The head of Norway¡¯s biggest business university has decried the lack of government focus on attracting international students, warning that the nation is already ¡°far behind¡± other European countries.

In an interview with Times ÖйúAƬ, Inge Jan Henjesand, president of BI Norwegian Business School, said discussion of attracting international students was ¡°not existing¡± among policymakers, despite the fact there is a strong demand among Norway¡¯s ÖйúAƬ institutions. He said the sector believes attracting international students will improve Norwegian universities.

¡°Countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands have drawn up specific and targeted strategies for recruiting students from other countries,¡± he said. ¡°For these countries it is quite obvious that such strategies are essential in a knowledge-based economy. Norway is already far behind.

¡°The best students from abroad will strengthen the learning environment at Norwegian institutions, both for [themselves] and also for our Norwegian students. Most Norwegian institutions are focused on international students, but I don¡¯t see any strategy from the authorities [as] in other countries [where they believe] it¡¯s important to attract top international students.¡±

ÖйúAƬ

According to the Database for Statistics on ÖйúAƬ in Norway, there were 25,424 overseas students on undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses at the country¡¯s ÖйúAƬ institutions in 2016. This includes students from Europe, including countries that are not in the European Union, and 10,157 coming from outside the continent.

Statistics Norway put the country¡¯s total number of students in October 2015 at 266,400, suggesting that international learners, including those from Europe, represent around 9.5 per cent of this cohort.

ÖйúAƬ

In contrast, non-EU students alone at UK universities in 2015-16.

Around 10 per cent of BI¡¯s 14,453 full-time students are from outside Norway,?but Dr Henjesand said he wanted this figure to increase.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s difficult, but when we recruit international students, we not only compete with other institutions, we also compete with national strategies,¡± he said.

He suggested government did not view international student recruitment as a priority, because they thought making ÖйúAƬ free for all students, including international ones, was more important. He also queried whether government viewed ÖйúAƬ as a valuable ¡°export¡±, despite the 2016 budget recommendations from the Norwegian parliament¡¯s standing committee on education, research and church affairs, to devise a strategy for attracting skilled overseas master¡¯s students. Two years on, Dr Henjesand said, this ¡°hasn¡¯t been followed up¡±.

ÖйúAƬ

¡°They spent a lot of money in the country [on ÖйúAƬ, so believe that¡¯s enough]. If they [thought international students were a priority], they would have followed up on the note in the budget,¡± he added.

As recently as last month, Iselin Nyb?, a Liberal Party politician and first vice-chair of the standing committee, sent a statement to the minister of education saying that the committee was ¡°concerned¡± about government underestimating the ¡°importance of getting skilled foreign students into degree programmes in Norway¡±.

With a national election coming up in September, and as ¡°most parties have this [matter] on their [policy] agenda¡±, Dr Henjesand added, he hoped government might have a change of heart.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com