Kristin Clemet, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research

Article in Tell'Us (special edition about Norway's 13 Centres of Excellence), September 2003

Boundless ambition

The Norwegian government's ambition is for Norway to be in the forefront in terms of knowledge, expertise and new technology. This calls for quality improvement throughout the entire educational and research system. While it has become increasingly clear that Norway needs to enhance the quality of its research, there are numerous examples of Norwegian researchers who perform at a high international level, not least in connection with the EU framework programmes for research. Recent international evaluations have also given Norwegian research groups top scores in fields such as neuroscience, climate research, mathematics and ICT.

If we are to develop more international-calibre research groups, we have to focus far more intently and systematically on quality than what we have been in the habit of doing in Norway. My impression is that there is broad support for this new approach to Norwegian research. The enthusiasm spawned by our new Centres of Excellence scheme is proof positive that it has become acceptable to focus on the best, most promising researchers.

Great efforts are currently being invested by Norway's universities and university colleges as they implement the Quality Reform aimed at improving quality and promoting internationalisation. At the same time, the Norwegian government has provided a substantial growth in allocations to scientific equipment and launched a new initiative to encourage outstanding young scientists.

Notwithstanding, the Centres of Excellence scheme is the most important single measure designed to improve the quality of Norwegian research. Although only a year has passed since the first 13 centres were created, the scheme has already had a favourable impact. The call for applications inspired innovation and engendered exciting new co-operation constellations across subject and institutional boundaries. All 40 candidates that made it to the second round of applications were considered highly qualified. The Norwegian government is eager to build further on the favourable experience gleaned from the first call for proposals. Accordingly, the CoE scheme will be extended by creating more centres already from 2007, based on a call for proposals to be issued in 2005.

One important objective of the Centres of Excellence is that they are to make extensive contributions to international knowledge development. European research co-operation currently attaches considerable importance to creating networks between countries' centres of excellence. Norway aspires to participate actively in this co-operation, and will therefore strive to develop research groups of the highest international calibre. The CoEs are also expected to maintain an international profile within their organisations, e.g. by recruiting foreign researchers.

Outstanding research cannot be achieved through stopgap measures, but only through patient, systematic efforts over time. The new CoEs will have the time and resources they need to conduct long-term research in their respective fields. They will not be required to produce immediate results. In the long term, however, their ambition should be to perform research of Nobel Prize calibre.