State Secretary Siri Bjerke

"Research and Higher Education as Tools in the Barents Region".

Tromsø University Barents Conference, 20 March 1996.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here in Tromsø, home of the world's northernmost university to discuss research and higher education as tools of cooperation in the Barents Region. I would like to thank my hosts for their invitation, and for having organised such a major conference, which I am sure will be of great importance for the future of the Barents cooperation.

The title of my intervention refers to research and higher education as tools. I would like to start by saying that I myself do not regard academic activities as being merely tools. And some members of the academic community may not wish to consider research and higher education as instruments in a political project such as the Barents Cooperation. However, it would be foolish to underestimate the positive contribution research and education make to the development of the regional cooperation in this part of Europe, and I am also glad to note that multilateral cooperation projects are to be launched in this field. The multilateral feature is one of the dynamic elements of the Barents Cooperation to which the Government attaches great importance.

Thus, I shall address myself not only to research and higher education as such, but also to those activities within the political framework of the Barents Cooperation.

Research and education are of fundamental importance to the building of a society. They play a vital role in the development of public administration, management and the business community and in a country's finances and basic economy. They are indeed a prerequisite for economic development in a society as well as all other kinds of development.

All the disciplines of higher education have their part to play in this connection, as is reflected in the impressive programme of this conference. Nevertheless, some subjects are of particular importance. Languages, political science, economics, including management training, law, medicine and social studies, technical subjects and information technology. And all these subjects are being studied at universities and research institutions in the Barents Region.

I should mention here that the OECD has recently completed a study dealing with the Science, Technology and Industry Outlook, investigating the impact of research and development on technology, productivity and job creation. One of the findings was that as the greater part of the economies in OECD countries become more and more dependent on high-technology industries, science become more closely related to the marketing, production and finance departments of commercial companies. We do not yet know whether the transformation into a knowledge-based economy will produce sufficient employment of high quality. But what we do know is that the jobs of the future will probably not be created by the industries of today.

This is of particularly important for the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. The Norwegian Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe has democracy-building measures and transfer of knowledge as two of its main priorities since these are essential to achieving sustainable economic and democratic development. Research and education have played an important role in democracy-building measures, infrastructure and industrial collaboration. Many promising projects have been given support, and some of them have already produced tangible results. In 1995 an agreement was concluded between the Norwegian Research Council, the Norwegian University Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the aim of improving the structure of the cooperation between the research institutions, and at the same time coordinating and evaluating support for projects in the area of research and education.

We have encouraged cooperation and exchange programmes between educational and research institutions in Norway and a number of countries and regions in Central and Eastern Europe in order to develop contacts and networks between these institutions. In addition to benefiting the research community, such cooperation between academics, and the building of trust between nations, will certainly open doors and lead to achievements of a more commercial character. We have already seen the results of this. I therefore firmly believe that preliminary studies and pilot projects in the field of higher education and research will contribute to a more substantial economic development and increasing trade in this part of Europe.

This region is rich in natural resources such as minerals, timber, gas and oil and, of course, the wealth of marine resources in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea. It contains vast stretches of land that are among the last untouched wilderness in Europe. At the same time the extreme climatic conditions make the natural environment vulnerable, and this together with the environmental problems and the problem of disposal of nuclear waste on the Russian side of the border constitute a tremendous challenge for all of us, not at least the academic communities in the region itself.

In the Kirkenes Declaration of January 1993, by which the Barents Cooperation was formally established, the participating ministers and representatives "recognised the importance of scientific and technological cooperation in dealing with the region's problems". Areas such as cold climate technologies, geology, oceanography, atmospheric physics, ecology and environmental protection, and a number of technological fields were mentioned, and the need for an exchange of experiences, information and transfer of technology was emphasised. The importance of cooperation in the training of personnel was also recognised. In the Declaration cooperation on the exchange of students and teachers at all levels from upper secondary to university, and extended facilities for education in the languages of the region were also proposed.

In other words, it is fair to say that right from the beginning, extensive cooperation in the fields of education and research was regarded an important element of the Barents Cooperation by all parties. I hope that this conference will make a significant contribution to this. Properly formulated intentions are important conditions for a properly functioning cooperation. Now is the time to assess how far we have come, and how we can proceed from here. I heartily agree with the organisers of this conference that initiating multilateral cooperation projects between the institutions in all four countries should be an essential element in this process.

Before we proceed with detailed discussions on the prospects of cooperation in the various fields of research and higher education, let us pause for a moment to review the cooperation as a whole. What have we achieved so far? How does the Barents Cooperation fit in with the overall European picture in early 1996 - six years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, four years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent states in Central and Eastern Europe, and a year and a half after the enlargement of the European Union by three new member countries?

