1. Introduction to Higher Education in Norway Peter Maassen 02.09 2009

2. 2 Current Higher Education Structure Binary system  University sector – 7 general universities (all public) – 6 specialised institutions at university level (5 public, 1 private)  Høyskole sector (in English: University college sector) – 28 høyskoler (26 public, 2 private) – 25 HE institutions with accredited study programmes

3. 3 Hammerfest Alta Kautokeino Tromsø Harstad Narvik Bodø Nesna Trondheim Stjørdal Levanger Steinkjer Namsos Molde Ålesund Volda Sandane Førde Sogndal Bergen Stord Haugesund Stavanger Kristiansand Grimstad Evenstad Rena Elverum Hamar Lillehammer Rauland Notodden Bø Porsgrunn Kongsberg Hønefoss Gjøvik Horten Oslo Lillestrøm Drammen Sarpsborg Halden Fredrikstad Ås

4. 4 Year Type of institution 2004200520062007 Art Schools842852824796 Private colleges 24,68624,46924,19124,646 Public colleges89,70683,41883,00383,182 Universities71,44681,46380,55976,919 Specialised university inst. 7,3994,7724,8545,081 Total194,080194,974193,430190,442 Student numbers

5. 5 Public Budget Higher Education (allocated through Ministry of Education and Science) 2007: > Nok 33 billion (= > € 4 billion) HE: Nok 20,5 billion Research: ± Nok 13 billion

6. 6 National Commission on Higher Education (May 2006 – Jan. 2008) Analysis of current change dynamics & challenges 1.No national HE & Research strategy; Norway only OECD country with ’technical’ university definition 2.Binary system moving towards integration of sectors 3.Individual institutions’ ambitions driving force 4.Dynamics around university status 5.Quality concerns about bachelor level professional education 6.Fragmented master and doctoral level education 7.Large influence of unions on academic salary structure; dramatically low average salary level for senior academics 8.Growing diversity of knowledge needs in society

7. 7 Current change dynamics (cont.) 9.Demographic developments: growth of student population until 2015; decrease after 2015 10.Massive move of young people from rural to urban areas 11.Worries about (top) basic research organisation, funding, recruitment and quality 12.No effective institutional or national support system for international research funding acquisition (incl. ERC) 13.Public funding system for HE not effective (punishes cooperation; basic component not transparent and (too) large; performance part controversial) 14.Growing difficulty for many regional HE institutions to attract (and keep) senior academic staff

8. 8 International context Other countries concentrate their human and economic resources in larger academic institutions Denmark, Finland, Austria and Germany develop elite/super/top universities – Japan, Switzerland, UK, USA already have top universities Rapid expansion of HE in Asia Growing international competition for talents (academic staff and students) Growing (basic) research funding through European structures (FP7; ERC; EIT)

9. 9 Commission’s proposal 1.Discussion of 4 models: a. Multi-campus universities in every region (geography) b. Large høgskoler model (binary structure) c. Network model (voluntary cooperation) d. Process- and differentiation model (diversity) Plan A: integration of a. and d. Plan B: Problem solving

10. 10 Commission’s proposal: Plan A  Major structural reform: bottom-up merger and cooperation processes  Institutions will propose themselves their future structure and profile, including possible merger partners  The HE system of 38 (public) institutions will be developed into a system of 8-10 institutions (in 2026) – a number of small campuses should be closed in the process  The government and parliament will determine the final institutional structure  The new institutions will develop their profiles and priorities in close consultation with the Ministry of Education

11. 11  An new body consisting of international experts will be established for advising the Ministry of Education about the development of the system level diversity and the institutional profiles  300-400 million kroner will be invested over a 4-5 year period for covering the costs of the change process

12. 12 Commission’s proposal: Plan B  Research schools for doctoral education  University-accreditation  Funding model  Regional role of HE institutions  Elite university?  Strengthening of professional education at høgskoler (bachelor level)  Centers of excellence in education  Internationalisation

13. 13 Example: New funding model  New model should allow for increased concentration, division of labour, and strategic development  Basic funding component has to be made more transparent  The performance based funding components will be weakened somewhat  A strategic component will be introduced and the means will come from all the other components of the current model  Long-term agreements between the institutions and the Ministry of Education will be developed, and these will strengthen institutional profiling and prioritising, and inter-institutional division of labour

14. 14 Transition period 1.Growing Europeanisation/internationalisation of Norwegian HE: focus on HE’s role in knowledge society 2.Challenge to develop balance between economic role of HE (’big science & innovation’), and social, cultural, reflective role of HE 3.Regional dimension very important in Norway 4.Norwegian society is changing; consequences for HE? 5.No change / reform urgency in Norwegian HE