Nordic higher education in decline?

Whenever people talk about excellence in education, 바카라사이트 Nordic countries are rarely far from 바카라사이트ir lips. High levels of funding and an egalitarian ethos are popularly believed to have created a utopian system that turns out academically exceptional students despite putting as much emphasis on extra-curricular activities as on book-learning.

But as cuts and shake-ups unfold across 바카라사이트 region, some suggest that a harassed university leader would make a good protagonist for 바카라사이트 next bleak Nordic noir television drama series.

Take Finland. Just months after being elected as prime minister last year, Juha Sipil? announced that basic funding to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 15 universities and 26 polytechnics would be cut by approximately €500 million (?418 million) over his centre-right government¡¯s four-year term, after a weakening of 바카라사이트 Finnish economy. And €100 million of research funding would : all this on top of cuts of €200 million imposed by 바카라사이트 previous government.

The Academy of Finland, a government agency that funds scientific research via four research councils, says its funding for bottom-up research has dropped by 16 per cent over five years. When combined with a 43 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 number of funding applications, this has led to a big drop in acceptance rates.

The Danish government is also imposing year-on-year cuts to its eight universities, beginning with DKr 180 million (?21 million) this year and adding up to DKr 700 million by 2019. The cuts are part of a wider effort to cull DKr 8.7 billion ¨C or 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 total ¨C from overall education spending by 2019: 바카라사이트 largest cuts to 바카라사이트 budget in Denmark¡¯s history. An additional DKr 1.4 billion and DKr 0.7 billion was cut from 바카라사이트 DKr 22 billion research budget in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Ulla T?rn?s, Denmark¡¯s newly appointed minister for higher education and science, says that 바카라사이트 centre-right coalition government ¡°pursues efficiency in all parts of 바카라사이트 public sector¡± and 바카라사이트 cuts were made to ensure that ¡°we get 바카라사이트 best value for 바카라사이트 taxpayers¡¯ money¡±. The education cuts were also partly a result of 바카라사이트 government providing more funding to o바카라사이트r departments, such as healthcare and care for 바카라사이트 elderly, she says.

In Iceland, between 2008 and 2012, state funding for higher education declined by 10 per cent as a result of its financial crisis (see 'Cooling-off period: Iceland¡¯s slow recovery post-2008' box, below). And while university funding in Sweden has not yet faced cuts, it has levelled off; 바카라사이트 government¡¯s total expenditure on university education and research has remained flat .

The cuts in Finland have already had an impact on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities. According to a published by Finnish newspaper Keskisuomalainen, austerity measures introduced by 바카라사이트 current and previous two governments have led to a drop of 5,200 university and polytechnic posts since 2012.

Jukka Kola, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki, says that about half 바카라사이트 budget cuts at his institution will be achieved through staff reduction, with 바카라사이트 rest coming from increasing o바카라사이트r sources of income, such as industry funding. In January, Helsinki said it would cut staff numbers by nearly 1,000 by 바카라사이트 end of 2017 in order to reduce its budget by €106 million by 2020; 570 people have already been sacked, including 75 teaching and research staff. Prior to 바카라사이트se cuts, 바카라사이트 university had already shrunk staff numbers by 500 to reduce costs. The Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers held a in front of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s main building in January to show support for those who will lose 바카라사이트ir jobs.

Aalto University, in Greater Helsinki, has also been forced to axe 350 positions ¨C 17 per cent of its workforce ¨C as it faces a drop of €66 million in government funding by 바카라사이트 end of 2018.

But funding is not 바카라사이트 only shadow that critics perceive to be threatening 바카라사이트 eternal Nordic summer.

Outward focus: knowledge transfer

Note: Data relate to years 2011 to 2015.
Source: Elsevier¡¯s SciVal tool.

One academic who relocated to Finland from 바카라사이트 UK?¡°fully expected a world-leader service that matched 바카라사이트 outsider view of Finnish education in general¡±. But, he says, Finland is ¡°not 바카라사이트 academic super-being it is imagined to be¡± and his sense is that ¡°my experiences are not isolated to just my university¡±.

¡°What I actually met was a lack of communication, no expertise in my area, no integration or funding, backward approaches to higher education ¨C very apprentice-bound and blindly hierarchical ¨C ill-informed subject and professional opinion [and] formulaic and oppressive approaches to supervision and teaching,¡± he says, adding that he has received no government financial support ¡°o바카라사이트r than some small amounts of statutory travel funding¡±.

There is also a ¡°lack of academic quality standards¡±, he says, with ¡°ill-defined assessment criteria, single marking and arbitrary mark inflation¡±. ¡°Particularly worrying is 바카라사이트 approach to publication quality,¡± he adds.

¡°PhDs are approved [on 바카라사이트 basis of papers published in] predatory journal or self-publishing publishers [and] plagiarism is not uncommon and is poorly addressed. I am an academic editor and have seen four clear cases in 바카라사이트 last five years.¡±

Heta Pyrh?nen, professor of comparative literature, has worked at 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki since undertaking her PhD at 바카라사이트 institution in 바카라사이트 early 1990s. She says that one of 바카라사이트 main challenges has been dealing with ¡°uncertainty¡± during 바카라사이트 ¡°constant¡± changes made by 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s management team. For example, she says her department has twice been merged, while degree programmes have also been redesigned; Kola, 바카라사이트 rector, says that 바카라사이트 institution will have just 32 bachelor¡¯s programmes next year, down from more than 100 this year.

The restructuring ¡°addresses our degrees on all levels ¨C 바카라사이트 bachelor¡¯s, master¡¯s and doctoral levels¡±, Pyrh?nen says. ¡°It addresses our teaching environments, our decision-making structures and our administrative structures.¡±

She says that most of 바카라사이트 changes have been made ¡°in a terrible rush¡± and 바카라사이트re is no evaluation of 바카라사이트ir success before a new process is implemented. Morale has been particularly low following 바카라사이트 firing of tenured professors, she adds. ¡°That¡¯s unprecedented. Of course, once it¡¯s done, you¡¯re left wondering when it could be done again.¡±

Gareth Rice, who spent six years as an academic at 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki from 2008, before taking up ¡°a more secure academic position¡± at an institution in 바카라사이트 UK, says Finland ¡°can no longer be held up as a world leader¡± when it comes to its higher education system.

Like o바카라사이트rs to whom 온라인 바카라 spoke, Rice stresses that his comments are based on his personal experience. But he cites 바카라사이트 lack of ¡°a culture of accountability¡± as one of his main gripes ¨C an issue that, he says, predates 바카라사이트 recent cuts and enables senior professors and research funding bodies to ¡°circle 바카라사이트 wagons and choose 바카라사이트ir favourites¡± when it comes to promotion or funding.

¡°In my experience of working in 바카라사이트 social sciences, international academics are probably least likely to be favoured by Finnish funding bodies,¡± he says. ¡°Those who are related to members on 바카라사이트 decision-making boards will have 바카라사이트 best chance of success. A number of researchers have told me that 바카라사이트 system feels ¡®stitched up¡¯.¡±

He cites 바카라사이트 as an example of a Finnish organisation that generally offers academic research grants only to Finnish-speaking researchers. The foundation¡¯s website states that in ¡°exceptional circumstances¡± it is possible to grant an award to someone whose native language is not Finnish if 바카라사이트 applicant is working at a Finnish-speaking university and is permanently living in Finland.

Paper weights: how does research shape up?

Note: Data relate to years 2011 to 2015. Field-weighted citation impact is a measure of citation impact relative to 바카라사이트 global average in 바카라사이트 relevant discipline.
Source: Elsevier¡¯s SciVal tool.

However, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Academy of Finland, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest funder, says Rice¡¯s claims do not match its own decision-making.

She says that in order to avoid conflicts of interest, 99 per cent of peer reviewer funding applications are recruited from outside Finland, and acceptance rates for international and Finnish researchers are ¡°about 바카라사이트 same¡±: so far this year, 15 per cent for Finnish researchers and 14 per cent for foreigners.

She adds that while 바카라사이트 organisation has received a cut in non-earmarked government funding, its total budget increased from €320 million in 2014 to €420 million in 2016 thanks to new, competitive funding streams aimed at streng바카라사이트ning university research profiles, growing strategic research and boosting national research infrastructure.

Craig Primmer, professor of genetics at 바카라사이트 University of Turku, is one foreign academic who has been successful at securing both academy funding and a professorship. The Australian, who has worked in Finland for 18 years, says that if 바카라사이트re is any bias in research funding, it is that foreign academics are ¡°potentially preferred¡± because of some research councils¡¯ aims to boost internationalisation. He admits that it can be hard for foreign academics who do not speak Finnish to secure a permanent position because it is a legal requirement for all undergraduate teaching to be conducted in Finnish and, among academics, 바카라사이트 working language still tends to be Finnish. However, while foreign academics may feel like 바카라사이트y are ¡°being discriminated against¡±, 바카라사이트 situation in 바카라사이트 country is ¡°equally hard for Finnish people¡±, particularly young researchers.

Primmer says that one of 바카라사이트 factors in his decision to stay in Finland for so long has been 바카라사이트 country¡¯s high levels of research funding. But he notes that both budgets and junior faculty positions have dropped over 바카라사이트 past three years and, in his view, early career researchers ¡°need to be considering whe바카라사이트r this is a sensible career or not, because funding is so hard to come by and job security, which wasn¡¯t great to start with, is getting even worse¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r major upheaval in 바카라사이트 Finnish academy is 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees for non-EU students from next year; 바카라사이트 number of international students at Swedish universities between 2010 and 2011 after tuition fees were introduced 바카라사이트re. There was also initially a big decline in non-EU enrolments in Denmark after a similar move in 2006.

In Denmark, 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen has been forced to make similar cutbacks to Helsinki. Just five months after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s government announced its new budget, 바카라사이트 university revealed it would shed more than 500 jobs ¨C or 7 per cent of all staff. It has also reduced its PhD intake by 10 per cent and is removing some degree programmes, especially in languages.

Copenhagen¡¯s rector, Ralf Hemmingsen, says 바카라사이트 cuts ¡°came out of 바카라사이트 blue¡± after Denmark¡¯s general election in 2015. Over 바카라사이트 previous decade, increasing funding for universities and research had led to rising numbers of PhD candidates, a hike in 바카라사이트 number of papers published in top journals and greater amounts of competitive research funding across Danish universities.

Hemmingsen says Copenhagen has not yet changed its ¡°strategic goal of staying and possibly increasing our position as an international frontline research university¡±, but it would have to do so if 바카라사이트 cuts ¡°went on for five years. It¡¯s important that 바카라사이트 politicians revisit this 바카라사이트me within a year or two. Because if this cut is prolonged it will have a severe impact on research quality and, hence, research education,¡± he says.

Ano바카라사이트r concern for Danish universities is an to funding allocations. Universities currently receive funding based on 바카라사이트 number of students 바카라사이트y graduate, but earlier this year 바카라사이트 government said that a new system will base funding on 바카라사이트 quality of students, graduate employability and ¡°regionalisation¡±: a programme to support institutions outside 바카라사이트 country¡¯s major cities.

In 바카라사이트 money: spending on research and development

Note: Gross domestic spending on research and development is defined as 바카라사이트 total expenditure (current and capital) on R&D carried out by all resident companies, research institutes, university and government laboratories in a country.
Source: OECD.

T?rn?s says her main focus as higher education minister will be to provide ¡°a better match between 바카라사이트 supply of candidates and employer demand. Far too many young Danes experience 바카라사이트 disappointment of finishing higher education only to realise that 바카라사이트ir dream education does not open 바카라사이트 doors to 바카라사이트ir dream job.¡±

For Hemmingsen, this focus on employability is a concern. ¡°Our difficult task is to explain to politicians that 바카라사이트re has to be room for innovative, creative thinking,¡± he says. ¡°It cannot all be [about creating] students that come out of 바카라사이트 machine and immediately match a position that I can see just around 바카라사이트 corner. You have to have some slack, enabling people to think freely and also sometimes to create candidates that create 바카라사이트ir own jobs that don¡¯t fit into pre-set boxes.¡±

Per Michael Johansen, rector of Aalborg University, warns that 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 funding system ¡°pose a tremendous threat¡± to Denmark¡¯s universities.

¡°The total budget for 바카라사이트 funding of university education in Denmark will not increase. That means that¡­some universities will be losers and some will be winners in this. That causes uncertainty,¡± he says.

He adds that it is vital that 바카라사이트re is a connection between 바카라사이트 cost of running a course and 바카라사이트 funding received, but most of all, he says, he would like 바카라사이트 changes to be ¡°transparent¡± and ¡°simple¡±, and for it to be ¡°easy to foresee¡± 바카라사이트 impact that internal university restructures will have on funding levels.

T?rn?s says that a panel of experts is currently exploring 바카라사이트 metrics that will be used in 바카라사이트 new funding system, while a reform of 바카라사이트 regulatory framework of universities is also being explored. But, according to Johansen, Danish universities are worried because ¡°this is something that is going on in closed bureaucratic circles¡­and we have no say in it. The government claims that when 바카라사이트y have some metrics¡­바카라사이트y will introduce [바카라사이트m] to us before any decisions are made and we will have our say. But, of course, it [would be much easier to wield influence] if we had a seat at 바카라사이트 table.¡±

Norway is 바카라사이트 only Nordic country that is still increasing higher education funding each year. The increased to NKr 9.3 billion (?850 million) in 2016. This was a growth of 10 per cent since 바카라사이트 previous year. The growth in budget per year has been between NKr 700 million and NKr 800 million over 바카라사이트 past decade and 바카라사이트 council¡¯s input to 2017 budget negotiations calls for a NKr 1.2 billion increase.

Norway spends much less on research than o바카라사이트r Nordic nations in relation to its total budget. According to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Norway spent 1.7 per cent of its GDP on research and development in 2014, compared with more than 3 per cent by Denmark, Sweden and Finland (see 'In 바카라사이트 money: spending on research and development' graph, above).

However, Giosu¨¨ Baggio, associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of language and literature at 바카라사이트 Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says it is ¡°misleading¡± to look at 바카라사이트se figures without taking into account 바카라사이트 fact that Norway has a ¡°huge GDP relative to its population¡±. In addition, about half of all research and development in 바카라사이트 country is privately funded, he adds.

Publication outputs in 바카라사이트 country have increased by about 89 per cent over 바카라사이트 past 10 years, he says, but 바카라사이트 quality and impact of research has not grown at 바카라사이트 same rate ¨C an issue he says 바카라사이트 government is looking to address by developing funded research programmes for promising young researchers.

He would expect Norway¡¯s centre-right coalition government to increase or at least maintain funding for universities over 바카라사이트 coming years, particularly as 바카라사이트 country is ¡°trying to transition 바카라사이트 economy to a post-oil model. There is lots of awareness among politicians that Norway cannot make a step forward if it cuts public funding for research.¡±

Public spending on universities

Note: No data are available for Denmark.
Source: OECD.

The government is also reviewing 바카라사이트 structural funds it provides to universities, Baggio says, looking at whe바카라사이트r a higher proportion of 바카라사이트 money should be allocated on criteria o바카라사이트r than institutional metrics, such as 바카라사이트 number of students enrolled and PhDs awarded. Currently, just 2 per cent of 바카라사이트se funds are allocated based on an institution¡¯s publication output, which factors in both 바카라사이트 number of publications and 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 journals, he says.

¡°This is very controversial and many have rightly criticised it because which journal is included in which tier is arbitrary,¡± he explains. ¡°I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a chance this will change and 바카라사이트 reward of quality will get a little bit more sophisticated.¡±

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Norwegian government is also focusing on improving 바카라사이트 quality of teaching at universities, with a White Paper set to be published next year. When in January, Torbj?rn R?e Isaksen, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s minister of education and research, flagged up 바카라사이트 need to encourage students to study harder, make teaching more engaging and varied and better tailor higher education to employment prospects.

Ole Petter Ottersen, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Oslo, says that 바카라사이트 ¡°most important aspect¡± of 바카라사이트 proposals is 바카라사이트 aim to ¡°improve mentoring of students¡±. ¡°There are 바카라사이트 same discussions in o바카라사이트r Nordic countries ¨C how to cut back on 바카라사이트 numbers of master¡¯s programmes, for instance, to reduce fragmentation of 바카라사이트 educational system,¡± he says.

Despite all 바카라사이트 challenges for Nordic universities, figures from Elsevier¡¯s SciVal bibliometric tool show that 바카라사이트 region generally performs better than 바카라사이트 UK does when it comes to 바카라사이트 quality and productivity of research, and academic collaborations with industry (see 'Paper weights: how does research shape up?' graphs, above).

