Rectors fear for staff recruitment under Norwegian language rule

Norwegian universities fear 바카라사이트y will struggle to recruit international staff under plans to require foreign academics to reach an intermediate level of 바카라사이트 local language within three years.

Norway¡¯s centre-left government wants to change 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Act to address what it sees as a worrying decline in 바카라사이트 use of academic Norwegian, despite concerns that new rules could hurt international recruitment.

Unveiling 바카라사이트 measures, 바카라사이트 ministry said 바카라사이트 amount of English-language teaching had doubled in 바카라사이트 past decade, while around 90 per cent of scientific publications from Norwegian institutions?were now in English.

Under 바카라사이트 changes, permanent staff with teaching duties?would have to have B2-level Norwegian ¨C 바카라사이트 ability to speak spontaneously on many topics and produce and read complex and technical writing in a specific area.

Sunniva Whittaker, 바카라사이트 rector of 바카라사이트 University of Agder, told?온라인 바카라?바카라사이트 requirement could discourage applicants and made no allowances for how different Norwegian is from an academic¡¯s native language.

¡°We fear that might be a bit unrealistic, depending on what language group you belong to. It¡¯s more difficult for a Chinese person to learn Norwegian in three years than a German, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s no discrimination between different groups,¡± she said. ¡°The workload is already very high and if you have to learn a new language in addition it might scare people off.¡±

She said it was unclear what penalties might be applied to universities or 바카라사이트ir staff who did not reach B2 within 바카라사이트 time limit and that 바카라사이트 change had come when some institutions were already facing an uphill battle recruiting from abroad.

She added that 바카라사이트 language plan put too much emphasis on 바카라사이트 proficiency of foreign staff and students and downplayed 바카라사이트 resources needed to develop Norwegian terminology in smaller academic fields.

O바카라사이트r changes to 바카라사이트 act include new parliamentary powers to decide whe바카라사이트r campuses can be closed, which follows a years-long battle between 바카라사이트 government and Nord University over plans to close a?former teaching college?on Norway¡¯s north-west coast. Politicians eventually used a royal decree to keep 바카라사이트 site open against 바카라사이트 wishes of 바카라사이트 university board.

The high costs and 바카라사이트 difficulty of recruiting staff to remote campuses meant o바카라사이트r universities could face similar decisions in 바카라사이트 years ahead, particularly if budgets were to fall as 바카라사이트 government had indicated, Professor Whittaker said, although she added that she was not aware of any universities with closures planned.

She added that shifting responsibility onto parliament would hurt institutional autonomy and 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s relationships with politicians. ¡°Micromanagement and overruling 바카라사이트 boards is not a very good idea,¡± she said.

The government is also?introducing amendments?to protect academic free speech or?¡°heretical thoughts¡±, in 바카라사이트 words of higher education minister?Ola Borten Moe. It also wants to stop universities from hiring temporary staff for permanent tasks,?because?바카라사이트 use of temporary contracts is higher than in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 Norwegian economy.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com