STRATEGY 2007-2010
Where do we stand today?
Þórunn Reykdal central NOVA coordinator
Annual Seminar 6-7 May 2010
Background of NOVA
• Established in 1995
• A platform for cooperation within teaching
and research between Nordic Forestry,
Veterinary and Agricultural universities
• 2010: nine member institutions in the five
Nordic countries
Þórunn Reykdal - Annual Seminar 6 May 2010
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NOVA members
Danmark
– AU-DJF: University of Aarhus, Faculty of Agricultural
Sciences (full membership from 2009)
– LIFE: University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life
Sciences
Finland
– HU-AF: University of Helsinki, Faculty of Agriculture
and Forestry
– HU-V: University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine
– UEF-F: University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest
Sciences (Former University of Joensuu, membership from
2008)
Þórunn Reykdal - Annual Seminar 6 May 2010
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NOVA members
Iceland
– LBHI: Agricultural University of Iceland
Norway
– UMB: Norwegian University of Life Sciences
– NVH: Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
Sweden
– SLU: The Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences
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The main task of NOVA
To initiate, administer and promote cooperation
between the member institutions in
education.
Nova shall:
• Enchance the quality and broaden the scope
of teaching
• Promote greater resource-efficiency and
reduce teaching costs
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The main task of NOVA cont.
• Facilitate collaboration in scientific areas
where the resources of member institutions
are limited
• Deal effectively with ongoing expansions
within the field of scientific knowledge and
the need for further specialization
• Increase the international competitiveness of
member institutions
• Be a proficient partner for dialogue with
relevant sectors
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Challenges facing NOVA members
Increased political interest:
Global warming, alternative energy sources
Competition: domestic v.s. low-cost production
Internationalization
Bologna process / joint degrees
Competition from European networks
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Strategy 2007 - 2010
External evaluation 2006:
• NOVA PhD courses: success
• NOVA recommended as an example for other
European regions for implementing the Bologna
system
• Organisational changes
– Reduced secretariat
– Greater responsibility at institutional level
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Main aim of NOVA
• Create specialized PhD courses of high
international standard
• Increase course quality, diversity and student
mobility within MSc education
• MSc includes the professional veterinary
degree (DVM, Cand.Med.Vet. and Leg.Vet)
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Key strategic areas for NOVA
NOVA
Networks
Quality
PhD
courses
MSc
education
Policy
forums
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NOVA Strategy 2007-2010
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Key targets
Aims for the key strategic areas
Internal cooperation
External cooperation
Funding
Organisation and responsibilities
Action plans 2007-2010
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2. Aims for the key strategic areas
2.1. Professional Nordic networks 2007-2010
2.2. Quality PhD courses 2007-2010
2.3. Cooperation within MSc education
2.4. Establishment of policy forum
2.5. NOVA visibility
2.6. The NOVA Student Board (NSB)
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2. Aims: Professional Nordic networks
a) NOVA will facilitate and stimulate the
establishment and continuation of networks.
Annual registrations will be made of NOVA
networks with respect to their activities and
funding
Accomplishments on Networks
• Registration in database
• Revision of criteria
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2. Aims: 2. Quality PhD courses
a) By 2010 institutions in each country
(except Iceland) initiate and arrange at least
5 PhD courses per year.
A total of 25 NOVA PhD courses should be
arranged every year that together attract a
total of at least 400 participating students
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Accomplishment: PhD –courses 2003-2009
Number of PhD courses and number of students 2003-2009.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Number of PhD courses
17
13
16
14
14
17
19
Number of NOVA PhD students registered on
NOVA PhD course
270
186
162
200
197
264
301
Percentage registered NOVA PhD students of
total number of PhD students on the NOVA
member institutions
12,7
9,3
7,9
9,8
9,8
11,6
12,2%
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PhD
courses
PhD
courses
University
2008
2009
AU-DJF
New participant from Jan 2009
HU-AF
4
HU-V
2
1
JU-F
1
LBHI
1
LIFE
5
6
NVH
1
SLU
4
7
UMB
4
Total
17
19
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Non-NOVA participants on NOVA PhD courses 2002-09
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
Percentage
Baltic
Other
non-NOVA
non-NOVA
0
60
33
48
57
33
46
20
37
32
51
132
67
119
81
61
37
92
84
180
124
152
127
81
13%
23%
30%
49%
36%
43%
32%
21%
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
2.3.1. MSc recognition
a) For the present strategic period each
member institution will actively seek,
facilitate and encourage mobility
opportunities for Nordic MSc students
Accomplishments:
•On institutional level – local teams
•Local Activity Plans
•Student mobility
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Accomplishments:
Student mobility – academic years
Number of
students on:
2005- 2006- 2007- 2008Average
06
07
08
09
Nordplus > 4
weeks
37 52 53 23 41
Nordplus < 4
weeks
35 50 73 69 57
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
2.3.2. Intensive MSc courses
a) Each institution organises two intensive MSc
courses per year
– At least 20 such courses will be offered annually
between the NOVA members
– The courses should be arranged during “summer
and winter mobility windows”
(2 weeks period in Jan & Aug)
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Accomplishments:
Intensive MSc courses - NIMC
Year
Courses
granted
2007
2008
2009
2010
6
8
8
7
Comments
2 postponed, 1 cancelled
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
2.3.3. Summer and winter mobility windows
a) Each NOVA member institute should make
necessary adjustments so that each MSc
student will have at least one opportunity,
with no mandatory courses to use a
mobility window and take a course
at another NOVA institution
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
Mobility windows continued:
b) The aim for the strategic period
of 2007-2010 is that by 2010
all member faculties/programmes
offer two mobility windows to facilitate
student exchange
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Accomplishments
on mobility windows
• Not working as aimed for
• Brought up by many for discussion at this
seminar
• January window
• August window
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
2.3.4. MSc joint programs
a) The first three joint Masters Programs;
in Aquaculture,
Biosystems Engineering and
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
will be fully established and enhance the
development of further joint programs.
