– Many have worked hard for this recognition. Achieving university status fulfils our most important strategic goal. We are extremely proud and ready to prove ourselves worthy of this status, says Rector Peer Jacob Svenkerud.
– A historic day
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) applied for university status in December 2022. Traditionally, universities of applied sciences are considered more practice-oriented and without own research departments. Applying for full university status has been an important step in demonstrating the research quality at INN.
The application has been reviewed and evaluated by an expert committee, appointed by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). In June, the committee concluded that INN meets the requirements to become a university. Now, the NOKUT board has decided that university accreditation shall be granted.
– I would like to congratulate all students and staff at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences on this historic day. Throughout this process, they have demonstrated that the institution has the quality needed to take on the responsibilities that come with university accreditation, says NOKUT Director Kristin Vinje.
INN will likely be the last institution to be accredited under the old university accreditation criteria, which required four PhD programmes, rather than the transitional or new rules.
– As the newest addition among Norwegian universities, we have a lot to offer. We cover a wide range of academic disciplines and can rightly call ourselves a comprehensive university. Simultaneously, we have strong academic niches that bring something unique, from our national education programmes in film and television in Lillehammer, to applied ecology and research on large predators at Evenstad, says Svenkerud.
What will be the new name?
An application for the change of status will be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research shortly. It is the King in Council who formally grants university status.
In the application to the ministry, INN asks that the new name in Norwegian will be 'Universitetet i Innlandet'. In English, it will be 'University of Inland Norway'. The general abbreviation will still be INN in both languages.
– The university ambition has been a long-term goal for the board of the institution and was a key driving force behind the merger in 2017, says Chairperson Maren Kyllingstad.
The board has been keen to ensure that our five PhD programmes contribute to strengthening our bachelor’s and master’s programmes, to the benefit of both our students and society.
– Becoming a university does not impose entirely new demands and expectations on us, but it is a confirmation of the high quality of our research and education, and will strengthen our position in the international competition for research funding, Kyllingstad says on the big day.
Strong academic development
In 2018, INN applied for university status for the first time. Two years later, NOKUT found that the institution met 10 out of 13 criteria and rejected the application.
Since then, considerable efforts have been made to improve.
The university has seen significant growth in academic staff, supported by funding from 'Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark' and Innlandet County Council.
– I feel that we have not only met the bar for qualifying for university status, but have far exceeded it. The processes we have gone through in recent years have strengthened us in several areas, a lasting improvement that we will see the effects of in the years to come, says Peer Jacob Svenkerud.
INN hopes the government will make the formal decision to grant university status as soon as possible.
Contact information:
- peer.svenkerud@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 62 43 04 06
Maren Kyllingstad
Chairperson
+47 959 81 360