History

When it was opened on 1 September 1992 by the then Minister of Church and Education, Gudmund Hernes, the Centre for Advanced Study became Norway's very first elite research institution.

At the time, many people were skeptical to the idea of a centre that would give the best researchers a chance to be even better. This skepticism eventually died down, and today it is just as natural for Norway to concentrate on advanced research as it is to cultivate top athletes. The best research can only lead to even better quality and further improve recruitment to research, just as having top national athletes inspires sport for the masses. Now the Centre is no longer the only elite research institution in Norway; it has been joined by a number of Centres of Excellence, among others.

Public discussions about a Norwegian Centre for Advanced Study began in 1986 with an editorial written by Gudmund Hernes in Dagbladet, a leading Norwegian daily newspaper. At the time, Hernes was a renowned researcher with a strong international reputation and a great deal of political influence. The article was the first signal of a shift towards elite research in Norway. Hernes referred to Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies as a wonderful role model, and he himself was a driving force behind the establishment of CAS in the run up to its opening in 1992.

The evaluation of CAS
After the Centre had been in operation for four years, in 1996-1997, the Research Council of Norway decided that it should be subject to an academic evaluation. The decision was made in cooperation with the Ministry of Church, Education and Research.

The report on the evaluation, Åndenes hus - på Drammensveien (The House of Spirits - on Drammensveien) was completed in 1997. Its main emphasis was on evaluating the external features of the Centre's activities. Otherwise, CAS came through the evaluation with flying colours. The quality and organisation of the research were described in very favourable terms, apart from one thing, i.e. the fact that the Board was dominated by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. This fact had already been criticised by the universities of Bergen, Trondheim and Tromsø. All of them argued for a different nomination process on grounds related to regional development policy. On this point, the evaluation eventually resulted in a more equitable geographical distribution of representation when new Board members were appointed.

 

For more information about the history of the Centre, please see the article entitled "The phase of construction" by Professors Torstein Jøssang and Vigdis Ystad, University of Oslo, in CAS' anniversary booklet from 2002, CAS Oslo 1992-2002. Advanced Study in a Norwegian Context .