HERD – Programme for Higher Education, Research and Development 2010-2014

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, MFA, has entered an agreement with four institutions in Norway for the administration of HERD – Programme for Higher Education, Research and Development. The programme period is four years with a tentative annual allocation of 30 million NOK.

The overall aim of the HERD-programme is to contribute to economic growth and social development through increased co-operation in higher education and research and development in the Western Balkans. This shall be achieved by supporting projects with the following objectives:

• “To contribute to educating a national work force that has adequate innovative qualifications in the maritime, agricultural and energy sectors by building, in the longer term perspective, sustainable capacity of higher education institutions in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo”
• ”To stimulate innovation, product and process development in the maritime, agricultural and energy sectors through support to applied research and development in the Western Balkans”
• “To provide insight into development challenges by supporting regional social science research in the Western Balkans”

For more information see the attached Programme Document (pdf).

Sectors and contact information

HERD consists of five Sector Programmes.

Programme 1: Maritime Sector:
Sector programme is administered by the University College in Ålesund. A public call for applications was announced in 2010, deadline 1 October. A second call for applications will be published in 2011. For more information contact Ms. Liv Møller-Christensen, lm@hials.no

Programme 2: Agricultural Sector:
Sector programme is administered by the University of Life Sciences at Ås. The Secretariat for HERD/ Agriculture is located at the university’s Department for International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric.). Call for application was conducted in 2010. The Sector Board is in the process of approving projects and allocating funds. For more information contact Mr. Thor Larsen, thor.s.larsen@umb.no

Information about the sector programme is posted on UMB/ Noragric’s home page, see here. 

Programme 3: Energy Sector:
Sector programme is administered by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The board and mandate of the board will be identical to Norad’s Programme for Master Studies in Energy and Petroleum (EnPe). A public call for applications was announced in 2010, deadline 1 October. A second call for applications will be published in 2011. For more information contact Øyvind Ustad, oyvind.ustad@ntnu.no

Programme 4: ICT Sector
Sector programme is administered by Buskerud University College, on behalf of the Oslofjord Alliansen. A public call for applications will be announced in 2011. For more information contact Hege Eiklid, hege.eiklid@hibu.no

Programme 5: Development Studies:
This sector programme is administered by the Norwegian Research Council as a part of NORGLOBAL-programme. A public call for applications was conducted in 2010 and resources allocated.

(Updated May 2011)