NOMA

NORAD’S PROGRAMME FOR MASTER STUDIESPublication

06/07

Published by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU), October 2007EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ Head of Information, Hanne Alver KrumEDITOR/ Runo IsaksenEDITORIAL STAFF/ Veena Gill, Trude Haugsdal, Paul Manger, Hanne Alver Krum, Runo IsaksenCOVER PHOTO/ David ZadigLAY OUT/ Konvoi ASPRINTING/ Molvik Grafi sk ASPRINT RUN/ 2 000SIU PUBLICATION/ 6/2007ISSN/ 1503-2876SIU/ P.O. Box 7800, NO-5020 BERGEN, NORWAYwww.siu.no/noma

CONTENTS

/03/ Education for Development and Peace Education and research are prerequisites for economic and social development, according to the Norwegian Minister of International Development

/04/ Moving South What is NOMA really about?

/06/ Theme: Hydroelectric Power in Nepal

/06/ Urgent Need for Nepalese Experts

/07/ Crucial Norad Funding

/08/ Great Potential for Hydroelectric Power

/10/ Making Dhaka a Resource Centre in Public Health Integrated Master programme in Public Health in Asia

/12/ A Taste of Diversity Seven NOMA Projects Introduced

/17/ Software without Borders Integrated Master in Health Informatics in Ethiopia and Tanzania

/18/ A New Concept of Development Cooperation Interview with Ragnhild Dybdal, the Director of Norad’s Education and Research Department

This magazine is dedicated to

NOMA, Norad’s Programme for

Master Studies (2006–2010).

The objective is to provide infor-

mation about the NOMA special

features and to offer some glimp-

ses of the Master programmes

already running.

NOMA provides financial sup-

port to develop and run Master

programmes in cooperation

between higher education

insti tutions in the South and

corresponding institutions in

Norway.

The aim of NOMA’s educational

activi ties is to train staff in the

public and private sectors, as

well as NGOs, in the South.

Masters programmes supported

through NOMA are set up and

developed in the South in close

collaboration with Norwegian

institutions. The needs and prio-

rities of the countries in the South

is the basis for coope ration bet-

ween the partners in the South

and in Norway.

The programme is fi nanced by the

Nor wegian Agency for Develop-

ment Co operation (Norad) and

managed by the Norwegian Cen-

tre for International Cooperation

in Higher Edu cation (SIU).

NOMA/3

Education for Development and PeaceBY ERIK SOLHEIM, NORWEGIAN MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTTORE BERNTSEN/ PHOTO

In 1900, Norway was one of the poorest countries in Europe. Since then, strong investment in education has helped to make Norway one of the wealthiest coun-tries in the world, and has pushed it to the top of the UN’s human development index. Our higher education institutions have strengthened democracy, welfare and human rights, and facilitated innovation and economic growth. This is why we give education high priority in our development cooperation with poor countries.

Most Norwegians believe that less than one in three children in developing countries go to school. In reality, considerable prog-ress has been made in many low-income countries as regards enrolling children in primary education, and almost nine out of ten children now have access to primary education. This positive development is often overlooked.

Education is important for the personal development of individuals and the demo-

cratic development of societies. It enables people to ask critical questions and hold governments accountable for their actions. It is also one of the most powerful instru-ments we have for reducing poverty and inequality, and lays the foundation for sustained economic growth.

Moreover, education is a vital factor in building peace and democracy. Research has shown that societies with a high pro-portion of young, uneducated men face a greater risk of confl ict than societies with educated young people. Norway is there-fore focusing its efforts on the most vul-nerable groups of children, such as child labourers, Aids orphans and those with disabilities or affected by confl ict.

There is a pressing need for greater prog-ress in relation to secondary and higher education. Supporting higher education is closely linked to expanding primary edu-cation – we need to train teachers. More-over, there can be no economic growth

or poverty reduction without a qualifi ed workforce.

Over the last ten years, too little atten-tion has been focused on universities and higher education institutions, particularly as regards widening access to good qual-ity tertiary education. Institutions need to open up to marginalised and minority groups. Facilitating such access is impor-tant for individuals, communities and countries.

Norad’s Programme for Master Studies (NOMA) is an important part of Norway’s efforts to strengthen universities and higher education institutions in partner countries. NOMA provides an exciting framework for cooperation by facilitating the develop-ment of joint Master programmes by insti-tutions in Norway and partner countries. It is my sincere hope that these programmes will provide students with relevant qualifi -cations that enable them to participate in building their countries.

A very important lesson can be drawn from Norway’s history: education and research are prerequisites for economic and social development.

4/NOMA

A major issue today is how to include higher education institutions in the South in the global production of knowledge. There is a gro-wing interest in a focused effort to develop a cooperative struc-ture for higher education that would allow for relevant graduate programmes, research activities and capacity building through national and international networking in the South.

6000 Norad fellowsThe Norad Fellowship Programme (1965-2005) and its succes-sor the Norad Programme for Master Studies (2006-2010) are examples of different ways of enhancing competence and capacity through development aid aimed at professionals and institutions, including higher education institutions in the South. The Norad Fellowship Programme (NFP), to be phased out by 2008, has existed for more than 40 years and has undergone changes in line with changing political priorities in Norwegian development cooperation. NFP has provided candidates from Norway’s partner countries for development cooperation in Africa, Asia and Latin America with opportunities for higher education programmes that are relevant to their home countries. The Programme has provided diploma courses as well as two-year Master degree courses at Norwegian higher education institutions.

Since 1962 nearly 6000 Norad fellows have graduated with a diploma or a Master degree from Norway. Furthermore, NFP has contributed to internationalisation and capacity building in seve-ral fi elds of study, at Norwegian host institutions. The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) has been responsible for the administration of NFP since 1998.

Moving southNorad commissioned an external evaluation in 2004 to assess the contemporary role and relevance of NFP. The Evaluation Report, presented in 2005, suggested that programme activities should take place in the South to strengthen higher education capacity, and to concentrate on a limited number of countries and aca demic fi elds of study. Harmonisation with other relevant Norwegian

programmes should be emphasised and clearly stated goals and development indicators for the programme should be developed.

A main aim of NOMA should be to increase the relevance of the programme for developing countries and the establishment of demand-based Master programmes in the South.

Ensuring qualityAfter a careful consideration of the different suggestions for change from stakeholders, a new programme was launched in the fi eld of development cooperation support to higher education in the South; Norad’s Programme for Master Studies (NOMA). Norad and SIU signed an agreement for the implementation of NOMA for the period 2006-2010. The activities of NOMA will be governed by a Programme Board. The Board consists of represen-tatives of higher education institutions in Norway and in the South, a student representative, representatives of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and a representative appointed by Norad. The primary tasks of the NOMA Programme Board are to guaran-tee the quality of the Programme, assess project applications and allocate funds to projects according to the stated aims of NOMA, monitor ongoing activities, and to play a consultative role as to the further development of NOMA. SIU is the secretariat for the Programme Board.

A new era for capacity enhancementNOMA is thus markedly different from NFP on three fronts: NOMA aims to establish Master programmes in the South as a co operative venture between higher education institutions in Nor-way and the South.

Strengthening the capacity of institutions, including higher education institutions, is seen as an instrument for supporting self-reliant societies and sustainable development.

Moving SouthFrom recipient orientation to recipient

responsibility and capacity enhancementGUNN MANGERUD, DIRECTOR, SIUVEENA GILL, ADVISER, SIU

The critical role of public higher education in national development is now being emphasised all over the world, and internationalisation and cooperation between higher education institutions and across borders is becoming more important.

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There is a strong element of regional collaboration in programme activities between higher education institutions in the South.

Stimulating South-South cooperationThe changes from the NFP to the new NOMA will be implemented gradually over the next years. During this transition phase a variety of models for cooperation between higher education institutions in the South and in Norway will be eligible for programme support. A sustainable development of the partnership will also depend on capacity as well as competence in institutional development. An important issue will also be to stimulate South-South coope-ration. The process leading to the change and participation in the new programme has been a challenging venture for Norwegian higher education institutions. For many institutions the transfer of Master programmes to the South involves a commitment of institutional resources that may not be easily available. However despite some uncertainties about adequate compensation for Norwegian participating institutions, Norwegian institutions have shown a keen interest in the programme. In the fi rst round of selection of NOMA projects in December 2006, SIU received 34 joint applications by higher education institutions in Norway and the South.

Seventeen new Master programmesThe change to the new programme is in the process of being com-pleted and 17 new Master programmes have been approved in 2006 for launch in 2007. In a European context the new NOMA is quite unique, aiming as it does to educate candidates from the private, public and NGO sectors in the South itself, through the establishment of quality bilateral and multilateral Master programmes. The success of NOMA will fi nally be judged by its ability to develop relevant competence and capacity at the institutions in the South as outlined in the objectives of the programme.

6/NOMA

Shiva Kumar Sharma has long links with Norway. Smiling, he talks about the time he fi rst went to Norway, in 1985, in the third group of students from Nepal to attend a Norad postgraduate electrical engineering course. After returning to his own country, he was the fi rst Nepalese engineer to join the Himal Power Company.

A Norwegian specialityStarted by a Norwegian visionary named Odd Hoftun, the Himal Power Company was initially supported by funds from Norway. Hoftun, who had come to build a hospital in Tansen in the fi fties, realised that it was useless to provide people with just medicine. Their living situation had to be changed. Looking around, he realised that the richest resource in Nepal was hydropower. And hydropower was a Norwegian speciality. In the early sixties, Hoftun started the Butwal Technical Institute, which trained Nepalese in both theory and practice. The fi rst group of 30-35 students came from the Butwal and Gorkha districts. This Institute, which continues to this day, was similar to a small industrial complex: there was a wood industry, a plywood factory and other enterprises. After the Nepalese started to develop local initiatives, some of these enterprises closed down.

Urgent Need for Nepalese ExpertsSUSHMA JOSHI/ TEXTSAGAR SHRESTHA/ PHOTO

“Each project is a school of learning in itself. All kinds of people get training while working on a hydropower project.”

Hoftun also started the Butwal Power Company, which sells elec-tricity to the Nepal Electricity Authority, thereby ensuring a steady income.

Stringent conditionsHoftun envisioned a time when Nepalese would develop their own skills and continue hydropower development in the future. This led to the establishment of Himal Hydro. Initially funded by Norad, which provided the funds through the United Mission to Nepal and the Nepalese government, it later became a fully Nepalese owned company. Himal Hydro has been involved in building many of Nepal’s key hydropower projects, such as Aadikhola and Jhimruk. It was also instrumental in building Nepal’s fi rst underground powerhouse, and it has the capacity to build underground tunnels.

“However, despite its capacity, tenders for new hydropower pro-jects continue to be handed to international companies because of the stringent conditions laid down by donors,” says Mr. Sharma. Conditions may include large sums of initial investment capital, which put local Nepalese companies out of bidding range.

While Norway has trained a pool of engineers with its generous support, there is also an urgent need for overseers, drillers, foremen and other experts, says Shiva Kumar Sharma, president of Himal Hydro.

NOMA/7

Enormous potentialThe irony is that these international companies will eventually sub-contract out the work to local companies and use their expertise and manpower.

“Because of lack of work, many Nepalese skilled workers opt to migrate. People do not leave as long as they are engaged in inte-resting work, even if it is low-paid. But once the work ends, they may look for opportunities abroad,” emphasies Mr. Sharma.

In order to stop this brain drain, it would be important to support local institutions like Himal Hydro, and ensure that they have the support and encouragement of the government and international donors to take on large-scale electrical engineering projects.

