The Regionalization of Higher Education

1
The Regionalization of Higher Education The case
of Norway
NORPOL Project, Poznam September 2-4, 2009
Rómulo Pinheiro, Research Fellow University of
Oslo rmtpinhe_at_uv.uio.no
2
Setting the Stage

• Population 4.8 Mill. (09) 6.9 Mill. by 2060
• Geography 323k km2
• Immigrants 9.7 7.6 non-Western (08)
• Inhabitants (per km2) 16 (08)
• Population Growth 1.3 (08)
• GDP per capita /- 50K USD (07)
• HE investments 1 GDP (07)
• RD Investments (07)
• 1.65 GDP (34K man years)
• 11K man years (HEIs)

3
Tertiary Education

• 7 universities
• 6 specialised institutions (university level)
• 26 university-colleges (2 private)
• Tertiary Enrollments (08)
• 225K (6K overseas)
• 49 University level. 45 colleges. 9.3 Private
  (spes. univ.)
• 61 female enrollment
• Tertiary attainment (06)
• (25-64 y.o.) 32.9
• (25-34 y.o.) 41.5

Sources Statistics Norway OECD
4
Regional Landscape
434 Municipalities 79 population in urban
areas Decline 20-24 y.o. after 2015/25 (Northern
Noway -12) Northern counties Indigeneous
Minorities Sami, Kverne.
5
Regional Policy/HE Policy (Summary of main
phases)

• Three main waves or phases (see slides for
  details)
• Phase 1 Expansion (late 1960s- late 1980s)
• Regional colleges North most university at
  Tromsø
• Phase 2 Integration/Consolidation (early
  1990s-2003)
• Notion of Network Norway
• Mergers amongst colleges
• Common legal framework
• Phase 3 Differentiation (2003-today)
• Quality Reform Institutional Profiling
• Stjernø Commissions report 4 proposed models
• Merger of Uiv. Tromsø w/ regional college
  (expected to play a key role in new High North
  strategy)

6
Regional Policy/HE Policy (1/3)Phase 1
Expansion

• Ottosen Commission (1965)
• Creation of Regional Colleges across the country
  (Key words Massification, democratisation, local
  relevancy/vocational)
• System coordination via regional councils for
  HE
• Regional colleges attracted primarily regional
  publics (Berglund 2004)
• Reduce pressures on universities (resistance
  towards proposed reforms)
• 1970s Creation of Northern most university in
  the world (above Artic circle, at Tromsø)
• Rationale Train teachers and doctors for the
  region
• Revert brain drain patterns to the South
  Oslo/Bergen/Trondheim
• Complacency after period of innovativeness. Drift
  process follows initial claim of distinctiveness
  Not like Oslo or Bergen!

7
Regional Policy/HE Policy (2/3)Phase 2
Integration/Consolidation

• Early 1990s Hernes Commission (1988). Notion of
  a Network Norway . Increased Ministerial
  supervision. Division labour by type HEI. Focus
  Quality and Internationalisation. Studies
  indicate that policy impacted positively on
  public private service sectors at the regional
  level (Sæther et al 2000).
• Mid 1990s Merger of small professional schools
  (teachers, nurses, etc.) w/ regional colleges.
  Emergence of binary system 4 Universities vs. 26
  Colleges (previously 98 vocational colleges).
• 1996 Inclusion of state colleges in the same
  legal framework (Act) as universities. Changes in
  college governance (elected leaders) graduate
  education/research (selected areas)

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Regional Policy/HE Policy (3/3)Phase 3
Differentiation

• 2003/4 Quality Reform in HE (Bologna)
• Colleges allowed to become universities if 2/4
  PhD programs have regional relevancy national
  significance
• 2007 2 new universities (Ås Kristiansand/South
  East) 2 new specialised university
  institutions.
• 2008 Stjernø commission Future outlook of the
  system. Integration models Multi-campus, Big
  colleges, networks, mergers. Negative reactions
  but gradual adaptations
• 2009 Univ. Tromsø merges w/ local College. Idea
  of a University of the North rejected by Bodø
  (College). New UiT a key actor in Norways High
  North Strategy. Regional dimension being
  re-discovered distinct research profile!

9
Key Lessons (?)

• Policy matter for the good or worse!
• Geography matters regional publics of HE
• Demographic trends matter consolidation driven
  by decline in student numbers (pos-2015)
• University matters Tromsø seen as a huge
  success case of regional policy. High North
  strategy impossible without Tromsø as a knowledge
  hub for the region.
• Leadership matters (Marek) Univ. Tromsø has
  engaged pro-active Rector