senter for internasjonalisering av utdanning 39 2014 / / 07 55 per cent consider staying on in Norway, and on in Norway, staying consider 55 per cent The Norwegian a job. get to the majority wants in highly attractive is considered labour market and salary. possibilities career of terms 34 / – Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination 2014 destination as a study Norway of perception students’ – Foreign faction with teaching staff and facilities. facilities. and staff teaching with ­ faction REPORT SERIES REPORT International students report a high level of of a high level report students International ­ satis is climate the with dealing that find students The costs. living the with dealing than easier much 25 / Report series Report Norway is the first choice for three out of out three for choice first is the Norway as country the perceive They students. four advanced, technologically and safe, ­ peaceful and research. in education high quality and with 07/2014 “Norway is the best place in the world” -Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination 2014 Produced by the Norwegian centre for international cooperation in education Excecutive Editor / Kjell G. Pettersen Editors / Hilde Granås Kjøstvedt and Margunn Instefjord Copies / 500 Photo / Sverre Hjørnevik/SIU, Paul Sigve Amundsen/SIU ISBN 978-82-93017-42-4 (Press) ISBN 978-82-93017-43-1 (Web) The report can be downloaded at www.siu.no.

2 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination E JØM RKE IL T M

Photo: Thinkstock Photo: Nordic Ecolabel 241 699 - BODONI 2 4 9 Miljømerket trykksak 241 699 1 9 6 Trykksak Table of contents

Preface...... 4 Access to information Over two thirds have a more Executive summary...... 5 about studies in Norway...... 19 positive impression of Norway...... 31 Generally high level of satisfaction...... 31 Introduction...... 7 Institutions’ website most important source...... 19 Russian and Chinese respondents Reputation management in Norway...... 9 One in three have heard on average most satisfied...... 32 Reputation management about www.studyinnorway.no...... 21 Living costs more and international students in Norway...... 9 Facebook considered most challenging than climate...... 33 Methodology and effective social networking site...... 21 More than half consider data gathering process...... 10 Three out of four chose Norway first...... 23 staying on in Norway...... 35 Definition and demography...... 11 “Norway is the best place in the world” Both degree students Institutions represented in this study...... 11 – why Norway was the first choice...... 23 and exchange students consider Germany and France Quality and reputation of education...... 23 staying in Norway to work...... 35 continue to top the list...... 13 Socioeconomic reasons...... 23 More than half of all Chinese respondents want to find Increasing share of degree students...... 13 Language...... 23 a job in Norway...... 35 Most students come Nature and the outdoors...... 23 Norwegian language to Norway to study...... 14 Adventure and exoticism...... 23 considered an obstacle to work...... 36 Academic levels...... 16 Ties to Norway...... 24 The Norwegian labour One in three study at a university...... 16 English teaching market is highly regarded...... 36 ...... Natural sciences and technology language important motivator 24 Sources...... 38 more and more popular...... 16 If not Norway, then where?...... 26 Appendix...... 40 Personal resources Institutions selected for important source of funding...... 17 their programmes and courses...... 29

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 3 Preface

The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) is a govern- ment agency reporting to the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (KD). SIU is Norway’s official agency for international programmes and initiatives related to higher education and primary and secondary education, and is commissioned by several domestic and international public bodies. SIU coordinates national initiatives according to official Norwegian policy within the field of internationalisation, and is responsible for promoting internationalisation, cultural communication and interna- tional mobility within the realm of education. Through various internationalisation measures, it shall contribute to raising the quality of Norwegian education. As a centre of expertise, one of SIU’s most important tasks is to broaden and strengthen the knowledge base for further internationalisation of Norwegian education through reporting and analysis. The purpose of SIU’s reports is to provide the authorities and the sector itself with a better framework for developing initiatives and strategies for internationalisation.

Since 2008 SIU has been collecting and analysing the motivations, expectations, and experiences of foreign students in Norway. The study is indispensable for SIU’s pursuits to heighten Norway’s profile as an attractive study destination internationally, and aids both SIU and the higher education institutions in their efforts to draw highly qualified students from all over the world. The reflections and reactions of foreign students who are exposed to and engage with Norwegian society both through their studies and through their prolonged stay in the country provide important information for the Norwegian reputation management effort in general.

This is SIU’s fourth report on foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination, and the first to be published in English. The findings in this study are based on the voluntary participation of the foreign students who have responded to a questionnaire distributed by SIU with assistance from the higher education institutions. The questionnaire used in this year’s study has been revised in order to make some aspects of the study more nuanced compared to earlier studies.

