Still Academic and National – Internationalisation in Norwegian Research and Higher Education

Abstract

The paper discusses strategies for internationalisation in Norwegian research and higher educational institutions in terms of understanding them in relation to the organisations’ relation to environments and/or in relation to the organisations basic values and identities. The empirical material consists of six case studies (3 universities, 2 university colleges and 1 research institute). Points of departure are observed through increasing competition, normative transformations in terms of increasing economic justifications of internationalisation and impetus to coherent strategic actions. To what extent does the Norwegian landscape of responses to internationalisation fit such interpretations? Based on this case study we may safely conclude that increased competition as a major driver of internationalisation policies and practices in these organisations is still to come. An economic justification of policies and practices is not the major reason to internationalise, given the perceptions of these organisations. They are currently deeply embedded in academic rationales for internationalisation.