“Nepal has enormous potential for hydropower, and yet only a few percent of it is tapped. Currently, only the middle Marshyangdi project is in active construction,” Mr. Sharma claims.

Private companies taking overHiring locals for large-scale projects also tends to create its own pool of experts. While Norway has trained a pool of engineers with its generous support, there is also an urgent need for overseers, drillers, foremen and other experts in developing countries.

“Each project is a “school of learning” in itself,” says Mr. Sharma. “All kinds of people get training while working on a hydropower project.”

Contrary to Hoftun’s vision, Norwegian private companies started to take over hydropower projects in Nepal in order to make a com-mercial profi t. Projects like Khimti is 85 per cent owned by Nor-wegian companies, while the government only has a 15 per cent share. This has crippled the Nepal Electricity Authority, which buys its electricity from the private companies. In order to ensure sus-tainability, it would be important to build up the capacity of local companies to run the power plants on an affordable basis. Norway has done a lot to develop the hydropower sector in Nepal, especially with its crucial training of manpower. Mr. Sharma, a product of Norwegian post-graduate training, is an example of how Norad funding has helped local experts to run, manage and sustain their own hydropower resources, directly supporting the development of their country and its resources.

“Two Bangladeshi students returned to their jobs in the government’s electricity programme; a Zambian student returned to the Zambian Electrical Authority, and the four Nepalese students returned to the Nepal Electricity Authority. All were promoted. An Indonesian student has returned to his home country to teach at the university,” Dr. Chettris explains.

Only the Sri Lankan student went to Singapore to get an internatio-nal job – a minor loss compared to the buildup of experts who were retained by government and local institutions.

Building infrastructureThe second batch has four international students, all Africans. So far, the international students have enjoyed their stay, says Dr. Chettri. They live in the hostels with other students, and the different environment provides them with opportunities for both academic and personal enrichment. “The small group focuses intensively not just on academic cour-ses, but also social impact studies and social development. The link between these two aspects is integral,” says Dr. Chettri. The main achievement of the programme has been to provide stu-dents from developing countries with a Master degree in electrical engineering. The funding has also enabled Kathmandu University to build up its infrastructure, including a power electronics lab, a high-voltage lab, and a computer lab. The faculty capacity was also built up. Unlike the Communications MA, the fi rst Master programme at Kathmandu University which struggles to survive with two students, the Electrical Power Engineering MA was able to recruit a signifi cant number of both students and faculty staff members.

Quality educationDr. Tuladhar is one of the founders of Kathmandu University, a private university that has continued to provide a consistently good education despite the massive disturbances to education during the civil confl ict of the past ten years. The aim was to create an uninterrupted, quality education and stop the fl ow of foreign reserves out of Nepal and students fl eeing the country for higher education abroad during the political instability.

The main achievement of the programme has been to provide students from developing countries with a Master degree in electrical enginee-ring, says Dr. Chettri, the head of the Electricial Power Engineering Department at Kathmandu University.

Crucial Norad FundingSUSHMA JOSHI/ TEXTSAGAR SHRESTHA/ PHOTO

“Although it is expensive to run, the Norad funded Master programme in electrical power engineering has shown dividends,” according to Dr. Chettri, the head of the Electricial Power Engi-neering Department at Kathmandu University.

8/NOMA

Sushma Joshi is a writer and fi lmmaker in Nepal. Before going to Brown University, USA, for her undergraduate studies, she spent two years studying biology at the Kathmandu Valley Campus — the institution later rena-med Kathmandu University.

With a very strong and rigorous background in the sciences, Kathmandu University, with Norad funding, added a Master pro-gramme in electrical power engineering in 2004. The programme is small, with ten students in each batch. The students, who are selected in Norway, come from various countries. Besides Nepa-lese and other South Asians, there are also African students.

“The students, who are already employed in their own sector back in their home countries, are encouraged to work on the-ses that are relevant to their home countries. Supervisors are drawn from the business sector, including the Butwal Power Company. Norwegian professors fl y in for a month to teach two courses,” Tuladhar explains.

Crucial funding“The Nepalese students are already working. If they quit their job, they can’t feed their families or pay their tuition. The Norad funding has been crucial in this respect, and has enabled the MA programme to take root. The institution was established within a few years. It will take a few more years to make it totally sustainable,” emphasises Dr. Chettri. Asked whether he envisages the programme expanding, Dr. Chet-tri replies that this is contingent upon faculty development—cur-rently there are not enough faculty staff to support all the Master students. Although there are two supervisors for each student, Dr. Chettri imagines a permanent faculty of 20 staff members in electrical power engineering as the optimum number.

“The PhD requires a substantial time commitment, almost six years, which few Nepalese students can afford. While Norad has provided short-term faculty training, the push to build up a permanent faculty has to come from Kathmandu University itself,” concludes Dr. Chettri.

“The potential for hydroelectric power is much greater in Nepal than in Norway, but only a fraction of the potential has been exploited so far. The electricity distribution infrastructure is weak. The need for highly trained Nepalese engineers is tremendous.”

Great Potential for Hydroelectric PowerRUNO ISAKSEN/ TEXT AND PHOTO

The students are encouraged to work on theses that are relevant to their home countries, says Dr. Tuladhar, one of the founders of Kathmandu University.

NOMA/9

Arne T. Holen is Professor at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU) and head of the steering committee for the “Master of Engineering in Electrical Power Engineering” (ME) established at Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal, in 2004.

“I have been teaching in Norway for many years, but rarely have I met students as engaged, motivated and hardworking as in Nepal. In terms of results they rank with the Norwegians. These students take leave from their jobs in order to study and they return to their jobs after graduating. I have met several of them after graduating, they have been promoted, have better jobs and higher income and are truly content,” Holen explains.

Broad approachA ten months’ postgraduate diploma course in “Electrical Power Systems” was offered at NTNU from 1976 to 2001 under the Norad Fellowship programme. Some 360 students from 39 developing countries graduated from the course during those 26 years. The diploma course was evaluated in 2000 by a committee appoin-ted by Norad and SIU. The committee did not recommend con-tinued support for this type of course. A feasibility study revealed that building a Master programme in Electrical Power Engineering in Nepal would be very relevant to the country’s actual needs. “The curriculum has been developed in cooperation between staff at NTNU and KU. We chose a broad approach, stressing the need for sustainability right from the start, including infrastructure, labs and staff development. I think this broad approach is one of the main reasons why we have done so well. Another reason is the long-lasting contact we have with academic environments in Nepal,” emphasises Rita Kumar, NOMA administrative coordinator at NTNU and a member of the steering committee.

Meaningful work“NTNU staff members helped to set up the Master programme and have contributed in many ways,” Holen says. Courses from the old diploma course at NTNU have been transferred to KU, NTNU staff have assisted in teaching, played a vital role in the steering com-mittee and have helped to build up a modern lab. But why; what’s in it for Norwegians?

“We really want to assist KU in establishing a Master programme in this particular fi eld. And why do we want that? Obviously, there is a core of idealism here. Our engagement doesn’t really pay back in terms of money or prestige. But during the 26 years that the diploma course ran we built up a high level of competence and a special “drive” at NTNU, making this work meaningful,” Holen explains.

The Master programme at KU has had synergies for NTNU in its turn. In 2006, NTNU established a Master programme in electrical power engineering, taking advantage of teaching material and experience gained at KU. Moreover Sintef (The Foundation for Scien tifi c and Industrial Research) has started some minor research projects in Nepal, triggered by NTNU’s contacts. The Sintef Group is the lar-gest independent research organisation in Scandinavia.

Misses PhD trainingThere have been and still are quite a few challenges. Political

The Master of Engineering in Electrical Power Engineering started at Kathmandu University (KU) in Nepal in August 2004 through a collaboration between KU and NTNU.

Facts

in stability is a major one: civil war, roads often closed down and access to the campus denied. “We started out really optimistically, the original plan being that NTNU would support two batches of students with admissions in 2004 and 2006, thereafter transferring the whole responsibility to KU. We didn’t realise just how much time building competence requires. The young Nepalese researchers who were to take over our job and pursue the ME are in Europe these days studying for their PhD. The Master programme at KU still needs support and the steering committee is unanimous in recommending continued support from NTNU. So we are going to apply for NOMA funds for yet another period,” Holen says. “The NOMA programme doesn’t involve funding for PhDs, which is a pity. In my view, you really need a research component if you want to achieve sustainability in this fi eld. And such PhD training cannot take place in countries in the South, it should be carried out in Europe,” Rita Kumar adds.

Challenges to overcome In engineering there is a special challenge regarding technical equipment, Holen continues. “We are in need of much equipment and staff to both run and maintain it. This is expensive and it requires technical compe-tence.”

The specifi c NOMA features make for yet another challenge; the establishing of Master programmes in the South. After all it is much easier to establish programmes in Norway, and then invite students to participate, Holen points out.

“Travelling all the way to Nepal to have classes for four consecutive weeks has to be balanced against the demands here at NTNU. Who is going to cover for me while I am away? Besides, four weeks is a long time to be away from my family. There are indeed plenty of challenges to be dealt with. Still the objective stands fi rm: KU is going to take over the Master programme and run it independently. The staff at KU are working determinedly towards this goal, so I am confi dent that they will succeed,” concludes Arne T. Holen.

Obviously, there is a core of idealism here. Our engage-ment doesn’t really pay back in terms of money or prestige. But during the 26 years that the diploma course ran we built up a high level of competence and a special “drive” at NTNU, making this work meaningful.

10/NOMA

“Our partners in Bangladesh run hospitals, medical schools and research centres. Estab-lishing this NOMA Master programme would have been impossible without their perfor-mance, both academically and fi nancially.”

Professor Akhtar Hussain is the Norwegian project coordinator for the Integrated Master Programme in Public Health Research in Asia. He is a Professor in the Department of International Health at the University of Oslo (UiO). “There are two main reasons why Norwegian scholars are invol-ved in implementing this Master programme. First, in order to stay up to date on international health issues we simply have to cooperate internationally. Secondly, we need to cultivate and expand our international networks. In fact, this programme has been implemented thanks to our long-lasting contacts with scho-lars in the region”.

Dhaka as a resource centreThe two-year MPhil programme will have 28 students on NOMA scholarships, of whom 20 are from Bangladesh, two from Pakistan, two from Bhutan, two from India and two from Nepal. The course is also open to self-fi nanced students.

Moreover, two Bangladeshi students on NOMA grants have arrived in Oslo to join UiO’s MPhil in public health. The plan is that these two female students, after graduating at UiO, will play signifi cant roles in the further development of the Master programme in Dhaka.

“We want to build up North-South cooperation fi rst, with UiO as a resource centre, opening up the possibility of South-South coo-peration starting pretty soon, with Dhaka as a natural resource centre,” Akhtar Hussain explains.

Wide scopeThe MPhil course in Dhaka is modelled on the MPhil in public health which was established at UiO back in 1999. The course has a truly wide scope that encompasses all aspects of public health,

but with a particular focus on non-communicable diseases: dia-betes, cardiovascular disease and mental health, as was found necessary by the local organising committee. “The combination of diabetes and obesity is the largest current epidemic the world is facing, while mental health is a neglected topic in resource constrained societies such as the ones concer-ned here. In a sense, then, this is a strength for the programme as everyone clearly realises its importance,” stresses Professor Dag Bruusgaard, head of the UiO department involved in this NOMA project. “In Bangladesh, health is commonly understood in terms of medi-cine. But we have opened the course to non-medical applicants too, in the Norwegian tradition, and this is something new. And the teaching is intimately linked with research. We want to educate the researchers of tomorrow,” Bruusgaard goes on, explaining that he

Making Dhaka a Resource Centre in Public HealthRUNO ISAKSEN/TEXTTRULS BREKKE/PHOTO

Long term sustainability is a major objective. We want to initiate more courses and hope to build up a joint degree programme, which would add even more credibility and sustainability, says Professor Akhtar Hussain (left). Ms. Karen Crawshaw Johansen and Professor Dag Bruus-gaard agree.