The data and analyses provided in this study were collected and conducted in coop- eration with Jannecke Wiers-Jenssen at the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU). Svein Ivar Angell and Hogne Lerøy Sataøen at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory and Department of Archae- ology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion (UiB) have provided valuable insight into the development and analysis of this study.

Alf Rasmussen, Director General

4 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Executive summary

Norway is an attractive country for international students, according to the findings of the 2014 study of foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination. The number and variety of English taught degree programmes and courses are a major draw, particularly for exchange students. Almost equally important, however, is the fact that the respondents see Norway as a peaceful and safe society; close to 70 per cent of the respondents rate this as an important or very important factor that motivated them to choose Norway as a study destination. It is interesting to note that on average, respondents from China, India, and Russia rate this asthe most important motivating factor for choosing to study in Norway.

Individual answers to open-ended questions show that Norway’s reputation as a welfare state is familiar to respondents from all over the world. These answers also show that technologies and research related to natural resource extraction and man- agement are major draws for respondents from a wide variety of countries. In this year’s study almost 40 per cent of the respondents study within the fields of natural sciences and technology.1

As many as 57 per cent of the respondents report that dealing with the high costs of living in Norway is more challenging than they thought it would be. 54 per cent report that getting to know Norwegians is more difficult than they expected. Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents – and 70 per cent of the degree students – consider staying on in Norway after they finish their current study programme. The Norwegian labour market is a major draw here; 61 per cent of those who consider staying on in Norway do so because they want to find a job. Good career opportunities and high wages are the main attractions for those who are considering working in Norway.

Other key figures • 73 per cent of the respondents have Norway as their first choice study destination • 68 per cent report that their impression of Norway has changed in a positive or very positive direction since they arrived in the country • 77 per cent of the respondents are satisfied or very satisfied with the teachers’ ability to teach in English • 51 per cent of the respondents attend Norwegian language training courses while studying

1 This percentage is not necessarily representative for the total population of international students in Norway. According to the Database for Statistics on Higher Education (DBH), 4,652 of the 19,104 international students registered in the spring of 2014 were registered as enrolled on programmes related to natural sciences and technology. See http://dbh.nsd.uib.no/dbhvev/student/utenlandske_rapport.cfm

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 5 NORWAY A UNIQUE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

6 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Introduction

The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) has carried out the fourth national study on how international students perceive and experience Norway as a study destination.

The aim of this study is twofold. It maps Norway’s reputation as a study destination and explores the motivations of international students who choose Norway and Norwegian institutions of higher education. The study also investigates the degree of satisfaction among international students and looks at how the students make use of sources of information on higher education institutions in Norway.

The study enables SIU to keep track of Norway’s reputation as a study destination and to improve our communication with different international target groups. The results of this study will help expand and improve knowledge in relation to national reputation management. An insight into international students’ motivation, expectations and experiences as well as their preferred channels of information is important and is of high value to Norwegian universities and university colleges in their reputation management work, their communication strategies and their strategies for recruiting international students. The study focuses on both academic and social aspects, on how international students experience the quality of the education, teaching environment and facilities, and on how they experience life as students in Norway socially and culturally.

The questionnaire that forms the basis for this year’s study has been revised in order to generate more nuanced findings. This means that some of the results from this year’s study may be difficult to compare with findings from previous studies.

This study has been carried out in cooperation with Norwegian institutions of higher education. The institutions have supplied contact information for the students and encouraged their international students to participate in the study. All the institutions that have participated in the study receive a copy of the data material concerning their students, provided that the number of respondents is sufficient to protect their anonymity.

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 7 8 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Reputation management in Norway

