Action plan for internationalisation of education 2024¨C2026

International cooperation and cross-border dialogue are prerequisites for addressing the major global challenges the world is facing. External impulses and collaboration with strong academic communities in different parts of the world contribute to higher quality and relevance in education.

Well-planned internationalisation that is firmly grounded in the academic environments strengthen UiO¡¯s position as a leading international research university.  It also ensures that our graduates are well-prepared to participate in a diverse and globalised workforce. 

UiO¡¯s ambition is to be the leading university in Norway in internationalisation of studies and in recruitment of international students. We aim to offer attractive international degree programmes, particularly in fields which are strategically important to the university. At the same time, we will maintain a broad academic range and facilitate interdisciplinarity. We will collaborate closely with European partner universities in the Circle U. alliance, and we will have strong and well-functioning partnerships in the Global South, in the Panorama countries, and around the world. 

UiO¡¯s international reputation will be strengthened by having a consistent international profile. This plan addresses both new challenges related to international recruitment and tuition fees, and how the university can further develop internationalisation in the areas of exchange, joint degrees, summer school, and internationalisation at home. 

Exchange and academic mobility generally involve travelling and are mentioned in UiO's climate and environmental strategy. The strategy emphasises that UiO will continue to facilitate students' opportunities to go on exchange, fieldwork, and attend conferences. 

Main areas

The actions are divided into the following categories.

1. UiO¡¯s international degree programmes 

UiO aims to strengthen its position as an internationally oriented university with talented students from around the world. Against this backdrop, the range of degrees and courses taught in English and international recruitment becomes even more important than it has been.

As a result of the introduction of tuition fees, it is challenging for several of UiO's master's programmes taught in English to recruit enough students. Bachelor's programmes taught in English will create a more international campus. They will also expand the recruitment potential for the master's programmes and increase the number of courses offered to exchange students from international partner universities. 

Goals

UiO aims to be an internationally oriented university, and international degree programmes are a central part of this long-term objective. This goal is also in line with UiO's development agreement with the Ministry of Education and Research on excellence in education at all faculties. 

The objective is for UiO to have a broad and attractive portfolio of degree programmes that contribute to academic innovation and are financially sustainable. Specifically, the ambition is both to develop more Erasmus Mundus programmes in collaboration with partners abroad, and to strengthen education at the bachelor's level. 

Actions

• 1.1 (2025): Strategic development of the education portfolio by assessing and prioritising which international programmes have the potential to recruit fee-paying students.  
• 1.2 (2025): Plan which student groups we want to prioritise and determine to which extent we want students from European countries and fee-paying students from non-EU/EEA countries. 
• 1.3 (2025): Identify and explore existing and new opportunities for scholarship programmes that can provide support to students from low- and middle-income countries.  
• 1.4 (2024): Create a communication and recruitment plan to recruit and retain international students. A pilot project to establish the basis for further efforts in and organisation of recruitment was initiated in the spring of 2024.  
• 1.5 (2026): Establish three bachelor's programmes in English.  
• 1.6 (2026): Evaluate the efforts to recruit international students in the initial phase and plan a long-term strategy. 

2. Student mobility as a part of the degree programmes

 
Student mobility and international exposure are tools to provide students with diverse academic impulses, training in working in different environments and languages, and to develop skills such as independence, adaptability, and openness to new experiences. 

Academic collaboration facilitating student exchange is a crucial factor for securing quality in education. The national regulations on the supervision and control of the quality in Norwegian higher education stipulate that ¡°The programme must have internationalisation arrangements adapted to the programme¡¯s level, scope and other characteristics¡±. 

Goals

All degree students at UiO should have the opportunity for academically recommended studies abroad, and the opportunity to participate physically or digitally in other international educational projects. Exchange opportunities focusing on short-term mobility should be strengthened. 

UiO aims at being an attractive partner with a good selection of courses taught in English at all levels for incoming exchange students. This is important for maintaining an international campus in Oslo and for offering UiO students free exchange places at prestigious universities. 

Actions 

• 2.1 (2025): All degree programmes should have recommendations for selected exchange destinations abroad.  
• 2.2 (during local programme revision or periodic programme evaluation): Short-term or semester-long stays abroad can be made mandatory or as an ¡®opt-out¡¯/active withdrawal option.  
• 2.3 (2026): The offer of short-term mobility, summer schools, and blended mobility for both incoming and outgoing students will increase.  
• 2.4 (2026): More students will be offered the opportunity for internships abroad as part of their degree.  
• 2.5 (2026): Enhance visibility of the programmes offered at UiO¡¯s centres abroad and on Svalbard. 

3. Partnerships

The main goal of internationalisation is to enhance the quality of education at the University of Oslo (UiO). To achieve this, we will collaborate in strategic alliances and bilateral partnerships with universities that are as good as or better than us. In Europe, UiO's participation in Circle U. and the development of Open Campus are central.

Through the establishment of strategic partnerships outside the EU/EEA, national legislation allows for exemptions from tuition fees. Therefore, strategic partnerships are an important tool for academic fields with challenges in attracting fee-paying students. 

Goals

Academic environments must develop strategic collaborations with structural support from relevant departments and faculties. Through existing support schemes for international programmes, UiO can both secure basic funding and create a foundation for academic fields facing challenges in recruitment in the global education market. 

Actions

• 3.1 (2024-2026): The academic environments at UiO should have agreements of cooperation with leading universities in their respective fields. This will strengthen UiO's position internationally and provide students with opportunities to access top-tier knowledge. 
• 3.2 (2026): In Circle U. and other important partnerships, mobility should be made as easy as possible by lowering thresholds, simplifying approval processes, and providing students with academic advice on exchange destinations. 
• 3.3 (2025¨C26): Improve utilisation of funding mechanisms such as Erasmus+, Nordplus, UTFORSK, INTPART, etc., to develop new study opportunities in collaboration with partner universities. 
• 3.4 (2025¨C26): Increase the number of undergraduate courses taught in English. See also action 1.5. 

4. Internationalisation at home

Internationalisation at home involves providing students with opportunities to develop international skills and intercultural competence while at their home university. 

Internationalisation at home requires a wide range of courses taught in English at bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s level and making sure both local and international students participate in the same classes. Inviting academic staff from partner universities to teach at UiO for shorter or longer periods will further strengthen internationalisation at home. 

Goals

UiO's learning environments and social arenas should be diverse and international, aiming to provide students with a broad perspective, openness to diversity, and competence to work in international settings. 

Actions

• 4.1 (2025): UiO will offer all students, both local and international, the opportunity to complete all or parts of their education in an international classroom.  
• 4.2 (2025): Strengthen integration between local and international students through learning activities and learning environment initiatives.  
• 4.3 (during local programme revision or periodic programme evaluation): Strive to ensure that the curricula in study programmes include global perspectives.