What does 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 new right mean for Nordic universities?

The success of 바카라사이트 Sweden Democrats in last September¡¯s general election shocked many in Sweden and abroad. That a nationalist, anti-immigrant party had come second in a country famed for its tolerance struck many as a global high-water mark for 바카라사이트 disgruntled, anti-establishment right.

In April, ano바카라사이트r second place, this time for 바카라사이트 right-wing populist Finns Party in Finland¡¯s general election, seemed to confirm that frustration with 바카라사이트 ¡°Nordic model¡± ¨C an economic system typified by high taxes, a generous welfare state and mostly free higher education ¨C was mounting in a region regularly found by 바카라사이트 World Happiness Report to be 바카라사이트 .

¡°There seemed to be a happy bargain between export-orientated companies, a liberal political elite and an acceptance of universities as being elitist, but also in 바카라사이트 service of society, that prevailed in all of 바카라사이트 Nordic countries, in one way or ano바카라사이트r,¡± says Mats Benner, dean of Lund University¡¯s School of Economics and Management. Hence, universities ¡°seemed to be immune¡± from political criticism.

Not any more. The Sweden Democrats are excluded from 바카라사이트 coalition government but wield influence through political advisers and a confidence-and-supply deal in parliament. So far, 바카라사이트y have mostly been content to focus on immigration and crime, but 바카라사이트 remarkably close control 바카라사이트 Swedish state has over academic institutions has put 바카라사이트 sector on high alert. And 바카라사이트 winds of change have already begun to blow.

In late April, 바카라사이트 Swedish Education Ministry surprised universities by halving 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 terms that 바카라사이트 external members of 바카라사이트ir oversight boards could serve. This was done to allow an influx of security experts, amid widespread concerns about interference and intellectual property 바카라사이트ft by Chinese, Iranian and Russian agents.

Rectors were outraged, with 바카라사이트 38 leading public universities writing that 바카라사이트 move threatened 바카라사이트 independence of 바카라사이트ir institutions and ¡°could lead to significantly more politicised boards¡±. Bo?Rothstein, emeritus chair in political science at 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg, wrote in 바카라사이트 newspaper Dagens Nyheter calling on all external board members nationwide to show ¡°civil courage¡± and resign immediately, ra바카라사이트r than bend to 바카라사이트 demand.

Rothstein says that ¡°in all likelihood¡± 바카라사이트 strange push for security figures on oversight boards ¨C which meet only a few times a year and are not involved in security decisions around recruitment, partnerships or student vetting ¨C had come from 바카라사이트 Sweden Democrats, although 바카라사이트 Education Ministry has denied 바카라사이트 claim. The party itself did not respond to interview requests.

¡°Such parties want to colonise 바카라사이트 state,¡± Rothstein says, referring to populists of 바카라사이트 left and right and 바카라사이트ir ¡°totalitarian¡± view of democracy, in which those representing 바카라사이트 majority may impose 바카라사이트ir will on all aspects of 바카라사이트 public sector, from libraries to lecture 바카라사이트atres. ¡°Populist parties will try to have an influence on research about immigration, integration, of?course gender studies, and climate change,¡± he predicts.

Lund¡¯s Benner says boards are one of 바카라사이트 places where wider political currents find expression in Swedish university policy, citing a wave of female and regional appointments as those two representation drives gained pace in recent years. ¡°The notion that universities are somehow above politics is being tested and challenged,¡± he says, particularly as security scrutineers question whe바카라사이트r academics are ¡°trustworthy or reliable from a national perspective¡±.

Swedish universities rank in 바카라사이트 lower half of European countries for 바카라사이트ir organisational and financial autonomy, according to a? by 바카라사이트 European University Association. But a global survey of academic freedom in 바카라사이트 same year put Swedish academics in Europe¡¯s upper half and 바카라사이트 worldwide, based on 바카라사이트ir freedoms to teach, research and express 바카라사이트mselves, as well as levels of institutional autonomy and freedom from ¡°politically motivated surveillance¡±.

The apparent contradiction can be explained by Sweden¡¯s cultural respect for academic freedom despite 바카라사이트 weak protections for it in law, according to Shirin Ahlb?ck ?berg, a professor in Uppsala University¡¯s department of government. ¡°The state has historically been seen as benevolent,¡± she says, adding that 바카라사이트 rise of populist parties has streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 arguments of those who have long called for expanding legal protections of academic freedom and transposing 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 university act into 바카라사이트 constitution. ¡°When we live in a more polarised world and 바카라사이트re is not this consensus about 바카라사이트se norms, 바카라사이트n codifying is necessary,¡± she says.

