European, global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development
Internationalisation of courses and programmes is meant to add more relevance in terms of the needs of working life and society. The education provided should lay the foundation for an ability to meet the challenges and opportunities that arise from globalization and increased international interaction.
Internationalisation of education should contribute to improving quality so that the education programmes and institutions become more attractive and competitive, both nationally and internationally. Comparing ourselves with others is vital to our development.
The main objectives of the measures in higher education are:
- The development of internationalisation at home.
- More projects and programmes for developing common degrees and common study programmes, especially at master and PhD levels.
- Pilot projects for internationalisation of shorter professional studies programmes, with particular attention being placed on teacher, nursing and engineering training.
- More attention on mobility for academic and non-academic staff members, through developing methods and tools that make this easier to facilitate.
- Indicators within the field of internationalisation for helping the institutions and for administration by the authorities.
- To promote Norwegian higher education abroad.
- More attention to research and development activities linked to the internationalisation of education as an area of research.
- Strengthened cooperation and shared thinking on internationalisation within education and research, something that will be important for successful development within both areas.
- To improve the conditions for international students in Norway.
Universities and university colleges are also requested to continue work on developing relations with foreign institutions, and to better entrench internationalisation in courses and programmes as well as in managements and strategic processes.
Partnerships and networks
SIU manages several mobility and scholarship programmes which are open to both students, academic staff and educational institutions. The following regions/ countries are prioritized for both academic cooperation and student exchange: The Nordic countries, Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The partnership and cooperation programs contribute to develop opportunities for students and staff in line with national and international priorities and recommendations.
InternAbroad
InternAbroad is a pilot initiative developed by SIU and supported by Innovation Norway. The objective is to increase the number of students from Norway who do a credit-yielding internship or work placement abroad, where they get practical experience in a job, enhance intercultural competencies and language skills, and acquaint themselves with work environments and business cultures in a foreign country.
INTPART
INTPART funds partnerships between Norwegian higher education and research institutions and excellent partners in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South-Africa and USA Special emphasis is on integrating higher education- and research, and the projects may include business partners. The aim is to develop world-class research and education in Norway through long-term international cooperation. The programme is administered jointly by SIU and the Research Council of Norway.
NORPART
NORPART supports academic partnerships and student mobility between higher education institutions in Norway and selected developing countries. Student mobility through academic partnerships is a core element in NORPART, with emphasis on the mobility of students from partner countries to Norway. SIU administers the programme.
UTFORSK
The overall aim of UTFORSK is to enhance long-term cooperation in higher education with the countries encompassed by the Norwegian government’s Panorama strategy, i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and Japan. UTFORSK is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and administered by SIU.
The programme will support academic partnerships based on the mutual, strategic interests of the partner institutions. It also aims to enhance the quality of international cooperation in education by encouraging integration with research cooperation and involvement of non-academic partners.
NOTED
The overall objective of NOTED is to improve the quality of Norwegian teacher education and schools. The programme is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and is administered by SIU.
Student mobility through strategic partnerships is a core element in the programme. All projects must include plans to increase mobility of students between partner institutions, including mobility in connection with teaching practice. Projects should be designed to increase student mobility not only within the project period, but also in the longer term.
Nordplus – higher education
Nordplus Higher Education is a mobility and network programme on bachelor and master levels, for the Nordic and Baltic countries. Nordplus is financed by The Nordic Council of Ministers.
The programme supports cooperation between networks, intensive courses, development projects, joint study programmes and student and teacher mobility in universities and university colleges.
Grants are awarded e.g. for innovative development projects, joint curriculum planning, dissemination and use of results achieved by networks and projects, quality assurance, language training and establishment of new networks.
Partnership programme with North America
The partnership programme for North America supports cooperation between Norway, USA and Canada, to develop institutionally anchored partnerships of high quality. Central objectives are more academic cooperation, more connections between research and education, more collaboration with enterprises in the public and private sectors, and increased student mobility. The programme is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and is administered by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU).
High North Programme
The High North Programme supports collaboration between higher education institutions in Norway and institutions in Canada, China, Japan, Russia, the Republic of Korea and the United States in order to increase knowledge about the High North.
The overall goal of the High North Programme is to expand, strengthen and disseminate knowledge about or relevant to the High North. The programme contributes to the aims of the Government’s arctic policy. It is open for all disciplines and all levels of education, as well as multidisciplinary projects and professional studies.
The High North Programme is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and administered by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU).
Eurasia programme
The overall aim of the Eurasia programme is to renew and internationalise higher education in the Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This is seen as a means to provide a basis for political and economic reforms, stimulate to sustainable development, increase the level of education in the population and increase respect for human rights. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by SIU.
India Programme
The Indo-Norwegian Cooperation Programme in Higher Education and Research (INCP) aims at enhancing links between India and Norway. It includes the establishment and administration of a portfolio of new projects from 2015 to 2017.
The INCP is based on the India-Norway MoU on cooperation in higher education and on the Agreement on Academic Cooperation between the University Grants Commission (UGC) India and SIU. INCP is jointly financed through matching grants by the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). It is managed by UGC in India and by SIU in Norway. Under the auspices of the INCP, UGC and SIU invite joint project proposals from Indian and Norwegian higher education institutions.
Other relevant programmes promoted by SIUs: