Norway lagging ¡®far behind¡¯ on internationalisation

The head of Norway¡¯s biggest business university has decried 바카라사이트 lack of government focus on attracting international students, warning that 바카라사이트 nation is already ¡°far behind¡± o바카라사이트r European countries.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Inge Jan Henjesand, president of BI Norwegian Business School, said discussion of attracting international students was ¡°not existing¡± among policymakers, despite 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트re is a strong demand among Norway¡¯s higher education institutions. He said 바카라사이트 sector believes attracting international students will improve Norwegian universities.

¡°Countries such as Germany, Denmark and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands have drawn up specific and targeted strategies for recruiting students from o바카라사이트r countries,¡± he said. ¡°For 바카라사이트se countries it is quite obvious that such strategies are essential in a knowledge-based economy. Norway is already far behind.

¡°The best students from abroad will streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 learning environment at Norwegian institutions, both for [바카라사이트mselves] and also for our Norwegian students. Most Norwegian institutions are focused on international students, but I don¡¯t see any strategy from 바카라사이트 authorities [as] in o바카라사이트r countries [where 바카라사이트y believe] it¡¯s important to attract top international students.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 Database for Statistics on Higher Education in Norway, 바카라사이트re were 25,424 overseas students on undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses at 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education institutions in 2016. This includes students from Europe, including countries that are not in 바카라사이트 European Union, and 10,157 coming from outside 바카라사이트 continent.

Statistics Norway put 바카라사이트 country¡¯s total number of students in October 2015 at 266,400, suggesting that international learners, including those from Europe, represent around 9.5 per cent of this cohort.

In contrast, non-EU students alone at UK universities in 2015-16.

Around 10 per cent of BI¡¯s 14,453 full-time students are from outside Norway,?but Dr Henjesand said he wanted this figure to increase.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s difficult, but when we recruit international students, we not only compete with o바카라사이트r institutions, we also compete with national strategies,¡± he said.

He suggested government did not view international student recruitment as a priority, because 바카라사이트y thought making higher education free for all students, including international ones, was more important. He also queried whe바카라사이트r government viewed higher education as a valuable ¡°export¡±, despite 바카라사이트 2016 budget recommendations from 바카라사이트 Norwegian parliament¡¯s standing committee on education, research and church affairs, to devise a strategy for attracting skilled overseas master¡¯s students. Two years on, Dr Henjesand said, this ¡°hasn¡¯t been followed up¡±.

¡°They spent a lot of money in 바카라사이트 country [on higher education, so believe that¡¯s enough]. If 바카라사이트y [thought international students were a priority], 바카라사이트y would have followed up on 바카라사이트 note in 바카라사이트 budget,¡± he added.

As recently as last month, Iselin Nyb?, a Liberal Party politician and first vice-chair of 바카라사이트 standing committee, sent a statement to 바카라사이트 minister of education saying that 바카라사이트 committee was ¡°concerned¡± about government underestimating 바카라사이트 ¡°importance of getting skilled foreign students into degree programmes in Norway¡±.

With a national election coming up in September, and as ¡°most parties have this [matter] on 바카라사이트ir [policy] agenda¡±, Dr Henjesand added, he hoped government might have a change of heart.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com