“I decided to study here in order to the nation’s ethics. Norwegian reputation International students are exposed to and discover the Norwegian model of the management is advanced by promoting engage with Norwegian society through 3 welfare state, to compare it with my these values; “the Norwegian Model” is their prolonged stay in the country, but home country (France).” held up as an example to be emulated and also through the studies themselves. In also in an attempt to attract attention and this year’s study, the fields of natural Male French exchange student achieve international recognition. sciences and technology are the most popular among the respondents – 38 per “I hardly have information about Reputation management and cent report that they study within these ­international students in Norway Norway but I heard that the country is fields. In answers to open-ended ques- beautiful and has good welfare.” This study takes these factors into con- tions, respondents especially highlight sideration when asking international studies related to petroleum and natural Female Thai exchange student students what motivated them to choose resource management as fields they think Norway as a study destination. “Norway is Norway excels in. In the words of the Norwegian Ministry a peaceful and safe society” is the second of Foreign Affairs (UD), “[a] clear and pos- most important factor in their motivation. “I study petroleum technology. Norway itive image of Norway is our most impor- In answers to open-ended questions, re- is one of the best in this area, and I tant asset when we are promoting Nor- spondents from countries as diverse as intend to work in Norway after I finish wegian interests abroad. Our reputation­ is Mexico, Thailand, France, China, Cyprus, managed by every one of us – and it has Ethiopia and Japan mention the Norwe- my degree.” a pivotal place in our foreign policy”.1 The gian welfare system as a reason for com- Male Brazilian exchange student concern over how Norway appears inter- ing to Norway to study or as a factor that nationally is not a new one, but the efforts has made a significant impression on “I came here because Norway has the and resources spent on nation branding them during their study visit. “Norway have increased rapidly over the last dec- is a technologically advanced society” is world’s best technology in petroleum ades. This increase can be seen in relation the fourth most important motivation engineering.” to the discourse of globalisation which factor, and “the unspoilt countryside” is Female Russian degree student “heralds a new, very market-oriented the sixth most important. world order where nations are forced to compete against each other for resources” “The longer I live in this country, the “Norway offers the best possible (Angell and Mordhorst 2014: 2). Tasked more I found the positive sides of practical and theoretical training in my with improving Norway’s chances against the country: Well-functioning social discipline, i.e. petroleum engineering.” this competition, the UD must carefully Male Indian degree student and strategically manage the country’s welfare system and accessible nature reputation in order to increase its stand- resources.” ing and trust internationally. Male Chinese degree student “I’m not completely delighted about the handling and exploitation of The UD has formulated a goal for how “I have a good impression of Norway nature and natural resources in Norway should be perceived among its (democratic, peace loving, welfare Norway. I was not aware of that before. partner countries, namely, as “an attrac- tive, resourceful, and committed partner”2 system).” The good (“green”) reputation abroad in all political, cultural, and economic re- Male Ethiopian degree student doesn’t match the country’s actual lations. The country’s natural riches, both behaviour.” in terms of resources and scenery, as well “Calm place to study, good courses Male German degree student as key sociocultural characteristics – a to study social welfare system in democratic welfare state with far-reaching equal opportunities where wealth is rela- Scandinavia, a lot of nature.” From a reputation management point of tively evenly distributed – are presented Female Japanese exchange student view the expectations and experiences of as constituting the main dimensions of international students are important for

1 www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/tema/norgesprofilering-og-kultursamarbeid/norge_omdoemme.html?id=708753

2 www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/tema/norgesprofilering-og-kultursamarbeid/norge_omdoemme.html?id=708753

3 Also referred to as “the Nordic Model”

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 9 In the following analysis, particular at- tention will be paid to respondents from these countries, with two exceptions. “Not at all friendly people, very self centered Since the number of respondents from and ignorant of the rest of the world. Super Japan and South Africa is very low (N = boring life style, everybody stays by himself in 9 and 4 respectively), in-depth analysis of these countries has not been undertaken his/ her bedroom when not jogging around.” as it could potentially impinge upon the Male Master’s student Romania anonymity of the respondents.

Methodology and data gathering process I did not have any expectations... And I was SIU asked higher education institutions in overwhelmed by positive feeling about almost Norway for access to the e-mail addresses everything, very soon after my arrival. of their international degree or exchange students at Bachelor’s and Master’s level Female Master’s student – Czech Republic who had started their studies in Norway in the spring term or autumn term of It is very hard to be a foreigner in Norway, never 2013, or in the spring term of 2014. The students’ contact information, in the expected it to be so racist and intolerant. There form of e-mail addresses, was provided is no value in diversity and the Norwegian by the Common Student System (FS) with culture is extremely patronizing! assistance from the University Center for Information Technology (USIT). Some of Female Master’s student – Argentina the institutions do not participate in FS and these sent the contact information di- I enjoy everything rectly to SIU. Students undertaking web- based courses in their home countries Female Bachelor’s student provided by Norwegian institutions were student – Mexico not included in the study.

