Hvordan jobbe med ansvarlig internasjonalisering - Ansatt

Approaches to responsible internationalisation

template.back.to.overview Approaches to responsible internationalisation

Responsible internationalisation entails systematic assessment of risks in connection with international cooperation and weighing challenges relating to values and security against the possibilities it represents.
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Internationalisation is an important means of achieving quality and relevance in education and research and adds great value to academic activities conducted at OsloMet. At the same time, international cooperation can present challenges related to safeguarding fundamental values and security considerations. This is particularly pertinent for cooperation with countries that differ significantly from Norway in terms of governance, culture, higher education and research systems etc. Geopolitical conditions and tensions also mean that cooperation with some countries can entail particular risk. 

Examples of potential risks associated with international cooperation include attempts at exerting political influence and limiting institutional autonomy and academic freedom; unlawful acquisition of sensitive or strategically important knowledge, including knowledge that can be used for military purposes; and violations of established ethical principles in education and research.

National guidelines 

The Norwegian authorities focus particular attention on responsibility in connection with academic cooperation with countries in the Panorama strategy (regjeringen.no) ─ Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the USA ─ and countries with which Norway does not cooperate on security policy issues. The National threat assessment for 2023 (pst.no) states that Norwegian research and educational institutions will be exploited for illegal transfer of knowledge and that actors with ties to Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan will pose special challenges. 

The Ministry of Education and Research has the developed national guidelines for responsible international cooperation (hkdir.no). The work is carried out by the Research Council of Norway and the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, and the guidelines are scheduled for completion by summer 2023.

General advice and resources

All academic and administrative staff and managers who are involved internationalisation activities at OsloMet have an independent responsibility to assess potential risk in specific cases and to help ensure that internationalisation is pursued in a responsible manner. 

Risk assessments should be conducted before, during and at the end of an international cooperation, especially when it concerns large projects. In order to reduce the risk of negative incidents, it is important to have knowledge about one’s partners, a clear and mutual understanding of what the cooperation comprises and a conscious attitude to the purpose of the cooperation. 

Several countries and institutions have developed guidelines intended to help academic and administrative staff and managers in the university sector assess and manage risk in international cooperation. Links to a selection of useful resources are provided below: