SIU mandate

[Revised 15.08.2007 - Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (KD)]

Purpose
The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (hereafter referred to as SIU) is organised as a public agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Research (Kunnskapsdepartementet, hereafter referred to as KD).

SIU shall be a service agency and a partner for public and private institutions of higher education. The centre shall promote internationalisation, cultural communication and international mobility within higher education and coordinate efforts on a national level in accordance with the official political guidelines in the field.

The centre shall be a national office for international programmes and initiatives within higher education, including those with developing countries, but it can also manage programmes which cover other levels of education (basic and adult education). Further, the centre shall promote Norway abroad as a study and research destination, provide counselling and assist in building competence in internalisation at universities and colleges, and advise the Ministry in relevant areas.

Organisation and management
The SIU administration has its own Board and is located in Bergen, Norway.

The Board has the overarching responsibility for the activities and operations at SIU, as well as for its administrative tasks.

The Board shall formulate the strategy for the centre and adopt plans for its implementation.

The Board is responsible for ensuring that financial resources and property are used in accordance with the regulations pertaining to this provided by KD, and that the preconditions for allocated funds, contract funds or other binding resolutions are adhered to.

Every year the Board shall, subject to guidelines provided by KD, present their annual accounts with a commentary on the result of activities and a budget proposal for the coming year.

The Board appoints the director of the centre for a fixed term. The term is six (6) years, with the possibility to renew the appointment for one (1) period.

For programmes which are managed on behalf of Norwegian authorities, SIU shall as a rule appoint professional programme committees pursuant to the guidelines which are laid down in the agreements of the individual programmes.

The SIU Board shall be composed in the following way:

• Four (4) members from the higher education sector, of which three (3) shall represent the public institutions and shall be nominated by the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (Universitets- og høgskolerådet) and one (1) member shall represent private institutions nominated by the Network for Private Universities and Colleges (Nettverket for private høgskoler).
• One (1) member appointed by KD
• One (1) student
• One (1) employee at SIU

KD shall appoint the members and deputy members of the Board except for the student representatives and those employed at SIU. KD shall appoint the chairman and the vice-chairman of the Board from among members representing higher education sector.

The board member and deputy member from the students shall alternate between the National Union of Students in Norway (Norsk Studentunion - NSU) and the Norwegian Association of Students (Studentenes Landsforbund). The student organisations shall appoint their own member and deputy member respectively.

The SIU employee Board member and deputy member are selected from among those who have a permanent full-time position at SIU. The permanent and temporary staff members who have at least a 50 per cent (50 %) position constitute the electorate.

Three (3) deputy members shall be appointed, in numbered order, for members from the public institutions, one (1) deputy member for private institutions and one (1) deputy member appointed by UFD on a free basis.

The Board's term of office is three (3) years. Student members are appointed for one (1) year. Members may be re-appointed once.

The Board can pass resolutions when the chairman or the vice chairman and three other members are present. In the event of a tie, the chairman shall have the deciding vote.

Board meetings shall be convened when the chairman of the board or at least two members of the Board so request.

Minutes shall be kept of the meetings, and resolutions and the attendance of board members shall be recorded.

The director of SIU shall be the secretary for the Board and shall participate at Board meetings and has the right to speak and submit proposals.

The students’ deputy member shall attend regularly and has the right to speak and submit proposals.

Administration and economy
SIU receives an annual grant through the National Budget, funds pursuant to agreements pertaining to the operation of international cooperation programmes, as well as other contract funds. Costs for programme administration shall be covered through agreements with the contractor.

The director shall head the centre's administration and is responsible for the daily operation of the centre. The director shall prepare and give advice in matters presented to the Board, in consultation with the chairman of the Board, and shall ensure that the minutes are kept. In addition the director is responsible for the implementation of resolutions which are resolved by the Board.

The director shall assure that the overall financial and assets management are in accordance with the state financial regulations, KD's general provisions for financial administration and the conditions for allocating grants, as well as conditions stipulated for assets in connection with programmes and services from other contractors.

The director shall annually prepare and submit to the Board the centre’s budget proposal, accounts and report and keep the Board informed of the accounts in terms of the budget and other matters of significance to the centre's operations.

Contracts pertaining to the operation of international cooperation programmes shall be handled by the Board, and the contracts shall be signed by the chairman of the Board and the director.

The director has the centre’s signing authority.

Tasks

General
The centre must be updated on official Norwegian policies in their areas of responsibility, and act and disseminate information in conformity with these policies. Important matters should be submitted to KD prior to making formal decisons.

In the area of KD's responsibility, the centre shall enter into close cooperation with other national actors, such as the Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education (Utdanningsdirektoratet) and the National Institute for In-service Learning (Vox), in accordance with established divisions of responsibility and work, so as to contribute to the coordination of the initiatives in the international area.

If SIU enters into agreements regarding cooperation programmes which entail obligations towards several institutions of higher education, it will be with the understanding of and cooperation with the sector of higher education /the institutions concerned, so as to ensure solid institutional anchoring.

In order to ensure optimal solutions of the various tasks, it is an objective to make use of the centre's own expertise in cooperation with the considerable expertise and competence found at the institutions.

Program administration
The centre shall

• be a national office for international programmes and initiatives within higher education which are established by KD, other public ministries and agencies, on their own initiative, or in which the Norwegian authorities decide to participate, such as the EU programmes. The centre shall also be able to run international programmes for levels of education other than university and college levels, and to manage educational programmes which include basic education, company training and adult education.
• be a contracting party for other ministries and agencies who want to carry out projects within international higher education and research cooperation, including development cooperation, and assume the operational responsibility for new programmes.

Profiling Norwegian higher education abroad
The centre shall

• produce information about Norwegian higher education in several languages aimed at various target groups and assist higher education institutions in strengthening their profiles and marketing.
• contribute, in cooperation with the sector, to increasing academic contact with potential partners abroad. The centre shall also represent Norway at educational conferences and conventions abroad.
• participate in relevant international forums and organisations, as well cooperate with other bodies in other countries that have functions equivalent to those of SIU.

Information and communication
The centre shall contribute to the overarching information initiatives established by the authorities and present it in a form compatible with these initiatives. The centre has a particular responsibility for information activities concerning internationalisation in higher education and educational mobility.

In its profiling and information work the centre must have portals with relevant links and updated information

• for Norwegian students who want to travel abroad, for foreign students who want to study in Norway and for foreign professionals who consider a research and/or teaching post in Norway
• on courses and available programmes at Norwegian institutions and their courses in foreign languages
• on relevant seminars and conferences abroad and at home
• on the cooperation between Norwegian institutions and institutions in developing countries.

Competence building to promote international cooperation in higher education
The centre shall assist Norwegian higher education institutions in their international activities by creating arenas, giving courses and conducting seminars and conferences.

The centre shall also offer assistance to institutions of higher education and their academic environments concerning their strategic development, contracts and agreements. Furthermore, the centre shall assist in arranging contacts and academic partner searches.

The centre shall establish databases to disseminate experiences with various types of international education and research cooperation.

Counselling, studies and service functions
The centre shall

• be a centre of competence in internationalisation of higher education and advise KD on matters of relevance in this field.
• participate in studies and prepare contributions, notes and reports for KD as well as for other contractors pursuant to the extant agreements.
• implement new initiatives concerning internationalisation in higher education and, where relevant, other levels of education on behalf of the Ministry.
• organise national and international seminars and conferences and host regional, national and international delegations.
• through its mandate as a Norwegian centre of competence, contribute to strengthening internationalisation in the higher education sector, including development-related cooperation, by facilitating common international initiatives among the institutions.

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