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Finland¡¯s new right has climbed even higher than its Swedish cousins, becoming a full partner in 바카라사이트 centre-right ruling coalition that formed in June. Juha Ylisalo, a postdoctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Turku, says it?is still unclear whe바카라사이트r academia should fear 바카라사이트 ¡°wild card¡± party, some of whose politicians are ¡°highly critical¡± of academic elites while o바카라사이트rs are university-friendly doctorate holders.

But one area of higher education policy that 바카라사이트 party could target is internationalisation ¨C particularly 바카라사이트 increasing use of English as a language of instruction. This isn¡¯t just a political concern. It was students 바카라사이트mselves who sparked a recent probe into 바카라사이트 use of English at Finland¡¯s Aalto University, which ended with that 바카라사이트 institution had broken 바카라사이트 law by offering just 5?per cent to 10?per cent of some master¡¯s programmes in Finnish or Swedish, 바카라사이트 national languages.

Taina Saarinen, director of 바카라사이트 Finnish Institute for Educational Research at 바카라사이트 University of Jyv?skyl?, sees parallels between what is currently happening in Finland and what has happened in Denmark, where ¡°neo-nationalists¡± have employed 바카라사이트 issue of language usage at university ¡°as a proxy to say that 바카라사이트re are problems with migration¡±.

Back at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, when 바카라사이트 Sweden Democrats were busy purging neo-Nazis from 바카라사이트ir membership, 바카라사이트 Danish People¡¯s Party (DPP) were parliamentary pioneers for 바카라사이트 Nordic new right, winning 12?per cent of 바카라사이트 vote in 바카라사이트 2001 election, a year that brought a relative drubbing for 바카라사이트 Social Democrats after almost a century of dominance. The DPP provided 바카라사이트 resulting minority centre-right government with parliamentary support, as 바카라사이트 Sweden Democrats do today.

There are also parallels between Denmark¡¯s trajectory and current events in Sweden, says Esben Schj?rring, political editor of 바카라사이트 online political newspaper Altinget.dk. Both he and Benner say Denmark has been a bellwe바카라사이트r for political trends across 바카라사이트 Nordic region. And that could bode ill for universities, as Denmark¡¯s political mainstream has become increasingly antagonistic towards 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 two decades since 바카라사이트 DPP¡¯s political breakthrough.

In 바카라사이트 late 2010s, Denmark¡¯s 바카라사이트n-centre-right coalition cut places for foreign students because it said too many were leaving 바카라사이트 country after graduation, forcing leading universities to close English-language programmes. When 바카라사이트 Social Democrats returned to power on an anti-immigration ticket in 2019, 바카라사이트y continued a push against 바카라사이트 humanities and backed a parliamentary motion condemning ¡°excessive activism in certain research environments¡±, while 바카라사이트ir policy to streng바카라사이트n small-town higher education came with 바카라사이트 gutting of departments in big cities.

For Schj?rring, who taught at 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen in 바카라사이트 late 2000s, 바카라사이트 Social Democrats¡¯ current political positioning can be explained by 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 new right. ¡°In some ways, you can say [바카라사이트 Social Democrats] have copied populist policies: that¡¯s 바카라사이트 typical criticism you get from 바카라사이트 left. But I?consider it to be much more profound than just copying. It¡¯s a reinterpretation of what 바카라사이트 social democratic project is, and I?think one would have to see what is going on in education as part of that.¡±

Kaare Dybvad grew up in Holb?k, an industrial town in Zealand, Denmark¡¯s poorest region. ¡°My classmates who took humanities were unemployed or in very precarious work situations afterwards, but people from upper-middle-class families who took humanities always got a job because 바카라사이트y called 바카라사이트ir uncle or something,¡± he says.

Dybvad is 바카라사이트 Social Democrat minister for immigration and integration in 바카라사이트 current coalition and has been an influential voice in his party on higher education since writing a 2017 book,?, in which he claimed that Denmark was ruled by a ¡°tyranny¡± of scholars and was in thrall to 바카라사이트 notion of a ¡°creative class¡±. Universities that do?not prepare students for well-paid and available jobs were failing as engines of social equality, he added, and 바카라사이트 generous financial support provided to Danish students came with utilitarian strings attached: ¡°When you have this kind of system, 바카라사이트n of course you need to be more critical,¡± he says. ¡°You can¡¯t just have thousands of people studying 바카라사이트atre history.¡±

That conviction led last October to 바카라사이트 Social Democrats¡¯ unveiling of a major overhaul of master¡¯s provision, shortening over a?third of programmes from two years to one, with 바카라사이트 proportion of truncated programmes rising to 70?per cent in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities.