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
MSc joint programs continued
b) Initiate at least one more NOVA joint
program and by 2010 each member
institution should be participating in a new
joint program with at least one other
member institution
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Accomplishments
on joint MSc programs
• Two joint Nordic MSc programs were already
established:
– Aquaculture and
– Biosystems Engineering
• Urban Forestry & Urban Greening (UFUG)
– development of joint program cancelled 2008/09
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Accomplishments on joint MSc
programs - Erasmus Mundus II
2008: Three planning grants awarded:
– MSc in European Forestry
– Food of Life
– European Master in Sustainable Aquaculture
Planning to start 2010:
– Food of Life (LIFE – leading partner)
– MSc European Forestry (UEF-F – leading partner)
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2. Aims: 2.3. Cooperation within
MSc education
2.3.5. Joint MSc education
a) During the strategic period 2007-2010
NOVA will also evaluate the possibilities
and obstacles of establishing MSc joint
degrees between NOVA members
Accomplishments on joint education:
Little effort
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2. Aims: 2.4. Establishment of
policy forums
a) An annual NOVA seminar shall be arranged
and shall be used as a forum for discussion of
relevant topics that concern member
universities.
b) Specific forums outside of the annual
seminar may be supported directly if topics
come up that merit further discussion.
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Accomplishments on policy forums
• Annual seminar are held during the spring
every year
– 2007:
– 2008:
– 2009:
– 2010:
Uppsala, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Oscarsborg, Norway
Selfoss, Iceland
• NOVA Board forum suggested
• Support to NSB annual meetings
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2. Aims: 2.5. NOVA visibility
a) Responsibility at each institution / the local
NOVA teams.
– Annual local activity plans that shall include plans
for promoting local NOVA visibility
– All NOVA local teams make annual activity plans,
which are introduced at NOVA Board and KUF.
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Accomplishment on NOVA visibility
• Local Activity Plans registered on NOVA web
• Link to NOVA on members homepages:
– On front page of five universities
– Under “studies” at one university
– Not easily found on 2 universities homepages
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2. Aims: 2.6. NOVA student board (NSB)
During the ongoing strategic period the name of
the student NOVA organisation was changed
from NOVA student forum (NSF) to NOVA
student board (NSB):
• During the strategic period 2007-2010 NOVA
will continue to support NSB in their activities.
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Accomplishments on NSB
• NSB receives annually financial support
from NOVA
• Participation of students in NOVA
administration unchanged
»Representative in NOVA Board
»Representatives in NOVA KUF
»Representative in NOVA EC
»Representatives at Annual Seminar
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3. Internal cooperation 2007-2010
Well functioning internal NOVA networks are
essential for the success of NOVA.
Therefore, networks that show high quality
cooperation shall get the highest priority
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4. External cooperation 2007-2010
BOVA – The Baltic Forestry, Veterinary and
Agricultural University Network
a) During the strategic period 2007-2010 NOVA
will prioritise BOVA as a partner for
cooperation. NOVA member institutions will
receive BOVA students to their courses and
will encourage NOVA students to attend BOVA
courses.
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4. External cooperation continued
b) During the strategic period of 2007-2010 the
establishment of contact between NOVA and
BOVA networks will be encouraged.
NOVA may be used as extended platform in
broader international context, but will not
actively seek cooperation opportunities
outside the network.
Erasmus Mundus
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Accomplishments
on external cooperation
• BOVA: partner of cooperation
• BOVA students attend NOVA courses, NOVA
students not as active to attend BOVA courses
• Two Erasmus Mundus programmes 2010
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5. Funding 2007-2010
Membership fees
Nordplus funding for mobility
Maintain and increase support from Nordic
Council of Ministers
Course organisers encouraged to apply for
additional funding
Other external funding
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5. Funding 2007-2010 continued
• An aim for the strategic period is to develop
and implement a new method for calculating
NOVA membership fees.
Accomplishment on membership fees
Board meeting 46.6. New funding model for
membership fees
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6. Organisation and responsibilities
2007-2010
In appendices to the NOVA strategy are role and
responsibilities for NOVA Board, KUF,
secretariat and Executive Committee defined,
also administrative tasks for member
universities.
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7. Action plans 2007-2010
• Annual action plans will be prepared that are
based on the strategy
Accomplishments on Action Plans
Annual Activity Plans for NOVA have been
made and registered on the NOVA web.
Local Activity Plans based on the NOVA
Activity Plan have also been made and
published on the NOVA web.
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Review on the 4 strategic areas
• Aims for NOVA networks have been reached
• Aims for Quality PhD courses almost reached
– Number of students close to aim
– Courses fewer than aimed for
• Aims for Cooperation within MSc education
– Need attention (windows, joint programs and
education)
• Aim for policy forums
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Strategic areas
Estimated accomplishments
100
80
60
40
20
0
Networks
PhD
MSc
courses education
Þórunn Reykdal - Annual Seminar 6 May 2010
Policy
forums
45
The NOVA vision
“NOVA will be an outstanding Nordic university
network that is recognised for elevating
standards and benefiting students and
scientists of all member institutions.
Staff and students shall feel integrated in the
Nordic life science environment, and NOVA
will be acknowledged internationally for its
quality and competence”
(NOVA Strategy 2007-2010, p.2)
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