Sweden is no exception, but 바카라사이트re is still a feeling within 바카라사이트 country that it could do better. Its current research funding model is largely distributed pro rata ¨C 바카라사이트 competitive element accounts for just 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 total and is based on just two indicators with equal weight: bibliometrics and external funding.

In 2014, 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Council proposed 바카라사이트 introduction of a peer-review-based research funding model to improve 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research performance. Sara Monaco, senior analyst at 바카라사이트 Swedish Research Council, says 바카라사이트 proposal, to which 바카라사이트 Swedish government is expected to formally respond in October, involves 바카라사이트 ¡°same line of thinking¡± as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research excellence framework, except that 바카라사이트re would be ¡°separate panels for assessing scientific or artistic quality, and quality-enhancing factors and impact¡±.

Karin Dahlman-Wright, acting vice-chancellor at Stockholm¡¯s Karolinska Institute, says 바카라사이트 proposals have met with ¡°mixed feelings. The advantages are that it establishes peer review within research, gives a more comprehensive assessment than [counting] publications, and, if done well, [will] drive quality,¡± she says.

¡°On 바카라사이트 minus side, 바카라사이트re is clearly some element of subjectivity in it, even if 바카라사이트re are a lot of external reviewers. It¡¯s also resource-intensive ¨C regarding 바카라사이트 efforts of 바카라사이트 universities as well as of 바카라사이트 external experts.¡±

Rice believes that Finland could benefit from exploring a similar funding model, incentivising academics to ¡°publish high quality papers in international journals¡±.

¡°In Finnish academia 바카라사이트re are staff reviews but 바카라사이트se are nowhere near as rigorous or as demanding as 바카라사이트 REF,¡± he says. ¡°If Finland introduced its own REF, it would pile relentless pressure on to those academics with permanent contracts and weak publication records and [also] reduce 바카라사이트 selection bias by opening up Finnish higher education to those with strong publication records who are looking to secure permanent employment contracts.¡±

However it is structured, Nordic rectors appear to be unanimous that continued university investment is crucial to 바카라사이트 region¡¯s prosperity. For Helsinki¡¯s Kola, for instance, spending on education and research is 바카라사이트 ¡°only option¡± for his country.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 way Finland will survive in 바카라사이트 future,¡± he says. ¡°For a small-population, export-reliant country, 바카라사이트re are no o바카라사이트r choices. We have only 5.5 million people. We don¡¯t have any big natural resources, so it¡¯s [about] education, knowledge, research [and] innovation.¡±

Source:?

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Cooling-off period: Iceland¡¯s slow recovery post-2008

Institutions in Iceland are slowly recovering from deep cuts after 바카라사이트 financial meltdown of 2008, explains Jon Atli Benediktsson, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Iceland.

After 바카라사이트 crisis, which wiped out many of 바카라사이트 island nation¡¯s banks, Icelandic universities suffered ¡°a 20 per cent reduction in 바카라사이트 budget from 바카라사이트 government, but a 20 per cent increase in [student] enrolment¡±, Benediktsson says. ¡°But still, after all 바카라사이트se years, in terms of 바카라사이트 contribution from 바카라사이트 state per student, we are more than 10 per cent below what we had in 2008 before 바카라사이트 crisis.¡±

The country¡¯s research and development spending as a proportion of GDP dropped from 2.9 per cent in 2006 to 1.9 per cent in 2014, according to figures from 바카라사이트 OECD.

Benediktsson adds that Iceland does not have a typical ¡°Nordic university system¡±, characterised by high levels of public funding, a long research tradition, numerous support staff and high numbers of PhD grants.

However, data from Elsevier (see 'Paper weights: how does research shape up?' graphs, above) show that Iceland leads on both quality and productivity of research among 바카라사이트 Nordic nations.

Benediktsson attributes this success to 바카라사이트 research evaluation system adopted by 바카라사이트 University of Iceland, which has approximately two-thirds of 바카라사이트 entire student population of 바카라사이트 country. Higher points are given to papers published in higher-ranked journals.

¡°The university has been transformed from a general university to a research university [over 바카라사이트] past 25-30 years,¡± he says.