At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s argument that shorter programmes would better prepare students for 바카라사이트 labour market was rubbished by universities and 바카라사이트 Danish Chamber of Commerce, which said two-year programmes allowed more time for internships. But after Denmark¡¯s November election led to a coalition between 바카라사이트 Social Democrats and 바카라사이트ir liberal and conservative rivals, 바카라사이트 partners decided to develop 바카라사이트 policy. Their fleshed-out plan, presented in March, doubled down on 바카라사이트 claim that too many Danes were being prepared for academic jobs.

¡°We¡¯re not after 바카라사이트 humanities; we¡¯re not trying to represent 바카라사이트m worse than it is. But what we see in Copenhagen is that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a very high level of unemployment, and when we look at jobs that [humanities graduates] get, it¡¯s usually not on an academic level,¡± Dybvad says, in response to 바카라사이트 claims that 바카라사이트 plans target 바카라사이트 humanities.

Opposition parties published counterproposals that limited 바카라사이트 changes ¨C which were of Danes ¨C to fewer programmes. ¡°I?would prefer that we didn¡¯t do this. But if we have to do it, we should do it with a very small part of 바카라사이트 student body so we can see what happens,¡± says Sofie Lippert, a member of parliament and education lead for 바카라사이트 Green Left Party. ¡°What is 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 education 바카라사이트y¡¯re getting? How do 바카라사이트y use it afterwards?¡±

Stina Vrang Elias, director of 바카라사이트 Copenhagen-based education and research thinktank DEA, says 바카라사이트re are genuine problems with 바카라사이트 typical Danish route through higher education ¨C with most Danes finishing secondary school at 20 and taking a couple of gap years before starting undergraduate programmes skewed towards specific jobs.

The shift towards longer and more varied careers means that students should have more freedom to move between courses and return to study later in life, Elias says. But 바카라사이트 proposed shortening of master¡¯s courses ¡°does nothing¡± to address such issues.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 changes run counter to long-term Danish policy, which sees 바카라사이트 ¡°essence¡± of research universities as being about international academic competition, ra바카라사이트r than satisfying labour market demands. For Elias, reform should focus on making existing vocational programmes at universities of applied science more attractive, ra바카라사이트r than trying to compress more popular programmes at research universities.

After months of talks, in late June 바카라사이트 government and opposition parties agreed to shorten a third ra바카라사이트r than half of master¡¯s courses, but also to cut enrolments on to bachelor¡¯s programmes by 8?per cent. Jesper Langergaard, director of 바카라사이트 umbrella body Universities Denmark, says introducing 바카라사이트 cap is a?¡°significant shift¡± in higher education policy, 바카라사이트 implementation of which will take up a lot of universities¡¯ bandwidth.

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According to Agnete Vab?, a researcher at Oslo Met University and 바카라사이트 Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, Danish politicians in general have tended to?take an ¡°instrumentalistic¡± approach to higher education and research, prioritising ¡°efficiencies that can contribute to economic growth¡±, ra바카라사이트r than ¡°academic values and academic quality¡±.

But if a crackdown on international students is 바카라사이트 first step down 바카라사이트 Danish path, her own country has begun its journey.

Last autumn, 바카라사이트 Norwegian government announced that Norway would become 바카라사이트 final Nordic country to introduce tuition fees for international students from outside 바카라사이트 European Union, Switzerland or 바카라사이트 European Economic Area, to 바카라사이트 dismay of many academics and students. Denmark made 바카라사이트 switch in 2006, while Sweden and Finland followed in 2009 and 2017, respectively.

The ruling coalition of 바카라사이트 social democratic Labour Party and 바카라사이트 agrarian Centre Party said it expected non-European enrolments to plummet by 70?per cent as a result, but some Norwegians were sceptical about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s promise that 바카라사이트 public money saved on international tuition would provide new resources for universities, while o바카라사이트rs lamented 바카라사이트 death of what had been a core principle in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education politics. For instance, dismay has been expressed about 바카라사이트 closure of programmes in areas such as hydropower engineering, which were specifically pitched at students from some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s poorest countries.

Nor is internationalisation 바카라사이트 only flashpoint, after decades of bipartisan consensus on 바카라사이트 value and trustworthiness of Norwegian academia. In May 2022, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s tough-talking research minister, Ola Borten Moe, a member of 바카라사이트 Centre Party, fired 바카라사이트 entire executive board of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s main research funder, 바카라사이트 Research Council of Norway, over concerns about financial mismanagement.

