Twenty Years of History in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region – Lessons Learned and New Opportunities

1. Twenty Years of History in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region –Lessons Learned and New Opportunities Conference on Cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in the Field of Education and Research as a Resource for Regional Development 26th-30th November, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Arkhangelsk Astrid Elisabeth Revhaug, Senior Executive Adviser, International Office, Department of Academic Affairs, University of Tromsø

2. Twenty Years of Experience of Higher Edcuation Cooperation in the Barents region My perspectives • A Norwegian perspective • University of Tromsø perspective • Administrative staff memberworkingsince 1998 • Former JWGER member (2005-07)

3. 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 exchangeagreement • The establishment of the University of the Arctic in 2001

4. The Past – cont. • The adherence to the Bologna Declaration • The implementation of thefirst Bologna goals • Bologna issuesbecame an important JWGER concern • Mergers by two of thelargestinstitutions in the Barents regi • New bilateral agreementbetween The Russian and the Norwegian ministries of education and research 2010 • MoUbetweenthe NCM and the Russian Federation 2011

5. UiT cooperation in the Barents region in the past • Cooperation in the Barents region versus Barents cooperationframework • An enormousnumber of cooperativeactivities- in itself a success story • bilateralcooperationpredominantlywith Russian institutions • Research cooperation in the natural sciences and health outnumber by far cooperation in thehumanities and social sciences, whereas • Exchangecooperationwasmostly in thehumanities/social sciences

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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: 5 Murmansk State Technical University: 3 Northern State Medical University: 3 Saint Petersburg State University: 1 Murmansk State Humanities University:1 Syktyvkar State University: 1

9. UiT students on exchange at Russian universities Autumn 2008: Pomor State University: 5 Autumn 2011: 9 Northern Arctic Federal University: 5 North-Eastern Federal University: 3 Northern State Medical University: 1

10. Student exchange with Northern (Arctic) Federal University – a sustainable exchange model In thenineties: At PSU: Study programme in Norwegian as 2nd foreign language At UiT: Exchange coursepackage in Norwegian language and culture (30 ECTS) for students from PSU Later: At UiT: Bachelor’sdegreeprogramme in Russia Studies At PSU since 2006/NaRFU An exchange semester for Norwegian Bachelor students: coursepackage in Russian historyaftertherevolution/Russian textanalysis/bachelor thesis (30 ECTS) 5-10 students everyautumn

11. General trends • From pioneers and case by case handling of student mobilitytowards a more streamlinedcooperation • Towards a more priority driven cooperation • Towardscomprehensivecooperationwith target institutions

12. 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 cooperation

13. JWGER experiences at UiT (Chair 2004-07) On the negative side • Discontinuedparticipation • Lowparticipation from thenational and regional level • Low or nofunding for JWGER work as such • Administrative JWGER • Lowinterest from academics

14. Academic and administrative prerequisites (Bologna criteria) • Student exchangeagreement • Standard application form/learningagreement • Credit system for exchangecourses/modules (ECTS) • Standard grading system (A-F) • Useofexamtranscript (in English) • Translationinto English ofexistingcourses • Development ofnew English taughtcourses • Studyinformation in English (coursedescription, syllabus, etc) • Contact person for theexchanges • Student welfare • -pre arrival (informationpackage) • -arrival (introductoryprogramme) • -housing • -integration on campus and extramuralactivities

15. On the positive side the JWGER work contributed to: • Increasedawarenessof the Barents region as a natural area for internationalhighereducationcooperation • Valuableinternationalcooperationexperience for theinstitutions in North Norway • Increased administrative cooperationamongthe International Offices in the Barents region • Increased administrative competenceby and large, esp. in • Student mobilitymanagement) • Foreign education systems

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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 contactbetweenfacilitators • English taughtcourses • At least a minimum coursepackage of 30 ECTS • Student welfare • To knowwhat to expect • Information

19. New opportunities for JWGER WJGER is «thepractical instrument of theBEAR cooperation» • How cantheWG make a difference? • What is thedifferencebetweenthis WG and otherWGs? • Whicharethe most successfulones? Whatcanwelearn from them? • Barents cooperation versus UArcticcooperation/othernetworks in thenorth • Sources of funding • funding for projects • Funding for the WG

20. What now? • A newmandate 2013-2015 • A newtwinchair is in place • A newrole for the WG? • Priority of task(s) - timeline • A new start !