JO HØYERLike other Norwegian universities, Bergen University has experienced an explosive growth in the number of applicants in the 1990s. For the first time in many years, 1995 saw a fall in the number of applicants, but preliminary figures for 1996 shows a rise yet again.
JO HØYERAt the turn of the year Bergen University had enrolled a total of 17 739 students. In 1995 a total of 958 post-graduate students finalised their degrees, against 755 the previous year. 619 of these did a traditional advanced-level degree ("hovedfag"), 328 completed their professional training and 11 did a masters degree. Because an increasing number of students go on to postgraduate studies the need for more education and tuition is rising at this level in particular.
The proportion of female students has been approx. 55% over the last 6 years. Since 1993 the number of female postgraduate students has also been higher than the number of male students. Out of a total of 958 postgraduate candidates in 1995, 516 were women, i.e. 53.9%.
The new Grieg Academy co-ordinates all advanced-level music education activities in Bergen. The academy was formally established by Bergen College and Bergen University jointly. The College section is represented by its music teaching environment, whereas the University section includes the practical and creative music education which was previously offered by the former Bergen Conservatory of Music. This section has now been organised as a new University Music Department, the Grieg Academy, which gives Bergen a vibrant and comprehensive music education scene, including courses in all three main disciplines: performing and creative music, musicology, and music teaching and instruction. It is the first time in Norway that all of these three disciplines have been co-ordinated within one institution.
1995 also saw the introduction of Health Studies as a postgraduate subject, and consequently the M. San. degree. This is a new course, built on disciplines which previously had little contact with the University, such as nursing and physiotherapy.
There is an increasing awareness in society that knowledge and skills need updating. Bergen University has been focusing on up-grading and refresher courses for several years. The university's advantage lies in its combination of in-depth studies and a wide range of disciplines, which makes it possible to customise offers for specific target groups. It is the Centre for Continuing Education that organises the most significant activities in this field. In particular, Bergen University has been actively exploiting the use of remote and new educational technology for up-grading and refresher courses. In 1995 the Centre for Continuing Education, and Univisjon, which is the production company linked to the university's media centre, produced several refresher programmes for various disciplines. The programmes are distributed by satellite.
In 1995, 135 candidates
were awarded a doctor's degree, against 120 in 1994. 43 of these were women.
In fact women represented the entire net growth of new candidates for the
doctorate in 1995. All faculties run research courses in association with
their doctorate programmes.
The large number of students generates heavy pressure on existing resources. The University is now concerned about how this situation will affect the research activity unless the trend changes.
While the research activities at Bergen University comprise a wide range of subjects, specific selected areas are focused on, particularly where Bergen University has historical or geographical advantages, for example sciences associated with the region and the sea, such as marine and geo disciplines. The expertise that has been built up round super computing, and massive parallell processing in particular, forms an important part of Bergen's total expertise within marine and climatic research. Other main areas are linked to international activities, environment-related subjects and third world research. Virology, biochemistry and philosophy are other areas that deserve special mention, for instance by drawing attention to the Wittgenstein archives in Bergen.
The research activities at Bergen University take place within the individual departments as well as in separate, independent centres. They are partly financed through the University's public budget, and partly commissioned by external sources, such as the Norwegian Research Council, trade and industry, and government administration. Externally financed research is either organised through the Bergen University Research Foundation, or integrated with activities at faculty and department level in accordance with the so-called Bergen model.
Bergen University
goes in for international involvement. On a Nordic level, the university
participates in the Nordplus exchange programme which co-ordinates projects
worth NOK 1.8 million. On a European level, the university participates
in EU's fourth framework programme for research, and in the Erasmus student
exchange programme. In 1995 Bergen University was the largest Norwegian
contributor to Nordplus and Erasmus. The university's co-operation with
developing countries is channelled through new projects organised by the
National Committee for Development Research and Education (NUFU).
At the beginning of 1995 Bergen University had obtained 28 formalised research agreements with other institutions. In addition there are 253 other agreements within Erasmus, Nordplus, NUFU and EU's framework programme. The total annual income from the university's involvement in international research and education programmes is currently in excess of NOK 24 million.
Bergen University participates in a number of international networks. In the Coimbra group the university co-operates with 34 prominent universities throughout Europe, including Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg and Bologna. The group also has a particularly strong connection with universities in Latin America. Through the Coimbra group Bergen University participates in the Humanities project financed by the EU. Several European universities co-operate on a joint educational programme based on new technology and methodology. Bergen University produces the interactive satellite broadcasts that link the institutions in concurrent trans-European seminars. The Humanities project continues under EU's new Socrates programme.
Bergen University submitted 160 applications for EU's fourth framework programme in 1995. Up to March 1996 a total of 27 contracts had been awarded. Within other fields the university has been awarded several contracts within the special programme for marine research, and participates actively in the programmes for environmental studies and information technology. Bergen University is particularly pleased with the allocation of EU projects within marine biology, bio medicine and environmental programmes, but was less successful in 1995 in obtaining EU funding for researcher exchange programmes and projects relating to trade and industry.
Bergen has recently
strengthened its position within international marine biology research,
both through the establishment of a laboratory for molecular marine biology
and through being granted status in the EU Access to Large-Scale Facilities
programme. Both achievements resulted from co-operation between the Institute
of Marine Research and Bergen University.
In 1995 the secretariat for the international marine research programme Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, was set up at Bergen University. The university participates in the programme through the CARDEEP project (CARbon Dioxide and DEEP Water formation), which deals with the role of the oceans in climatic changes.
Centre for International Health is important to the university's co-operation with third world countries. The centre has established channels of co-operation with research institutions in Ethiopia (tuberculosis, leprosy, interaction between nutrition and infections in children, psychosocial intervention in children); Tanzania (micro biology, immunology, health anthropology); Ghana (nutrition); India (diarrhoea in children); Bangladesh (nutritional blindness); and Nepal (reproductive health). Co-operation with Romania has also been initiated in terms of medicine (HIV, diarrhoea) and odontology teacher training.
With the exception of Law, all faculties now offer masters degree programmes. Bergen University admitted a total of 56 students for masters and doctorate studies in the autumn of 1994, and in 1995 a further 49 new students. Most of these courses are held in English, and some of them are open for ordinary university students as well. An example of an integrated international course is the two-year Masters course in preventive health work, where half the students are Norwegian and the other half come from developing countries and Eastern Europe. The interest for taking Masters degrees in Norway is particularly great among students from Eastern Europe.
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