For those of us who have been involved in various ways in the cooperation for some time, it may be difficult to realise that only three years have passed since it was formally established in Kirkenes. Some of the youngest among us may have the feeling that the Barents Cooperation has always existed, but in fact this cooperation is the result of a dramatic change in the situation in northern Europe, and it has in itself contributed to dramatic changes that have affected people's ordinary lives. Only a few years ago contact across the east-west border was non-existent or at best stringently controlled, while we now are experiencing upsurge of activity in this respect in almost every sector of society. Scores of individuals, organisations, companies, local politicians and educational and research institutions in the Nordic countries have now established a wide range of contacts with colleagues in Russia. This is in itself of great value. One should not underestimate the positive effects of such contacts in contributing to stability and mutual trust within the region. We must now ensure that these contacts are being utilised to establish cooperation projects that will contribute to sustainable economic growth, creation of jobs and improvement in the living conditions for the people of the region. And this must be done in ways that take into consideration environmental factors and the interests and traditions of the inhabitants of the Region. This represents, of course, a tremendous challenge for all of us and especially researchers and teachers within the region itself. I see this conference as a step in this direction, and I hope that the universities and research institutions and all the other relevant institutions in the region, will take an active part in facing up to the challenges and to the new opportunities created by this situation.

The Barents Cooperation is, however, not limited to the development of the region itself. It constitutes a significant element in Norwegian foreign policy, since it has a strong influence on our relations with Russia. It also involves our relations with the other Nordic countries and the European Union. As many of you may be aware, the Barents Cooperation also includes Iceland, Denmark and the European Union as well as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. In addition, a number of countries have observer status, including the USA, Canada, Japan and several European countries. The Cooperation is thus part of a larger European process, which involves the creation of new structures of cooperation across the old East-West divide. Regionalisation, which is creating new areas of cooperation on both sides of the former iron curtain, is taking place from the Barents Sea, down through the Baltic Sea Region and Central Europe to the shores of the Black Sea. The idea is to create a climate of mutual trust and a sense of purpose, by setting common goals for economic development by establishing political structures where representatives from both sides of the old East-West divide can meet, and by setting up networks between people, organisations, local government bodies and companies. This is part of the process of integrating Russia and the other new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe more closely into the European cooperation structures. I am confident that this view of the situation is shared by the governments of all the member countries of the Barents Cooperation, and indeed by most countries in Europe today.

What distinguishes the Barents Cooperation from the other regional structures is, however, the role which has been given to cooperation at the regional level. Over the years a regional identity has emerged, a sense of common destiny among peoples sharing the experience of trying to make a living in harsh surroundings. These feelings have survived the decades of division and are now, as I see it, being revitalised at astonishing speed and in considerable depth. Advantage is now being taken of this development.

The Regional Council, which consists of leaders of the county and oblast administrative bodies, and its working groups are able to shape the cooperation in a range of different ways. One could describe this as a form of "decentralised foreign policy" where the counties themselves have been given the possibility of influencing foreign policy issues that are of concern to them. In my opinion this is what makes the Barents Cooperation so dynamic. On the other hand, this way of organising the cooperation represents a challenge to central government. It makes it necessary to retain close ties between central and regional levels in all four countries. I feel that we have found effective ways of handling the necessary communication between the government and the regional level, but this requires a fair amount of openness and trust between us. And this also applies in the field of research and higher education - it is important that the actors are aware of this structure, and that they take care to relate to central government as well as to the regional actors in the Cooperation.

Before I proceed, I would like to mention that I am aware of the fact that cooperation between academic institutions in the northern parts of our four countries was not invented on the 11th of January 1993 with the formal establishment of the Barents cooperation. Researchers and scientists have cooperated long before that. In 1902 the Norwegian pioneers of research on the Aurora Borealis - the Northern Lights - had set up a research station on Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Arctic. In the years of the Pomor trade, the sons of merchants and tradesmen in the coastal towns of Finnmark were sent to Archangelsk to learn languages and study business. Even in the years of the cold war, promising examples of cooperation between institutions in the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia continued to exist. Since the beginning of the 1950s there have been contacts between Norway and the Soviet Union as regards marine and fisheries research. This cooperation has been substantially strengthened since the fall of the iron curtain and today it plays a very important role in controlling the fishing regimes and other conditions at sea. To continue this cooperation is of great importance considering that deliveries of fish from Russia have become an essential element in the fishing processing industry of Northern Norway. Long-term relations in this field are also likely to make a constructive contribution to negotiations for fishing quotas. We are now thinking of extending this cooperation to apply to aquaculture projects which represents a very interesting new line of cooperation.

There are also a number of other fields where we can derive great benefit from joint projects. Among them are the exploitation of resources on land, at sea - such as oil and gas - and especially in the environmental and environmental technology sector. Agriculture is another significant sector. It is of the utmost importance to this region that our agricultural know-how is pooled in order to help us solve the great challenges in this field.

