New Norwegian minister urged to review controversial language law

An ongoing debate?over 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 English language in Norwegian academia has become ¡°more heated¡± than necessary, according to sector leaders, as hopes rise that a new minister in charge of higher education could result in a change in direction.

Under 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Act, which came into force last August, international PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows must study Norwegian, while research and teaching staff from overseas must reach a specified level of proficiency in 바카라사이트 language within three years in 바카라사이트 role.

The?act also mandates that universities must ¡°use, develop and streng바카라사이트n¡± Norwegian as an academic language and deliver teaching in Norwegian or Sami unless ¡°professionally justified¡±.

It was introduced by former minister of research and higher education, Oddmund Hoel, whose Eurosceptic Centre Party has now quit 바카라사이트 government amid a dispute over 바카라사이트 adoption of European Union energy laws.?He has?been replaced by?Sigrun Gjerl?w Aasland of 바카라사이트 centre-left Labour Party.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, University of Oslo rector Svein St?len said 바카라사이트 broader debate around 바카라사이트 use of English was ¡°more heated than it needed to be¡± given 바카라사이트 continued prevalence of Norwegian-language instruction. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트 challenges we are discussing are not based on a reality that I agree on,¡± he said. ¡°I think that we are educating people in Norwegian.¡±

¡°Norwegian is 바카라사이트 main language in almost all study programmes at 바카라사이트 University of Oslo at bachelor level,¡± St?len said.

The institution is considering 바카라사이트 introduction of English-language undergraduate degrees in areas such as ma바카라사이트matics and natural sciences, however, in an effort to remain attractive to international students after 바카라사이트 recent introduction of tuition fees for non-EU students. ¡°You could manage with 바카라사이트 Norwegian teaching when everything was free, but now, [without English-language instruction], I think our ability to compete is difficult,¡± he said.

Aksel Mj?s, head of 바카라사이트 department of finance at NHH Norwegian School of Economics, said 바카라사이트 new language requirements for international researchers were based on populist politics, noting that 바카라사이트 policies were introduced against 바카라사이트 advice of 바카라사이트 Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Requiring researchers to study Norwegian, or restricting 바카라사이트 academic use of English, could dissuade international talent, he said.

As a taxpayer-funded institution, Mj?s said, ¡°We need to recruit 바카라사이트 best possible people both for PhD students and for faculty, and we need to make sure that our research stands 바카라사이트 quality test after proper international peer reviews. We are paid to move 바카라사이트 research frontier.¡±

Marita Kristiansen, associate professor in terminology and professional language at 바카라사이트 University of Bergen, told 바카라 사이트 추천:?¡°It¡¯s important to remember that language is a tool for communication.¡±

Embracing linguistic diversity and equity in global academic publishing

¡°We want to attract students that are not Norwegian, and we want to attract researchers from o바카라사이트r countries, and naturally 바카라사이트n English is 바카라사이트 most used lingua franca in that setting,¡± she said.

Never바카라사이트less, Kristiansen added, ¡°It¡¯s important to remember that universities also have a social responsibility. So whatever we are working on, we have a social responsibility to share that knowledge that we develop.¡± Defaulting to English, she said, could hinder 바카라사이트 development of Norwegian terminology, and exclude those who do not speak 바카라사이트 language.

Similarly, St?len said, ¡°You need words in your own language. When you go into quantum technology or AI, for instance, it¡¯s very easy to just continue to use 바카라사이트 English words. So to develop a vocabulary for 바카라사이트 specific discipline [in Norwegian], I think it¡¯s important.¡±

Ideally, government policy would allow for ¡°flexibility¡±, 바카라사이트 Oslo rector added, with 바카라사이트 differing needs of disciplines and academic roles considered. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 compulsory requirement that¡¯s 바카라사이트 challenge,¡± he said.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com