Through responsible international collaboration, we ensure that academic values and security are upheld in all types of cross-border partnerships.
This especially applies to collaborations with countries that significantly differ from Norway in terms of governance, culture, and higher education and research systems. Geopolitical conditions and tensions can also introduce specific risks in collaborations with certain countries.
Regarding educational activities, the following areas are particularly relevant for considerations related to responsible international collaboration:
- establishment and quality assurance of student exchange collaborations
- preparation and follow-up of our students during exchanges, fieldwork, and internships
- admission, reception, and support for international students on our campuses
Student exchange collaborations
UiO has procedures for quality assurance when establishing and renewing exchange agreements. These procedures include assessments aimed at reducing risks in our exchange collaborations, such as staying updated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice for partner countries/cities.
- Procedure for quality assurance of agreements (in Norwegian)
- Where can UiO send students (in Norwegian)?
See also the information page about responsibility in partnerships and project initiation.
Students on exchange, fieldwork, and internships abroad
In emergency situations, it is crucial that we have a good overview of where our students are located, what type of stay they are engaged in and the duration of their stay.
All foreign stays organised by UiO must be registered in the "Utvekslingsperson" section of the Joint Student System (FS).
Students on regular semester exchanges who have applied and received an offer for an exchange to one of UiO's partners through S?knadsweb will automatically have an occurrence registered in the "Utvekslingsperson" section of FS. Other stays, such as internships, fieldwork, summer schools etc., should follow manual procedures for creation in "Utvekslingsperson".
Incidents involving students abroad are included in UiO's emergency plans. Further information on existing procedures and division of work during incidents abroad is described on UiO's general emergency preparedness pages (in Norwegian).
All students registered in FS with a foreign stay will receive specific information before departure regarding insurance, safety abroad, available resources, and points of contact in case of an emergency, etc. The information is accessible on UiO's safety abroad page for students.
Admission, reception, and follow-up of international students
Export control and admission to master's programmes
In accordance with the current export control regulations, procedures have been developed for admission to master's and PhD programmes for students from countries covered by the regulations. You can find more information about this on the UiO website.
For more information and resources on export control, please refer to UiO's dedicated resource page.
Reception of international students
The reception of international students is coordinated by Knutepunktet - International Student Reception. Knutepunktet serves as UiO's contact point for the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and the police, and provides assistance to both UiO's units and students regarding visa/residence permits.
Regarding visas/residence permits, it is particularly important to note how UDI assesses the conditions for return. UDI uses the classification into country groups (green, yellow, orange, and red (udi.no) as the starting point for assessing the conditions for return in each country. This will affect both the processing time and the likelihood of the student being granted a visa/residence permit.
Students from countries in the red group may be exempt from certain restrictions if their stay in Norway is related to a collaborative project within the frame of programmes such as NORHED and NORPART.
Visiting students
When admitting visiting students who do not come through an exchange partner, it is particularly important to be aware of practical challenges related to a student's citizenship.
This particularly concerns whether the student can obtain a visa/residence permit in Norway and the documents the student will need for this purpose. For example, it can be challenging if a student comes from a university in Europe, but where the student's citizenship determines their residency status in Norway. In the worst case, long processing times at UDI may prevent the student from coming to Norway at the intended time to carry out their stay.
Visiting students and the reception of internship students fall outside our routine procedures which ensure that students have visa documentation and access to student housing. It is therefore important to follow the mentioned procedures.
- Admission of guest students (individual agreements) (in Norwegian)
- Admission of internship students (in Norwegian)
Students at Risk
UiO annually welcomes students under the Students at Risk programme. Special resources have been developed for the admission and reception of these students, who may have particular challenges and needs while on our campuses.
Speak Up System
The Speak Up system is the tool for UiO students to report critical incidents, including threats and harassment.
Other relevant procedures at UiO
External Resources
- Academic Freedom Index
Overview of academic freedom in 179 countries and territories in 2022 - Landinfo.no
The Norwegian Immigration Authorities' country of origin information unit. Useful resources for a better understanding of partner countries - National guidelines for responsible international knowledge collaboration (hkdir.no)