We want to build up North-South cooperation fi rst, with UiO as a resource centre, opening up the possibility of South-South cooperation.

NOMA/11

is in perfect harmony with the NOMA philosophy, but that he has problems when it comes to funding.

“In a sense establishing this Master course in Dhaka means establishing a competitor to our own Master programme, trans-ferring funds from our course to theirs. The main challenge is that the course is not fully fi nanced through NOMA, the extra bill is on my table. On the other hand our partner institutions bring in com-petence, infrastructure and cash. They all hold solid positions in the Bengali health service, conducting research on their own.”

Long-term sustainabilityProfessor Hussain, himself a Bangladeshi with medical training from Bangladesh, Norway and the US, reveals huge ambitions for the MPhil programme. Professors from all the fi ve participating countries will be invited to teach, as will professors from other countries, notably Sri Lanka and China. “Long-term sustainability is a major objective. We want to initiate more courses and hope to build up a joint degree programme, which would add even more credibility and sustainability,” says Hussain, who is a member of an EU-funded research network on diabetes and hopes to involve some of the EU researchers in the MPhil programme. A further research programme is under way in the region, fi nancially supported by the Research Council of Nor-way, with Professor Hussain as coordinator.

“So research is being well looked after. In addition, our Bengali counterparts have several other international partners, which opens for unique possibilities. We are not alone.”

Forty percent womenThe MPhil programme will run until 2010 with Norad funding. Hus-sain hopes to see two batches of students with at least 80 percent successfully graduating by 2010. At least 40 percent of the stu-dents should be female. “This objective is not a kind of revolution, as Bangladesh has long traditions for fostering strong women. About 40 percent in the fi rst batch are females. I also hope to see the programme at least 50 percent self-fi nanced from 2010.” “The MPhil course should be formally established in Dhaka by 2010 and in a longer term also at one or even several of the other participating institutions,” adds Ms. Karen Crawshaw Johansen. Johansen is UiO’s central institutional contact person, working at the University’s Department of Research Administration. “Dhaka University is the parent institution for this MPhil pro-gramme, but we are working towards establishing an independent health university. There are challenges, of course, not least politi-cal ones,” admits Hussain. “The political situation in Bangladesh is unstable, to say the least. Most people seem to have lost faith in politicians. The country has experienced huge corruption scandals, and the military is in charge behind the interim government. We hope for a peaceful transition to democracy.”

The Integrated Master Programme (MPhil) in Public Health Research in Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pa-kistan) is established through cooperation between the Uni-versity of Oslo and several Asian institutions. The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (DAB) with its Bangladesh Insti-tute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) and the Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences (BIHS) are the coordinating partners in the South. BIRDEM is accredited by the University of Dhaka.

Other institutional partners include the Baqai Medical Uni-versity (Pakistan), Kathmandu University (Nepal), Bhutan Ministry of Health (Bhutan) and WHO collaborating centre for Diabetes Research, Chennai (India).

The MPhil programme has a wide scope, covering diabe-tes, cardiovascular disease, mental health, the infectious diseases, genetic epidemiology, health informatics, health economics, community nutrition, and an intense training in research throughout the course.

The plan is that Afroza Akhter (left) and Kazi Rumana Ahmed will play signifi cant roles in the further development of the Master programme in Dhaka after graduating at UiO.

Facts

12/NOMA

PROGRAMME NAME: Master programme in Development Manage mentSUBJECT AREA: Environment, Economic Development and TradeINSTITUTIONS: University of Agder (Norway) / University of Ruhuna (Sri Lanka)

The Master programme in Development Management (DM) is a four-semester full-time study programme, covering 120 ECTS. It runs in collaboration with the United Nations University (UNU)/Glo-bal Virtual University (GVU) network, under the general auspices of the United Nations University in Tokyo and is implemented by a network of universities from the South and the North.

The partner in the North is Agder University (formerly Agder Uni-versity College). Its main partner in the South is the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka. The other partners are several African univer-sities, including Mzumbe University in Tanzania, Mekelle Univer-sity Ethiopia, Makerere University in Uganda, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

A serious constraint in many developing countries is the lack of managerial competence in the development and implementation of policies and practical solutions to socio-economic development

challenges. As a result, many developing countries have failed to utilize their available human and natural resources to generate a viable development process.

The DM programme is primarily concerned with development and with facilitators and obstacles to development, whether these are environmental, social, economic or political. The main objective of the DM programme is to address the fundamental challenges of sustainable development through education and research.

The DM Master programme is innovative in the way that it links education and research on sustainable development with new information technologies, with particular emphasis on e-learning pedagogy.

This programme meets very well the capacity development needs of Southern Sri Lanka, which has been adversely affected by chronic problems of high unemployment, slow growth and recent tsunami catastrophe.

TEXT/ SENIOR PROFESSOR DANNY ATAPATTU PROJECT COORDINATOR, UNIVERSITY OF RUHUNA

Some 17 projects have received NOMA funding so far and have launched their

Master programmes in the course of 2007. What are the projects all about?

And are they really needed at the institutions or even in the countries concerned?

Who are better placed to answer these questions than the project coordinators in the South? The needs and priorities of countries in the South are the basis of NOMA cooperation.

On the following pages we present some of the projects approved for funding in 2006,

the very fi rst NOMA Master programmes to be established. The objective is to give a taste of the diversity of the projects and perhaps even to encourage eligible institu-tions to apply for NOMA funding.

