leonardo da Vinci – fag- og yrkesopplæringLeonardo da Vinci – fag- og yrkesopplæring– Grundtvig – voksnes læringGrundtvig – voksnes læring– Comenius – skoler og barnehagerComenius – skoler og barnehager

• NordiskNordisk– Nordplus Høyere utdanning (MA)Nordplus Høyere utdanning (MA)

Viktige program som berører Viktige program som berører studenterstudenter

• Norads program for masterstudier Norads program for masterstudier (NOMA)(NOMA)

• Partnerskapsprogram med Nord-AmerikaPartnerskapsprogram med Nord-Amerika• Bilaterale program:Bilaterale program:

– RusslandsprogrammetRusslandsprogrammet– Nordvestrusslandsprogrammet (NMR)Nordvestrusslandsprogrammet (NMR)– Vest-Balkan programmetVest-Balkan programmet– Frankrikeprogrammet - Toulouse (Økonomi Frankrikeprogrammet - Toulouse (Økonomi

og teknologi) etc…og teknologi) etc…