Norway

Economy and Industry

The Norwegian economy is a mixed economy. The Norwegian welfare state makes public health care free. The major source of income is from natural resources mainly from petroleum production. Norway is the largest exporter of Oil and gas. The egalitarian values ensure that the wage difference between a lowest paid worker and a highest paid worker is smaller.

Education in Norway

There are 7 universities, 9 specialized university institutions, 22 university colleges, 2 national colleges of arts and a number of private higher educational institutions in Norway. More than 200 Master’s programmes are taught in English. University of Oslo is the highest ranked institution ranked 111 in the World University Rankings. Norwegian universities and state university colleges do not charge tuition fees for international students; however living expense in Norway is higher than in any other country. International students can avail financial support through fellowship programs, scholarship schemes or student loans. Norway is one of the leading countries conforming to the Bologna Process in European higher education. The degree system comprising of the Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD has been implemented complementing with the ECTS credit system. By adapting to the European standard in higher education, it is easy for students at Norwegian institutions to obtain recognition of their qualifications in other countries. With a wide range of high quality courses and great flexibility, Norwegian institutions prove to be an ideal study destination for international students.

Scholarships

Most Norwegian institutions have bilateral agreements with foreign institutions of higher education which is based on mutual exchange of students, researchers, and academics. There are national programmes that offer scholarships and other types of funding for International students wishing to pursue their education in Norway. Additionally, various stipends are also offered by private and non-profit organizations.

Scholarships and fundings for international students are provided through:

• Science without Borders – basically for Brazilian undergraduate students for up to 1 year of study for study of science consisting mainly of STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics).
• Semester Grants – Provided students with the opportunity of fieldwork and are awarded for one to three months stay within the Norwegian semester period. The Semester Grants are primarily provided to students who opt for a Norwegian topic for their Bachelor, Master or PhD program.
• Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus Programmes
• Nordplus Higher Education
• YGGDRASIL- Young Guest and Doctoral Researchers’ Annual Scholarships for Investigation and Learning in Norway. The Research Council of Norway offers mobility grants to highly qualified, international Ph.D. students and younger researchers from 25 countries in connection with research for a period of one to ten months.
• Quota Scheme – The Norwegian government provides scholarships for students from developing countries and countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia through the Quota Scheme with the objective of promoting internationalization of higher education.
• Norad’s Programme for Master Studies (NOMA)- Norad’s Programme for Master Studies (NOMA) provides financial support for developing and running Master’s degree programmes in developing countries through equal partnerships between local and Norwegian higher education institutions.
• High North Fellowship Program – The High North Fellowship program offers scholarships to students from the US, Canada and Russia who attend an institution in Northern Norway as part of their higher education and is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Employment and Job Opportunities

A student residence permit does not permit a student to take up employment in Norway; however, they can apply for part-time work permit and/or permit to work during vacations when employment does not interfere with their studies. A student can work up to 20 hours per week when a work permit is granted. They can normally work full time during semester breaks. The major revenue is generated from petroleum manufacturing industries. The top industries include oil, natural gas and energy, telecommunications, lumber, maritime, and tourism.

Major companies in Norway

1. Statoil
2. Norsk Hydro
3. Orkla
4. AkerKværner
5. DNB ASA