Seven projects are presented here, cove-ring a wide range of academic fi elds.

The eligible academic fi elds are: education, environment, economic development and trade, gender, good governance, democra-tic development, human rights and migra-tion, health, HIV/AIDS, petroleum and energy, and peace and confl ict resolution.

Facilitating Sustainable Development

in Sri Lanka

A Taste of Diversity

NOMA/13

Building a Political Culture

in Malawi

PROGRAMME NAME: Master of Arts in Political ScienceSUBJECT AREA: Good Governance, Democratic Development, Human Rights and MigrationINSTITUTIONS: University of Bergen (Norway) / University of Malawi (Malawi)

In 1994, Malawi adopted a multiparty democratic system after 30 years of undemocratic one-party rule. Since then some observable changes have been noted in areas such as electoral and political party legislation, frequency of national elections, and freedom of the press. But substantive transformation has not fully taken root in the political behaviour of political leaders and the general population. Research carried out in Malawi relating to central governance institutions such as the Electoral Commission, Parliament, the Executive, political parties and the Judiciary has shown that these institutions are unable to effectively contribute to the democratic consolidation process due to lack of qualifi ed individuals with functional knowledge of political science.

This project seeks to contribute to building up a supportive poli-tical culture via the development of a critical mass of political sci-entists with an effective understanding of the workings of political systems.

This degree programme is the fi rst of its kind in Malawi and it fi lls a major defi cit in political science training in the University of Malawi and the country as a whole. During the one-party era, politics as an academic discipline was not formally allowed in Malawi.

Through this project, the University of Malawi over a four-year period will train 40 candidates who will be capable of doing rese-arch in political science and will be competent in analysing and offering guidance on national political issues. This will provide new and greatly needed expertise among the workforce of the Malawian public and civil society sectors. Through staff exchanges and other staff development programmes, the project will also enhance the capacity of the Department of Political and Administrative studies in Malawi to independently run the programme after the fi rst four years.

TEXT/ ASIAYTI CHIWEZA PROJECT COORDINATOR, UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI

Competence Building in

Radiology in Tanzania and India

PROGRAMME NAME: Sandwich Master of Science Programme in Clinical MedicineSUBJECT AREA: HealthINSTITUTIONS: University of Bergen (Norway) / Muhimbili Univer-sity College of Health Sciences (MUCHS) and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) (Tanzania)

This is a unique programme involving North, South and South to South cooperation in supporting competence and capacity building for the MUCHS/MNH in the fi elds of internal medicine and radiology. This collaboration is between MUCHS, University of Bergen (UiB), Norway and Christian Medical College, India. The programme will also provide opportunities for clinical research and staff exchange in internal medicine and radiology.

Following successful collaboration in the sandwich programme in MMed candidates between the Departments of Internal Medicine at MUCHS and UiB from 2000 to 2005, an application for a sand-wich programme for capacity building in post-MMed super-specia-lists in various medical subspecialities and MMed Radiology was submitted.

Tanzania in general and MUCHS/MNH in particular are suffering from a severe shortage of specialists in these fi elds. In both nephrology and cardiology the college and hospital have only two consultants in each speciality. There are about six physicians with an interest in cardiology and only four with an interest in nephro-logy in the whole country of 33 million people. There are eight qua-lifi ed radiologists at MUCHS/MNH, of whom only two are utilized for teaching in the undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the college. There are only 25 radiologists in Tanzania, most of whom work in Dar Es Salaam.

By the end of its four-year run, the programme will have trained four candidates in cardiology and four in nephrology, with each candidate completing a two-year MSc programme in these spe-cialities. A further eight candidates will also have completed their MMed in Radiology

TEXT/ PROFESSOR WILLIAM MATUJA PROJECT COORDINATOR, MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

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Improving Health Care

in Tanzania

PROGRAMME NAME: Master of Health Policy and ManagementSUBJECT AREA: GenderINSTITUTIONS: University of Bergen (Norway) / Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (Tanzania)

This project is about a collaborative training initiative at Master level involving the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), and the Centre for International Health at the University of Bergen (Norway). The new Master programme will run for two years, and will be taught at Muhimbili University. Graduates of the programme will be awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Health Policy and Management.

For the last three years, the University, through its School of Public Health and Social Sciences, has been trying to design and intro-duce a Master programme in Health Management. However these efforts did not bear fruit because of various constraints including inadequate resources for training and sponsorship of students. Now, the support of NOMA makes it possible to turn this dream into reality.

The main objective of the new programme is to improve quality and equity in health and health care through a training programme that focuses on improving policies, health systems, funding and management of health-care delivery systems.

This project is signifi cant both for the college and the whole coun-try because it will attempt to meet the human resources needs in the health sector, specifi cally in areas of health policy and management. These areas have long been identifi ed as lacking in adequately trained human resources in Tanzania and many other developing countries, with a negative impact on the performance of the health sector.

It is expected that a minimum of 20 Master degree students will be trained between 2007 and 2010.

TEXT/ DR. MUGHWIRA A. MWANGU PROJECT COORDINATOR, MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Bridging the Gender Gap

in Sudan

PROGRAMME NAME: MPhil in International Education and DevelopmentSUBJECT AREA: EducationINSTITUTIONS: Oslo University College (Norway) / Afhad Univer-sity for Women (Sudan)

The Master in International Education and Development meets cer-tain urgent needs for countries and universities in the South. The main aim is to build up the competence of staff in the public and private sectors in the countries of partner institutions in both the North and the South. This is to be done by developing the skills, attitudes and abilities of students to tackle problems of education, development, gender and HIV/AIDS effectively from national and international perspectives.

The programme will also add an international perspective to the existing postgraduate programmes. For example, it will help Ahfad University for Women to accomplish its mission, nationally and in the region, in bridging the gender gap in higher education and empowering women to become leaders and agents of change.

