International promotion of Norway as a venue for study and research

This text is a readers letter.

Several voices emerged in the wake of the OECD report «Education at a Glance», many of them drawing a picture of Norway as a slow learner when it comes to the recruitment of international students. However, the fact is that Norway as a venue for study has never been more popular than in 2007. The number of international students has doubled since the year 2000, and close to 12 000 international students are currently registered at Norwegian universities and colleges compared to 6100 in the year 2000.

In order to achieve its goals for internationalisation, Norway must assert itself in an international marked where the battle for students hardens. Since 2004, the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) has had the national responsibility to promote Norwegian higher education and research abroad. The promotion work has been carried out in line with foreign policy priorities and education policies in relation to the areas of concentration.

With its promotion work, SIU aims to put Norway on the map as a nation for learning. This is vital as studies show that students choose country first and educational establishment secondly. In 2005, «Study in Norway» was launched as a trademark to market Norway abroad. High quality study programs in combination with unique nature and cultural experiences were defined as Norway’s «unique selling points.»

What does Norway offer? Norwegian educational establishments offer 200 Master’s Programs in English, have top competence and an excellent international reputation in several areas such as petroleum, energy, fishery, equal opportunities, peace and reconciliation. Educational programs, notwithstanding, studies among the international students show that the number one reason why they chose Norway over other countries was the idea of exotic nature experiences.

Everyone who is promoting education knows to focus on quality and excellence, which is why we must offer something more. We believe that there is a combination of life and learning, and that knowledge and experiences combined make Norway such a unique country to study in. Branding in academia is a relatively new term in Norway. Norwegian universities and colleges have a fairly short experience when it comes to international promotion. But during the past few years, great efforts have been put into this task, and more and more professionalizing is taking place.