NOKUT Approves the University Application from Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
On Thursday, September 12, NOKUT’s board approved the application for accreditation as a university from Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (HINN). It is now up to the King in Council to make the final decision on university status, which would make HINN Norway's eleventh university.
“I would like to congratulate all students and staff at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences on this historic day. Throughout this process, they have demonstrated that the college possesses the quality required to become a university,” said NOKUT Director Kristin Vinje.
HINN submitted its application for university accreditation to NOKUT in December 2022. The application was assessed by an expert committee consisting of peers with relevant national and international experience. The committee evaluated whether the university met the requirements for education, research, and dissemination set for universities, as defined by law and regulations.
The committee submitted its report in June 2024, concluding that all requirements for university accreditation had been met.
“A university accreditation is a mark of quality and has no expiration date, so the requirements for research, education, and dissemination are high. HINN has worked purposefully for many years to meet these requirements, and the result is reflected in the assessments and feedback from the expert committee,” said Vinje.
Today’s decision was naturally well received by HINN Rector Peer Jacob Svenkerud.
“We are incredibly proud of the recognition we have received. With university status, we fulfil our most important strategic goal, and we are ready to prove ourselves worthy of this status,” said Svenkerud.
With university accreditation, HINN will have the authority to establish new study programs at all levels.
Formally, it is the King in Council who grants university status, after an application is submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research.
Rejected in 2020
The first time HINN applied for university accreditation was in 2018. After an evaluation by an expert committee, this application was rejected in 2020, based on the fact that at the time, the college did not have a sufficient number of staff with high academic competence, graduated too few PhD candidates, and also failed to meet the requirement for stable education and research of high international quality.
All these requirements have now been met. In its assessments, the expert committee particularly highlights how HINN has strengthened its research activities and further developed its PhD programs since the rejection in 2020.
HINN today shows a good balance between the two operational areas of education and research & development (R&D), something the committee emphasizes as necessary for managing the academic powers conferred upon a university. The college's organizational and leadership structure, as assessed by the committee, has also been strengthened and adapted to support these areas. With this, HINN has developed its organization in a way that is even better suited to the operations of a university.
NOKUT board chair Lise Iversen Kulbrandstad is a professor at HINN and therefore was recused from handling this application. Board member Øystein Eriksen Søreide was the rapporteur.
Read the report (in Norwegian, but includes an abstract in English | pdf)
About Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences is a public university college established on January 1, 2017, through a merger of the former Hedmark University College and Lillehammer University College. However, it is based on a long history of higher education and research in various institutions in Hedmark and Oppland. In 2023, the university had around 15,000 students and approximately 1,300 full-time equivalents, of which 814 were academic positions (including PhD candidates).
HINN is a multi-campus institution, with locations in Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad, and Blæstad. In addition, the university has decentralized campuses in Kongsvinger, Tynset, and Oslo.
The university's academic activities are organized into five faculties (Faculty of Education, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, and the Faculty of Film, TV, and Games). The faculties are organized with underlying departments, and academic activities are coordinated across the different campuses.
HINN based its application on four PhD programs: Applied Ecology and Biotechnology (AØB), Teaching and Teacher Education (PROFF) Innovation in Services in the Public and Private Sectors (INSEPP), and Children and Young People’s Upbringing and Participation (BUK). The PhD program in Health and Welfare (HELVEL) started in autumn 2022 and is set to eventually replace BUK. Additionally, HINN offers a PhD in artistic research within art practice and creation.