The Project was initiated by Oslo University College in partnership with Ahfad University for Women, Sudan, the University of Cape Town, South Africa and the University of Zambia, Zambia. Norad funding has made it possible for representatives of the four insti-tutions to develop this project in the course of two workshops, one in Sudan and one in Zambia.

The project covers a four-year period (2007-2010) and will enable two cohorts of fully supported students (three from each country per cohort) to study for two years. Successful students will be awarded an MPhil Degree and go back to their countries to partici-pate effectively in development, rehabilitation and achieving the Millenium Development Goals.

TEXT/ PROFESSOR SALAH ELAMINPROJECT COORDINATOR, AHFAD UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN

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Tackling Confl ict Situations

in Nepal

PROGRAMME NAME: Master programme in Confl ict, Peace Building and Development SUBJECT AREA: Peace and Confl ict ResolutionINSTITUTIONS: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Norway)/ Tribhuvan University (Nepal)

This is a North-South-South programme involving collaboration between universities in Norway, Nepal and Sri Lanka and the fi rst Master programme in confl ict, peace and development studies in the South Asian region.

Fifty students have been enrolled, of whom seven Nepalese and seven Sri Lankan students are fi nanced by NOMA scholarships. All the self-fi nanced students are Nepalese, either from governmental organizations or ordinary students. The gender balance is good. During the fi rst two semesters, the seven Sri Lankan students are enrolled at Tribhuvan University, while for the two last semesters, fi ve Nepalese students will join Sri Lankan universities. Similarly, three Norwegian professors and fi ve Sri Lankan professors will give lectures at Tribhuvan University during the fi rst year of the programme, while fi ve Nepalese professors will visit the Sri Lan-kan University. This is thus a unique opportunity not only for the students but also for the Norwegian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan academics to share and exchange their knowledge and resource bases.

The programme is being fi nanced by NOMA for four years (2007-2011). Out of this funding, some portions of funds are allocated for Ruhuna University and Eastern University. Noragric at the Norwe-gian University of Life Sciences has played an instrumental role in the establishment of this programme. Tribhuvan University is the central administrator of the programme and offers accreditation to the students.

The Master programme is designed to equip students of confl ict-affected countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka with diagnosis, prog-nosis and therapy tools for tackling existing confl ict situations in their respective countries. TEXT/ PROFESSOR RAMESH RAJ KUNWAR PROJECT COORDINATOR, TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY

Improving Petroleum Education

in Angola

PROGRAMME NAME: MSc programme in Petroleum Engineering and Petroleum GeoscienceSUBJECT AREA: Petroleum and EnergyINSTITUTIONS: Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU) (Norway)/ Universidade Agostinho Neto (UAN) (Angola)

Angola is being rebuilt after a 27-year long civil war that ended in 2002. In the past 15 years, major deepwater discoveries have increased the country’s recoverable oil reserves to 9 billion bar-rels, permitting a production of about 1.5 million barrels per day. Angola is now one of the fastest growing economies in Africa (and the world), but the country has still not succeeded in creating a world-class petroleum-oriented academic environment covering essential aspects of science and technology.

In 2006 a joint effort of UAN and NTNU was initiated with the ambi-tion of raising petroleum education in Angola to an international level. The initiative is called ANHEI (Angolan-Norwegian Higher Education Initiative), and it focuses specifi cally on higher educa-tion in petroleum geosciences and petroleum engineering.

The goal is to establish a sustainable integrated petroleum rese-arch group at UAN. Training of academic personnel will take place at NTNU during the fi rst year, followed by a year at UAN . A total of ten students will follow the programme, spread over two batches, starting in the autumn of 2007 and ending in 2010.

To ensure solid support at UAN a number of externally fi nanced teachers from Norwegian universities will assist with the tuition and supervision of students when they fi nish their main theses. The professors will also give guest lectures and do research, thereby supporting UAN with research activities. Guest lectures will also be provided by experts from the Angolan oil industry.

TEXT/ ASSISTANT PROFESSOR EGIL TJÅLAND PROJECT COORDINATOR, NTNU

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“I want to contribute to the development of health information systems in my own coun-try,” says Desalegn Zegeye.

Desalegn Zegeye is a PhD student in informatics and project coor-dinator of the Integrated Master programme in Health Informatics at Gondar University in Ethiopia. The integrated NOMA Master programme will be running simultaneously from this autumn at three universities; the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Addis Ababa University and the University of Gondar in Ethiopia. The University of Oslo is the partner institution in the North and the fi fth cooperating institution is Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Tanzania.

The Master programme is integrated in the sense that it is uniting two independent fi elds of study; public health and informatics. Its overall aims are to develop health informatics systems and build capacity in the South and to stimulate South-South-North coope-ration.

Result of a joint effort“It all started in South Africa back in 1994”, says Jørn Braa, the project coordinator at the University of Oslo.

“Right after the abolition of the apartheid regime there was an urgent need to develop health management information systems in South Africa. The health authorities of that country, academia and NGOs joined forces and funded HISP (Health Management Information Systems).”

The University of Oslo was involved in the project at an early stage and contributed to the creation of training programmes with the financial support of Norad at the University of Western Cape. The training programmes were aimed at thousands of South African health workers and managers. HISP is an NGO that mainly represents the public health sector and academia. It has become a core project in a global South-South-North network dedicated to developing Open Source software for health purposes. Open Source ICT platforms enable students and researchers to design, change and improve software, adap-

ting it to local needs. This is an important tool for addressing the growing demand for better organisation of the health sector in countries in the South.

The need for research networks During the 1990s, several research projects and training program-mes were carried out with this objective. As a result of this coope-rative effort between the health authorities and academia, the fi rst Master programmes were born in South Africa and Mozambique in 2001, under the auspices of the former Norad Fellowship Pro-gramme. These programmes are still running.

