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The best & brightest – education in the Bergen region

Part of living and working in the Bergen region is making the most of the educational opportunities that are available here. The link between education, research and business makes the Bergen region a truly international environment – a “centre of...

Nils Mæhle, Chairman of Education in Bergen and Director of Bergen University College reflects, “With over 25,000 students from over 110 countries, the Bergen region attracts the best and the brightest. The environment in the region is conducive to learning, and the close alliance between educational institutions and the business world create a positive synergy effect that provides added-value on all levels, including R&D, employment opportunities and improved mercantile possibilities.”

The organization Education in Bergen has its finger on the pulse of the educational possibilities in the region, with a staff and web-based information (www.studybergen.com) that covers the spectrum of what this vibrant region has to offer. Education in Bergen is a collaborative project that provides information, coordination services and guidance to the public related to the higher educational institutions, the Student Welfare Organisation, Bergen Municipality, Bergen Chamber of Commerce and the County Council of Hordaland.

Spanning the Spectre of Education

The education offered in the region is wide, varied and professional, and includes the Bergen National Academy of the Arts (KHiB), one of two national institutions with a special responsibility for providing education within art and design in Norway. KHiB offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in areas that include Design, Fine Art, and Specialized Art. Other specialized colleges include the Bergen Architect School, the Norwegian Teachers’ Academy, the Betanien Deaconal University College as well as the Betanian Deaconess University College.

The Norwegian School of Economics and Business has long been known as an excellent provider of education, ranking highly among European universities. The academic programme covers an excellent business education on various levels, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, Executive MBA and doctorate programmes. The school is an internationally highly recognized educational institution, attracting the leading specialists in Norway’s economy and finance, as well as students from all over the country and from abroad.

The Bergen University College is a vocational school that offers a range of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees within three faculties that include Education, Engineering, and Health and Social Services. Five different campuses around the city of Bergen provide the institution with a strong base and position both in regards to the university college system in Norway as well as in regards to regional industry.

The University of Bergen is a place to learn and grow. 
© Grethe Meling

University of Bergen – Learning, Research & Living

 The University of Bergen (UiB) is an excellent example of the important positive impact that the higher educational environment can have on a region. With nearly 15,000 students, it is the region’s largest educational institution, the student body and academic life benefit from the rich mix of cultures and countries represented on campus with 60 different specialized departments, centres and institutes, and 3,200 faculty and staff.

The University of Bergen has the reputation of being Norway’s most international university. In addition to the excellent scholastic environment, the University of Bergen has a wide range of ‘free time’ activities that include choirs and 0rchestras, culture and music, international student organizations, groups related to politics and society, student religious organizations, as well as those related to sports, diverse clubs, and the media.

The University’s academic landscape is characterized by its great variety and breadth. Six faculties cover most of the traditional university disciplines and include Humanities, Laws, Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology, Social Sciences and Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

Sigmund Grønmo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bergen. 
© Pål-Erik Lillholm

Close Cooperation – UiB & the Business Sector

According to the UiB Vice-Chancellor Sigmund Grønmo, “I believe that one of the reasons for the excellent educational environment at the University of Bergen is the fact that we are consistently working with the international environment, seeking to establish communication, projects, activities and cooperative initiatives.”

The connections between the university environment and business are close, stimulating a creative and productive culture with a positive synergy effect that is felt far beyond the campus environment here in this region. This educational environment plays an important role in a very strong R&D network here, working closely with government, research institutions and private companies.

The Mathematics and Natural Science Faculty provides a number of excellent examples showing how the University of Bergen integrates the world of academia with R&D and business development. Departments include Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Geophysical Institute, Informatics, Mathematics, and the Department of Physics and Technology. This faculty is also home to several “Centres of Excellence”, initiated by the Research Council of Norway. These UiB-based centres include:

• The Bjerknes Centre, the largest climate research centre in the Nordic countries, with a focus on the natural science aspects of climate change
• The Norwegian Centre of Excellence in Petroleum Technology, developing fundamental knowledge aimed at maximizing recovery and increasing recoverable reserves in existing oil and gas field with a focus on Improved Oil Recovery (IOR)
• CIPR – Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research. CIPR regularly arranges workshops to communicate results and invite national and international researchers to present recent advances on ongoing efforts in IOR relevant areas of science
• The Centre for Geobiology, with a focus on the immense microbial biosphere associated with deep-ocean spreading zones, undertaking integrated interdisciplinary studies that will generate new, fundamental knowledge about the interaction between the geo-biosphere and the origins of life