Twenty Years of History in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region –Lessons Learned and New OpportunitiesConference on Cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in the Field of Education and Research as a Resource for Regional Development26th-30th November, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Arkhangelsk

Astrid Elisabeth Revhaug, Senior Executive Adviser, International Office, Department of Academic Affairs, University of Tromsø

Twenty Years of Experience of Higher Edcuation Cooperation in the Barents region

My perspectives

•A Norwegian perspective•University of Tromsø perspective•Administrative staff member working since 1998•Former JWGER member (2005-07)

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The Past – a quick glance at some milestones

• Pioneers of internationalisation in the late eighties and nineties

• The establishment of BEAC in 1993

• The establishment of the Norwegian-Pomor University Centre in 1993/bilateral exchange agreement

• The establishment of the University of the Arctic in 2001

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The Past – cont.

• The adherence to the Bologna Declaration

• The implementation of the first Bologna goals

• Bologna issues became an important JWGER concern

• Mergers by two of the largest institutions in the Barents regi

• New bilateral agreement between The Russian and the Norwegian ministries of education and research 2010

• MoU between the NCM and the Russian Federation 2011

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UiT cooperation in the Barents region in the past

• Cooperation in the Barents region versus Barents cooperation framework

• An enormous number of cooperative activities- in itself a success story

• bilateral cooperation predominantly with Russian institutions

• Research cooperation in the natural sciences and health outnumber by far cooperation in the humanities and social sciences, whereas

• Exchange cooperation was mostly in the humanities/social sciences21.04.235

The most frequent funding sources for projects involving UiT

Norwegian Research Council Barents Secretariat Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation Programme European union (Frameworks, Erasmus Mundus,

Interreg) Barents 2020 (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Direct funding for UArctic activities from the

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (may incl. Barents institutions)

Cooperation Programme with North America (may include Barents institutions)

Institutional in-kind resources

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Exchange agreements with partners in Russia

Arctic State University of Culture and Art Arkhangelsk State Pedagogical University Northern State Medical University Murmansk Humanities Institute Murmansk State Humanities University Murmansk Technical University North-Eastern Federal University Northern (Arctic) Federal University Karelian State Pedagogical University Petrozavodsk State University Saint Petersburg State University St Petersburg State Conservatory Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts State Ped. Univ. Herzen, St. Petersburg Moscow State University Syktyvkar State University Surgut State University

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Students from Russia at UiT

Autumn 1994 Total: 15 Pomor State University : 13

Autumn 2011 Total: 112. Exchange students: 23

Northern Arctic Federal University: 9 North-Eastern Federal University: 5Murmansk State Technical University: 3Northern State Medical University: 3Saint Petersburg State University: 1Murmansk State Humanities University:1Syktyvkar State University: 1

UiT students on exchange at Russian universitiesAutumn 2008:

Pomor State University: 5

Autumn 2011: 9 Northern Arctic Federal University: 5North-Eastern Federal University: 3Northern State Medical University: 1

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Student exchange with Northern (Arctic) Federal University – a sustainable exchange model

In the nineties: At PSU: Study programme in Norwegian as 2nd foreign

language

At UiT: Exchange course package in Norwegian language and culture (30 ECTS) for students from PSU

Later:At UiT: Bachelor’s degree programme in Russia Studies

At PSU since 2006/NaRFUAn exchange semester for Norwegian Bachelor students: course package in Russian history after the

revolution/Russian text analysis/bachelor thesis (30 ECTS) 5-10 students every autumn

General trends

• From pioneers and case by case handling of student mobility towards a more streamlined cooperation

• Towards a more priority driven cooperation

• Towards comprehensive cooperation with target institutions

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Barents cooperation in the future

The present BEAC/BEAR goals and priorities are largely the same as the national ones, NCM, EU, UArctic

Even if the BEAC/BEAR framework did not exist, higher education instititutions would still be working towards these goals because they are on the national and global agendas

BEAC/BEAR has been a unique cooperation framework, both in structure and in number of areas of society which it includes

The concept of the High North as an area of international and national attention will exist hand in hand with the Barents cooperation

JWGER as future tool of the Barents cooperation21.04.2312

JWGER experiences at UiT (Chair 2004-07)

On the negative side

•Discontinued participation

•Low participation from the national and regional level

•Low or no funding for JWGER work as such

•Administrative JWGER

•Low interest from academics

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Academic and administrative prerequisites (Bologna criteria)

•Student exchange agreement•Standard application form/learning agreement•Credit system for exchange courses/modules (ECTS)•Standard grading system (A-F)•Use of exam transcript (in English)•Translation into English of existing courses •Development of new English taught courses•Study information in English (course description, syllabus, etc)•Contact person for the exchanges•Student welfare

-pre arrival (information package)-arrival (introductory programme)-housing-integration on campus and extramural activities

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On the positive side the JWGER work contributed to:

• Increased awareness of the Barents region as a natural area for international higher education cooperation

• Valuable international cooperation experience for the institutions in North Norway

• Increased administrative cooperation among the International Offices in the Barents region

• Increased administrative competence by and large, esp. in Student mobility management) Foreign education systems

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The present mandate and Action plan for JWGER

• 14 objectives of the present mandate• 11 priorities and tasks in the Action Plan

• 5 priorities within the general tasks• 7 action points in the Action Plan

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What is expected of Basic prerequisites for the JWGER success of the WG• intensify• support• develop• contribute• promote• increase• broaden• use• provide • enhance • ensure• strenghten• expand• share• implement• enforce

• Fewer periodical goals • More cross-disciplinary goals • Focus on quality rather than

quantity• Transparency (Bologna

criteria)• Stronger commitment from

the national and regional level• Stronger commitment from

institutional level• Predictable national/regional

and institutional resources• The direct involvement of

academics

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Key factors for success with student exchange and other educational cooperation between Norway and Russia

• Financing Scholarships for both students, teachers and administrative staff

• The compatibility of administrative and academic systems Competence in internationalisation Transparency Close contact between facilitators

• English taught courses At least a minimum course package of 30 ECTS

• Student welfare To know what to expect

• Information

New opportunities for JWGER

WJGER is «the practical instrument of the BEAR cooperation»

•How can the WG make a difference?

•What is the difference between this WG and other WGs? •Which are the most successful ones? What can we learn from them?

•Barents cooperation versus UArctic cooperation/other networks in the north

•Sources of funding funding for projects Funding for the WG

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What now?

• A new mandate 2013-2015• A new twin chair is in place

• A new role for the WG?

• Priority of task(s) - timeline

• A new start !

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