The questionnaire was distributed to 8,022 students and elicited 3,216 respons- es. This amounts to a response rate of 40 per cent. This response rate is similar several reasons. These students are po- In a report mapping and analysing the to that of the 2012 study, but this year’s tential ambassadors for Norway in their internationalisation strategies of the in- study elicited over 1,100 more responses home countries, and may not only help stitutions, SIU has found that recruiting than the previous one. recruit future students but also share more international students is a priority their impression of the level of educa- that all of them have in common.4 Al- The survey lasted from 1 April until 1 May tion and of the country’s nature, society, most all the institutions aim to increase 2014. Three reminders were sent out, and and culture. They bring their talent to both the rate of student exchange and the the survey was accessible by computer, the country for a shorter or longer peri- number of incoming degree students. The tablet and smartphone. The questionnaire od, and some of them choose to remain rationale behind this priority is twofold. used in the previous studies has been re- and work in Norway. For the nation in On the one hand, more students mean vised and developed in cooperation with general and for the higher education in- higher ECTS production, which in turn the Nordic Institute for Studies in Inno- stitutions in particular, attracting the best is rewarded with more funding for the vation, Research and Education (NIFU) in brains and the most competent people is institution. On the other hand, having order to make some aspects of the study an important goal. more highly qualified international stu- more nuanced. The changes make it dif- dents will help develop and improve the ficult to compare some of the results of It is within the remit of the Ministry of academic environment and fields of study. this year’s study with those of previous Education and Research (KD) to promote years. These difficulties will be discussed Norway internationally as an attractive The findings of this study provide impor- throughout the report. partner for cooperation in higher edu- tant information for the higher education cation. One of the explicit priorities of institutions which will aid them in their The questionnaire contains 46 questions, the KD is to recruit more international work to recruit students internationally. six of which are open-ended. The ques- students. The main motivation factors Norway’s reputation management efforts tions are organised into the following behind this are to enhance the quality are directed towards particular countries eight sections: background, student clas- of Norwegian higher education, bring and regions. When it comes to interna- sification, motivation for choosing Nor- more international impulses to Norwe- tional cooperation in higher education, way, motivation for choosing institution, gian campuses, and maintain the balance the following countries are considered funding, information sources, expecta- in the student population with respect to priority countries: USA, Canada, Brazil, tions and outcomes, and future plans. incoming and outgoing student mobility. Russia, India, China, South Africa, and SIU has been given a national mandate to Japan.5 Furthermore, the Nordic countries The questionnaire was distributed us- heighten Norway’s profile as an attractive are prioritised, as well as the EU. Within ing the data gathering and analysis tool study destination in cooperation with the the EU, France and Germany are highly Questback. The questionnaire is anony- higher education institutions. prioritised. mous and the confidentiality of the stu-

4 Internasjonal profil? Strategier for internasjonalisering ved norske universiteter og høyskoler. SIU rapport 3/2013

5 Government White Papers, Stortingsmelding 14 (2008-9) and Stortingsmelding 18 (2012-13)

10 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination dents protected. This protection has been were asked whether they had moved to \\ Norwegian School of Information extended throughout the report when re- Norway in order to study or whether they Technology (NITH) producing quotes from open-ended ques- were already living in Norway when they \\ Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH) tions so the source of the quote cannot applied for higher education. 86 per cent be identified. The respondents have had of the respondents had come to Norway \\ Norwegian University of Life Sciences the opportunity to register their contact to study, while 14 per cent had come for (NMBU)10 details separately from the survey, firstly other reasons and decided to study at a \\ Norwegian University of Science and in order to share their experiences on later point in time. Technology (NTNU) the www.studyinnorway.no website, and secondly in order to participate in an iPad Institutions represented in this study \\ Oslo and Akershus University College of draw as a prize for completing the survey. All accredited institutions of higher edu- Applied Sciences cation as well as institutions that offer ac- Definition and demography credited study programmes were invited \\ Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) 8 According to the Norwegian Database for to participate in this study. Students from \\ Queen Maud University College of Early Statistics on Higher Education (DBH), the 34 different institutions have responded. Childhood Education total number of international students in Norway in the spring of 2014 was in ex- These institutions are: \\ Sogn og Fjordane University College cess of 19,000.6 The DBH data are based on \\ Bergen Academy of Art and Design (KHiB) \\ Stord/Haugesund University College reports from institutions of higher educa- tion and include all students in Norway \\ Bergen School of Architecture \\ Sør-Trøndelag University College with non-Norwegian citizenship. Not all \\ Bergen University College \\Telemark University College these students initially came to Norway in order to study. For example, some \\ BI - Norwegian Business School \\ University of Agder (UiA) of them have originally come for work \\ Betanien University College \\ University of Bergen (UiB) purposes and later on decided to study, and some are immigrants and children of \\ Buskerud and Vestfold University College9 \\ University of Nordland (UiN) immigrants who for various reasons have \\ University of Oslo (UiO) retained their original citizenship. Stu- \\ Diakonhjemmet University College dents who attend internet-based cours- \\ Gjøvik University College \\ University of Stavanger (UiS) es at Norwegian institutions from their \\ University of Tromsø (UiT), the Arctic home countries are also registered in this \\ Harstad University College University of Norway11 database, although they may never have \\ Hedmark University College set foot in Norway.7 \\ Volda University College \\ Lillehammer University College \\ Østfold University College This study defines an international stu- \\ Molde University College dent as someone who is registered at a Norwegian institution of higher educa- \\ Narvik University College In the 2012 study 36 institutions were tion but who is not a Norwegian citizen. \\ NHH - Norwegian School of Economics represented, while the figures were 20 Taking some of the abovementioned is- and 25 for the 2008 and 2010 studies re- sues into consideration, the respondents \\ NLA University College spectively.

