Higher Education and Research in Norway

- a brief jog through the landscape...

Olve Sørensen

2 Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Norway

• Key figures:– Population 5 mill (as of March 2012)– Unemployment 2,7%– GNP per capita 549 253 NOK/91 238 USD– Unitary state– 19 Counties – 430 Municipalities – Length North-South 1752 km

3 Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Torbjørn Vagstein/MFAPicture is for illustrative purposes only

4 Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Higher Education Institutions (autumn 2011)• 8 universities • 9 specialised university

institutions, of which 3 private HEIs

• 2 academies of the arts• 20 university colleges• 31 private HEIs

24 receive state funding • The Police Academy and

5 military academies (under other Ministries)

5 Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Independence

• Public Higher Education in Norway is a State responsibility and state owned

• 23,4 billion NOK (2010) to Higher Education• 5,5% of GDP is spent on education (OECD

average 5,7%). • Law on Universities and University Colleges

– Passed on 1 July 2005– Covers public and private institutions– Guarantees institutional autonomy– Introduces a national organ of accreditation

and quality assurance (NOKUT)

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Students and staff in Higher Education (autumn 2011)

Students Staff

Total 229 339 32 093

Universities 101 677 20 580Specialized university institutions (state) 8 600 1 480National Academies of the Arts 816* 270State University colleges 86 872 8 060Private HEIs 31671 1 703

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Key data – higher education

• 36% (OECD average 28%) of the population has attained tertiary education

• 60,9% (2009) of all registered students are women

• Registered students (2009) by field of study

HealthEconomy and admin-istration Maths and ScienceTeacher educationSocial science and lawHuman artsOther

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Financial conditions for students

• Tuition is free in public higher education • Students (Norwegian and some foreign!) are entitled

to support through the State Educational Loan Fund – Basic support: NOK 90 800 (appr. € 11 800) for

2011–2012 to cover accommodation, subsistence and study materials. Extra support for travels and students with children.

– Support is not dependent on parents’ income– The basic support is initially given as loans.

However, up to 40 percent may be converted to a grant for students who live away from their parents and who pass their exams

– International portability of loans and grants, incl. extra support to cover travel and tuitions

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4 basic tools of governance

• Rule of Law – legislation as a regulatory tool

• Money talks - the budget as a regulatory tool

• Talking sense – institutional conferences as a regulatory tool

• If all else fails… – ownership as a regulatory tool

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Main academic features (III)

• Wide decision-making powers in establishing and terminating study programmes:– Accredited universities have full freedom to

decide what degree programmes they want to offer.

– Other accredited institutions have the same freedom in fields in which they are authorised to award doctoral degrees. In the remaining fields, the freedom of decision-making is limited to provision at the bachelor’s level.

– Non-accredited private institutions need programme by programme accreditation.

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Boa viagem!Hamarøy fyr. Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud/norden.org