International research cooperation
Joanna Boddens-HosangThe Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) has several decades experience with international institutional cooperation. Many institutional agreements with universities outside Norway have been active since the late 1960s.
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UMB participates in international networks and consortia within a wide range of scientific disciplines.
Regarding research and international cooperation, UMB's Strategy 2010–2013 states that it will “cultivate research collaboration within the university, with Campus Ås and alliance partners, and with national and international research communities”. The UMB Strategic Action Plan for Internationalization 2011-2014 supplements the university's Strategy 2010-2013.
Cooperation agreements
International research cooperation is carried out at the project level by scientific staff at the departments, and in the context of academic agreements between our university and universities outside Norway.
Some of the latter agreements are administered by the UMB Research Department.
UMB has formal collaboration agreements with over 100 universities worldwide.
An overview of ongoing agreements, countries and the nature of the agreement can be found here.
UMB’s Department of Academic Affairs, particularly the Student Information Centre (SIT), deals with student exchange and facilitation of studies at UMB for foreign students.
International research cooperation activities
UMB participates actively in EU's Seventh Framework Programme and other European initiatives.
UMB’s Research Department has a coordinator for EU projects who gives advice on participation in research cooperation programmes funded by the EU.
UMB and the University of Minnesota collaboration started in 2003. Transatlantic Research Teams of scientists, undergraduate and graduate students carry out research within the fields of bioenergy, biobased products and functional genomics (particularly as it relates to food security).
UMB has a long history of cooperation with academic institutions in developing countries. Many agreements with universities in the South have been in place since the 1970s and have focused on research, education and capacity building.
Institutional partnerships with universities in developing countries are mainly administered through the Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric).
Among the formal frameworks for North-South research cooperation is the NUFU programme. UMB has 12 NUFU and 1 NUCOOP project(s) in Africa and Asia. The NUFU programme is now coming to an end. The two Gender projects and the NUCOOP project will continue until the end of 2013. UMB will continue to collaborate with partner universities in the South under the new Norad-coordinated NORHED programme.
Scholars at Risk
In 2011 UMB joined the international network Scholars at Risk (SAR) upon encouragement of the international student body SAIH in Ås.
SAR promotes academic freedom and defends the human rights of scholars and their communities worldwide. In joining SAR, UMB shows its solidarity with scholars and institutions in situations where academic freedom is restricted and research, publication, teaching and learning are repressed. By offering temporary academic positions (as guest researchers), SAR members help scholars to escape dangerous conditions and to continue their important work. In return, scholars contribute to their host campuses through teaching, research, lectures and other activities.
There are 17 Norwegian members of Scholars at Risk who are coordinated under the SAR-Norway network.
The first SAR visitor under the SAR Speakers series at UMB was Sunila Abeysekera on 2 October 2012.
Updated: 06.02.13
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Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB)
P.O. Box 5003
NO-1432 Aas
Norway
Tel: + 47 64 96 50 00
Fax: + 47 64 96 50 01
- Contact UMB
P.O. Box 5003
NO-1432 Aas
Norway
Tel: + 47 64 96 50 00
Fax: + 47 64 96 50 01
- Contact UMB