Takes on international leadership role

Research is international, and so must the work for research and education be. Forskerforbundet is affiliated with Education International (EI), a global umbrella organisation for trade unions in education with around 400 member organisations in 173 countries. Much of our work takes place in EI's European section – ETUCE. And within ETUCE there is a separate committee, the Higher Education and Research Standing Committee, for matters relating to research and higher education. Forskerforbundet has now taken over the leadership of this committee.

– The reason we were asked to take this position is that we in Forskerforbundet have been actively contributing to this European collaboration for some time. HERSC is an important body for us, not least because the committee carries out advocacy work towards the EU and the Bologna Process. Through HERSC, we get involved in the cases early on, have the opportunity to provide input directly to the EU Commission, and gain insight that is also important in national policy, says Chief Advisor Jorunn Dahl Norgård, who is now the new chairperson of the HERSC committee.

She believes that European cooperation is also useful for Norwegian researchers and educators.

– It's about the opportunity to influence processes that ultimately also have consequences for Norwegian higher education and our own members. It concerns core issues for us: working conditions, temporary employment, public funding of education and research, quality in teaching and learning, equal access to education, and so on. And not least, it is about academic freedom, which in several places is under strong pressure. It is therefore important that we exchange experiences, arguments and data, and stand together to defend fundamental values, she says.

The last meeting concluded with HERSC adopting a statement of solidarity with colleagues in the USA, who are now experiencing massive attacks on education and research from the Trump administration.

See also: What is Forskerforbundet doing to show solidarity with American colleagues?