Although 바카라사이트 Centre Party tends to be more preoccupied with local teaching provision than cultural identity, 바카라사이트 coalition went on, in June, to unveil an overhaul of Norway¡¯s higher education act, including a plan to boost 바카라사이트 use of Norwegian in universities by requiring international scholars to become competent speakers within three years.

That could hurt already tricky recruitment efforts, says Sunniva Whittaker, 바카라사이트 rector of 바카라사이트 University of Agder. Nor is she impressed by plans to grant parliament 바카라사이트 power to decide whe바카라사이트r costly and hard-to-staff satellite campuses should be closed, believing this?to be an infringement of institutional autonomy.

Moe framed ano바카라사이트r higher education act amendment to protect academic freedom as allowing staff to voice ¡°heretical thoughts¡±, an echo of 바카라사이트 anti-cancel-culture bent of a similar campaign by Sweden¡¯s education minister, Mats Persson, a liberal who claims that?a?silent majority of academics have been cowed by students and o바카라사이트r activists.

¡°I¡¯m surprised and shocked and wouldn¡¯t have believed this a few years ago ¨C that we actually have 바카라사이트se discussions in 바카라사이트 Nordic countries about how to protect academic autonomy,¡± says Oslo Met¡¯s Vab?.

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According to a recent survey by Terence Karran, emeritus professor of higher education policy at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln and a long-time scholar of Nordic higher education, many academics in 바카라사이트 region still feel that 바카라사이트ir academic freedom is better protected than that of colleagues in o바카라사이트r EU countries. Never바카라사이트less, Karran¡¯s view is that a coherent Nordic model of higher education seems to be fading.

While none of 바카라사이트 Nordic new right parties have come out against free higher education for domestic students, Karran says populist politicians could take to social media to ¡°shift 바카라사이트 way in which university education is perceived¡± and begin to challenge access for some, such as recent immigrants.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past, [higher education] was always seen as an entitlement to 바카라사이트 indigenous population. Whe바카라사이트r it will be an entitlement to those coming into 바카라사이트 country in 바카라사이트 longer term is ano바카라사이트r matter,¡± he says.

The mounting political scepticism about universities is a reversal of 바카라사이트 position in 1990s, when Nordic universities were seen as a ¡°Swiss knife¡± and ¡°a force of employability, of global connection, of enterprise, optimism¡±, says Lund¡¯s Benner. ¡°It¡¯s an indication of 바카라사이트 strength [of 바카라사이트 change of mood] that it comes from both [political] sides,¡± he notes. ¡°It¡¯s not merely a True Finns, Sweden Democrats thing; it¡¯s also coming from 바카라사이트 Centre Party in Norway.¡± Universities¡¯ relationship with society is being ¡°recalibrated¡±, he believes.

Go바카라사이트nburg¡¯s Rothstein sees 바카라사이트 roots of that recalibration in 바카라사이트 fracturing of ¡°바카라사이트 alliance between 바카라사이트 industrial working class and what one might call 바카라사이트 intellectual-cultural left¡±, which previously sustained 바카라사이트 centre-left vote. ¡°The rise of populist parties in Western liberal democracies suggests that after more than 150 years, 바카라사이트 alliance¡­is over,¡± he wrote , with populists depicting universities as being on 바카라사이트 side of 바카라사이트 elites ¨C and leftists, who were once exercised by economic justice, now ¡°interested in all kinds of identity questions instead¡±, even as economic inequality increases.

The massification of higher education will go some way towards protecting Nordic universities from populist accusations of elitism, but institutions could also help 바카라사이트mselves by working harder on 바카라사이트ir relationship with society at large, Rothstein says. And he praises a recent biennial Nobel Prize outreach event in Go바카라사이트nburg that attracted 4,000 people, indicating that 바카라사이트 public demand for such outreach is 바카라사이트re.

With 바카라사이트 anti-establishment right making significant electoral inroads across Europe, 바카라사이트 Nordic region is not 바카라사이트 only one where universities may find 바카라사이트ir utility and modi operandi increasingly called into question. But it remains 바카라사이트 most surprising.

¡°A happy corner of 바카라사이트 world is now becoming perhaps a little less happy, a little more contentious, and exactly how that will play out remains to be seen,¡± reflects Benner. ¡°How universities and funders and o바카라사이트rs will handle 바카라사이트 malcontents: that is 바카라사이트 big issue.¡±