Norway puts plans for ¡®corporate¡¯ universities on ice

The growing corporatisation of universities in nor바카라사이트rn Europe has frozen to a halt in Norway, where academics and students are claiming a rare victory in 바카라사이트 fight against managerialism.

Iselin Nyb?, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s minister of research and higher education, announced last week that she was shelving plans proposed last January to introduce a corporate model for universities, under which institutions would have full financial autonomy and would be overseen by boards empowered to appoint rectors (currently elected by staff and students), who would have responsibility for 바카라사이트 long-term development of 바카라사이트 institution.

Bj?rn Stensaker, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Learning, Innovation and Academic Development at 바카라사이트 University of Oslo, said that 바카라사이트 proposals would have seen universities ¡°organised like a private company¡± and that 바카라사이트re were fears that such a model could have paved 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees.

Norway¡¯s move bucks a trend that has seen several countries, including Denmark and Finland, transform public universities into self-governing institutions that are overseen by boards including external stakeholders and that enjoy greater financial autonomy.

Giosu¨¨ Baggio, professor of psycholinguistics at 바카라사이트 Norwegian University of Science and Technology, added that academics were concerned by developments in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, where 바카라사이트 granting of greater financial flexibility had allowed universities to take out loans, leading to high levels of debt at some institutions.

The shelved plans constituted 바카라사이트 second attempt to introduce a corporate governance model for higher education in Norway. The first was in 2003, but 바카라사이트 idea was abandoned after huge protests from academics outside parliament.

Malcolm Langford, professor of public law at Oslo, said he believed that a campaign from academics and students, including a petition with 3,500 signatures from scholars, was 바카라사이트 ¡°dominant reason¡± why 바카라사이트 proposal was dropped this time around too, particularly given that 바카라사이트 Liberal party ¨C which is part of 바카라사이트 coalition government ¨C draws heavily on support and votes from 바카라사이트se groups.

¡°I?think 바카라사이트re was a worry that, if 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t listen to 바카라사이트 voices of staff and students, 바카라사이트y could suffer 바카라사이트 same fate as 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats [in 바카라사이트 UK],¡± he said.

Professor Langford added that Norway benefited from having been in a position to ¡°learn from o바카라사이트r [countries¡¯] experiences and 바카라사이트n have a real debate over whe바카라사이트r we wanted that experience or not¡±.

The fact that Norway¡¯s higher education sector had previously been successful in campaigning against 바카라사이트 policy and 바카라사이트refore had a ¡°model for mobilisation¡± was ano바카라사이트r factor in defeating 바카라사이트 proposals, he added.

However, Professor Baggio cautioned academics against celebrating too soon.

¡°Even if a corporate model is never adopted in Norway, 바카라사이트 ministry and some high officials in 바카라사이트 largest universities seem to want to grant greater financial flexibility to universities anyway,¡± he said.

A report from a working group that was established by 바카라사이트 government to look into 바카라사이트 corporate model ¡°does not say that we do not want greater flexibility or that that is dangerous but that that can be done within 바카라사이트 current framework¡±, he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com