“HISP provided us with the research network that is necessary to start any Master programme,” explains Jørn Braa.

These programmes were the fi rst under the Norad umbrella that

Software without BordersBENTE GUNDERSEN/TEXTTRULS BREKKE/PHOTO

DEVELOPING HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ETHIOPIA/ Desalegn Zegeye, project coordinator and former Norad fellow, explains how the Integrated Master in Health Informatics has been established at the University of Gondar in Ethiopia. Left: Associate Professor Jørn Braa, University of Oslo.

These programmes can only be successful if they are fl exible enough to take the individual needs of each local community into account

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were actually taught at institutions in the South and based upon the South-South-North model.

“In 2005 we extended the project to Tanzania, where we started up with a course at Master level. Today we have an independent Master programme. We hope that the creation of these new Master programmes will be a contribution to the further expansion of this way of using ICT systems to support health structures,” continues Braa.

The Open Source software has already been adapted to several countries. In fact, the use of these platforms is currently wide-spread in all South Africa, in both national and regional health care.

Students a driving forceSince the Master programmes started, some 50 candidates have graduated with the support of Norad. Currently all of them are employed in the project or related activities in their respective home countries.

“Our students are a driving force in this task. They actually design and develop software that can be implemented in their local envi-ronment. The next step will be to fund Master programmes and other training programmes in Malawi and hopefully also in Asia through our current students from Vietnam and Nepal”, says Braa.

Desalegn Zegeye arrived in Oslo two weeks ago in order to take PhD courses in the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo. In four months he will return to Gondar to do his fi eld work and offer lectures for the eight students who are currently partici-pating in the Master programme at his university. Mr. Zegeye has played an important role in the creation of the Master programme in Gondar.

Norad fellows behind new programmes“A few years ago I was a Norad fellow myself,” he says.

“I took my Master degree in Cape Town and now I am part of the development of the health information system of my own coun-try, Ethiopia. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been given.”

According to Desalegn Zegeye, the new Master programme is highly relevant to his country.

“It is a new track in the Master in Public Health that is already well established at the University of Gondar. Master programmes and research projects that are built on local needs and interests will defi nitely work out.”

He hopes that in the future it will be possible to create courses at PhD level in Health Informatics to ensure capacity building and further development of the fi eld in Ethiopia.

Jørn Braa emphasises that the NOMA Master programme is not only designed for NOMA fellows.

“In fact only one third of the students have scholarships from this programme.”

The Integrated Master in Health Informatics is a result of long-term strategic South-South-North cooperation.

“This kind of development cooperation is based on networking strategies. We are talking about the integration of different levels of public administration, development cooperation, research and education. Different levels of funding are also involved. The Master programme is one of the pieces in a larger picture.”

An important piece, no doubt.

“These programmes can only be successful if they are fl exible enough to take the individual needs of each local community into account,” conclude the two project coordinators.

THE STUDENT AND THE MENTOR/ Associate Professor Jørn Braa from the University of Oslo and PhD student Desalegn Zegeye from the University of Gondar have played important roles in the creation of the new Master programme.

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“The new way of conceiving development co-operation tends to transfer more responsibility to the South. This provides the institutions in the South with a stronger sense of ownership, which in turn will be refl ected in the results of our work,” says Ragnhild Dybdahl, Director of Norad’s Education and Research Department.

Sharper focus on higher education and research in development cooperation will enable the institutions in the South in the long term to build sustainable capacity to provide national professio-nals with adequate qualifi cations within specifi c academic fi elds.

“Reducing the brain drain and developing highly motivating edu-cation and research environments are the underlying goals of NOMA,” continues Ragnhild Dybdahl. The aim of NOMA in the programme period 2006-2010 is to contri-bute to the training of staff in all sectors in Norway’s main partner countries and other selected countries through building capacity at Master level in higher education institutions in the South. The programme also aims to stimulate the creation of South-South-North networks of cooperation.

“We are convinced that this programme is an effective way of strengthening the capacity in the South,” Dybdahl says.

Enhancing quality and relevanceNOMA provides more independence to the institutions in the South because training will take place in the South and because the programmes are closely linked to local and regional development needs. According to Dybdahl, this will undoubtedly strengthen the partnership dimension in the cooperative projects.

“The institutions in the South are positive to the new concept of NOMA because in essence it pays attention to the priorities of the South and thus enhances quality and relevance.”

What about the Norwegian institutions? The programmes are designed in close cooperation with academic environments in Norway, whose input is naturally of inestimable value.

“Being involved in the development of new knowledge environ-ments and high-quality education programmes also has added

value for the Norwegian institutions. It is an important aspect of their own competence-building processes as far as internationali-sation and knowledge of development issues are concerned,” says Dybdahl.

Indicators of successThe number of programmes that have been set up and are running, as well as the number of graduates are some of the quantitative indicators of success of the NOMA programme.

“Qualitative indicators include how well we are able to create relevant programmes, reduce the brain drain and, of course, the sustainability of the programmes. Obviously, it will also be of great signifi cance that the students have the possibility of fi nding emp-lyment in stimulating academic environments or in the public and private sector in the South in order to further build up the capacity at local and regional level,” says the Director of Norad’s Education and Research Department.

A New Concept of Development CooperationBENTE GUNDERSEN/TEXTTRULS BREKKE/PHOTO

Ragnhild Dybdahl underlines that NOMA is intended to stimulate multilateral cooperation and enhance gender equality, both in its own activities and when it comes to recruiting students.

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NORWEGIAN CENTRE FOR INTERNAT IONAL COOPERAT ION IN H IGHER EDUCAT IONPHONE: +47 55 30 88 00 FAX: +47 55 30 88 01 E-MAIL: SIU@SIU.NO POSTAL ADDRESS: POSTBOKS 7800, 5020 BERGEN, NORWAY VISITING ADDRESS: VASKERELVEN 39, 5014 BERGEN WWW.SIU.NO