Link to Research

1
Link to Research

• Rolf Larsen,
• Deputy General Director
• Ministry of Education and Research, Norway

2
Link to Research

• What have we learnt from Joint/Double/Multiple
  Degrees?
• Can it be transferred to research?
• Can we use existing instruments and initiatives
  or is there a need for new ones?
• How to include non-Nordic countries?

3
Link to Research

• Research infrastructure
• Financing?
• How can this be linked to national research
  programs and/or 7 FP?

4
Developing Joint Programmes and Degrees in
Nordic and Baltic Countries Links to Research
Christian Möller, Senior Advisor, Nordic
Council of MinistersPresentation 14 december
2007
5
Nordic Council of Ministers organisation
scheme
6
Background

• Political consensus
• Strengthen the Nordic Region
• Boost competetiveness
• Attract non-Nordic students to study in the
  Nordic Region
• Encourage Nordic students to remain in the region
• Pilot projects leading to
• Nordic Master Programmes

7
Background

• Working committee
• Representatives from
• NUS
• HÖGUT
• NCM

8
Background

• Reference group
• Representatives from
• Universities
• Student unions
• Quality assurance institutions
• Business sector

9
Objectives

• Develop new areas of academic study
• Provide positive models for ongoing academic
  collaboration.
• Create Master Programs of top international
  quality

10
Objectives

• Stimulate co-operation between educational
  institutions and other relevant bodies and make
  the Nordic Region a more coherent unit
• Enhance the international profile of Nordic HE
  and spread good practice
• Develop new models for Nordic co-operation in
  education

11
Why important with a link to research?

• Link to research was given in the call and with
  highest weight
• close relationship between excellence in research
  and excellence in higher education

12
Why important with a link to research?

• our judgement of the Bolognaprocess and the
  development of masterprograms is that successful
  programs are those which are on the research
  front and that have a close connection to strong
  research environments.
• To promote a good international recruitment there
  is need to have close connection to excellent
  research institutions

13
The Role of Nordic Council of Ministers

• facilitate and stimulate mechanisms to
  cooperation
• How use Nordic Master Program as a stepping stone
  to closer cooperation and to a more coherent
  Nordic system?

14
Instruments of today

• NordForsk
• NordForsk is a Nordic research board operating
  under the Nordic Council of Ministers for
  Education and Research responsible for Nordic
  collaboration in research and research training.

15
Instruments of today

• NordForsk coordinates important research
  priorities that have been identified as suitable
  for joint Nordic efforts, concentrating its
  efforts on research areas where the Nordic
  countries have an international position of
  strength.

16
Instruments of today

• NordForsk has three roles
• Coordination
• Financing
• Policy advice.

17
Instruments of today

• Nordic Centre of Excellence Programme
• The objectives are
• to promote research of excellent scientific
  quality
• to increase the visibility and attractiveness of
  Nordic research in a European and global context
• to ensure efficient and flexible use of the
  Nordic resources
• to support creative and efficient research and
  research training environments

18
Instruments of today

• Nordic Centre of Excellence Programme ctd.
• to create critical Nordic mass
• to increase the intra-Nordic mobility of younger
  researchers in particular
• to stimulate co-operation between disciplines
• to facilitate appropriate division of work and
  specialisation between the Nordic countries
• to integrate the NCoEs into the national research
  systems

19
Instruments of tomorrow???

• Nordic PhD a logical continuation?
• Other possible/potential instruments?