I am convinced that the situation offers unlimited opportunities, especially for researchers and scientists here in the North. In identifying new areas of cooperation, it is helpful to consult the guidelines laid down by the Ministers of Education and Research in the Barents Region in Rovaniemi a year ago. They recommend that cooperation should be based on existing objectives and activities local to the region, that projects should be initiated in the region and be managed by or in close cooperation with the regional authorities. The ministers also emphasised that the appropriate national authorities should help to create conditions enabling regional educational and scientific cooperation to take place, and that special attention should be paid to other ongoing initiatives or programmes in order to avoid duplication, overlapping and the undue use of resources. The ministers also pointed out the need to prevent the establishment of new institutions and the duplication of existing administrative bodies.

There are a number of institutions and administrative bodies already established in the region that may be useful for the cooperation in research and higher education. It is therefore essential that the universities and other institutions in all the four countries acquire information about the existing structures, about who is doing what, where the funding is coming from and where it would be most productive to expand already existing projects and programmes rather than establishing new ones. In addition to the Regional Council's Barents Programme, which have been operative for a couple of years, it is hoped that the INTERREG-Barents programme will be operative this year. This is one of the EU programmes for developing its border areas. Norway takes part in the programme on an equal footing with the EU members Sweden and Finland, providing we pay our full share. Sweden's and Finland's contribution is partly covered by money from the EU. This means that for the first time EU funds will be available for cooperation projects in the Barents Region. I should also mention that the INTERREG North Calotte Programme will also contribute EU funding to projects in the Nordic part of the Barents Region. The establishment of the INTERREG programmes and of the EU's TACIS programme for Northwest Russia are warmly welcomed. All the actors in the Barents Cooperation both at regional and at central governmental level, both inside and outside the EU, have made great efforts to attract interest and funds for the cooperation from the EU and other interested parties outside the region itself. These programmes should be of interest to universities and other institutions of higher education and research in the Barents Region, and it is my firm belief that these institutions will make a major contribution to the development of these programmes in terms of successful projects.

The University of Tromsø is the largest institution of higher education and research in Northern Norway, and has made valuable contributions in a number of scientific fields. It is, however, important to remember that this university is only 25 years old and - in spite of its rapid growth in recent years - is still a relatively small institution in international terms. The same could be said of the other institutions of research and higher education in the Barents Region in all four countries. They all operate in thinly populated areas, far away from the national and international centres of government, finance and science. This situation may impose some handicaps on their activities in terms of attracting resources in human and economic terms. Although I have the impression that the research and educational institutions in all the counties of the Barents Region have produced impressive results in a wide range of fields, I feel that there still remains a substantial potential to be realised through cooperation between them. I have already emphasised the need for multilateral projects, and indeed this is one of the aims of this conference. A prerequisite for cooperation is the existence of close ties between institutions in all the four countries of the region. Our efforts will have a greater impact if we are able to pool our resources and focus more strongly on our role as partners than as competitors. The universities of Northern Norway, Northern Sweden and Northern Finland should derive considerable benefit from a careful examination of the potentials for cooperation, especially in the forthcoming work on establishing more multilateral projects in the Region. I know that there seems to be a number of obstacles to such cooperation - the long distances, the language barrier and the difference in traditions, not to mention the lack of cross-border communications. I am fully aware of these problems. I am, however, certain that closer cooperation is necessary if these institutions really wish to take an active part in the development of the Region.

There is always mutual benefit to be derived from exchanges of information between experts. Information supplied by one party, may be applied and developed by others with results from which the whole scientific community can profit. Such experiences have already been made in this region. Exchanges of scholars and experts have therefore been given priority in the work of the Barents Programme, as well as in the Norwegian Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe. Thus cooperation in the field of research and education may have a synergistic effect at the one hand, and lead to economical use of resources on the other. Such projects will therefore be further encouraged from our side.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning further collaboration between the Norwegian and Russian authorities responsible for science and technology on the subject of technical and industrial cooperation, but so far these plans are at the preparatory stage. We attach great importance to this work, and are willing to consider the possibility of participation from the other countries in the Barents Region.

Every country and every region need the results of basic scientific research and applied science. The benefit of collaboration means that each can take advantage of the other's expertise, especially with the current advances in information technology. Since developments in communications are so rapid, cooperation will become increasingly important if we are to cope with the challenges ahead. I am confident that this conference will make a contribution here, and help to iron out some of the remaining obstacles.

Let us not forget that cooperation in the field of research and higher education is part of the broader political and economic cooperation across the borders in the North. Closer ties between institutions of education and research is not and end in itself, but instruments in the process of developing the Barents Cooperation, and thus the Region in a direction that will be to the best of the inhabitants. At the same time we should remind ourselves that we are part of a larger process of bulding new structures of cooperation between the regions and Countries of Europe. That is a challenge that I am sure the members of the academic communities present here, will be able to meet in a positive and enthusiastic way in the future.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for this opportunity of sharing my thoughts on the future prospects of cooperation in the Barents Region, and I wish you every success with a conference that will, I am sure, produce constructive and positive results.

Thank you.