6 See DBH, the Database for Statistics on Higher ­Education: http://dbh.nsd.uib.no/dbhvev/student/utenlandske_rapport.cfm?dep_id=1

7 Wiers-Jenssen (2013): Utenlandske studenter i Norge, NIFU working paper, see http://www.nifu.no/files/2013/07/NIFUarbeidsnotat2013-12.pdf

8 For an overview of these institutions, please see: http://www.nokut.no/en/Facts-and-statistics/Surveys-and-databases/Accredited-Institutions/­ . The various military academies and higher education institutions, the police academy, and the Correctional Service of Norway Staff Academy are not part of this study

9 On 1 January 2014 Buskerud University College and Vestfold University College officially merged, forming Buskerud and Vestfold University College

10 On 1 January 2014 NMBU was officially merged with the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science

11 On 1 August 2013 Finnmark University College merged with the University of Tromsø, forming the Arctic University of Norway. Respondents who have reported that they study at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) are also included in this institution

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 11 DISCOVER. RECOVER.

12 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Germany and France continue to top the list

The respondents in this study come from trary nature. While the questionnaire that not necessarily come to Norway to study all over the world, representing 124 coun- this study is based on was distributed to but have lived here for some years and tries. This is 25 more countries than in all students who started their studies in decided to study at a later stage. Their the 2012 study. 91 of the countries in the the spring term of 2013 or later, respond- affiliation with Norway is therefore not present study are represented with 28 re- ing to it was voluntary. This results in a first and foremost as students, and they spondents or fewer, which in each case differentiated response rate from coun- decide that the study does not apply to corresponds to one per cent or less per try to country. For Chinese students the them. These are speculations, however. country of the total survey population. Of response rate is 37 per cent, while for The material from this study does not ex- the remaining 33 countries, 21 are Euro- Russian students it is 61 per cent, for Ital- plain the low response rate among Swed- pean, and the majority of the respondents ian students 62 per cent, and for Spanish ish and Danish students. – 65 per cent – come from Europe. students 39 per cent.13 Increasing share of degree students The distribution of respondents according Respondents per country, top 10 Approximate response rate, to student status is fairly even, in par- selected countries ticular when compared to earlier studies.14 350 The category “exchange student” includes 80% 300 students who have come as part of an 70% exchange programme and students who 250 15 60% have not (so-called free movers). 200 50% This change is concurrent with a substan- 150 40% tial increase in the number of internation- 100 30% al degree students in Norway since 2012, 50 327 239 167 136 136 122 114 108 99 80 20%

0 10% 74% 60% 58% 48% 47% 47% 45% 45% 39% 33% 24% 21% 0% Student status Italy USA Spain China Nepal Russia France Poland UK Sweden USA Germany India Brazil Nepal France France Finland Poland Poland Canada

Sweden Sweden 5% Germany Denmark

Just as in the three earlier studies, Ger- man and French students top the list of This overview also shows that response respondents. Chinese students have pre- rates among Swedish and Danish stu- 44% viously come third. This year they have dents are particularly low. It may be that dropped to sixth place behind the Rus- students from those countries perceive 51% % sians, the Italians and the Spanish. This Norway as a country that is relatively may partly be explained by the fact that similar to their own and therefore to a the overall number of Italian and Span- lesser extent see themselves as “interna- ish students in Norway increased in 2013 tional students” and consequently decide while at the same time there was a slight that they are not within the “real” target decrease in the number of Chinese stu- segment of this study. Another factor that Exchange students dents.12 That being said, the change seen may account for the result is that many Degree students in this study may also be of a more arbi- of the Swedish and Danish students have Other

12 The number of Russian students increased significantly in 2013, but around 600 of them pursued web-based courses from Russia and were thus not included in this study. Figures from the Database for Statistics on Higher Education (DBH), see: http://dbh.nsd.uib.no/dbhvev/student/utenlandske_rapport.cfm?

13 These response rates are calculated based on the address lists from FS supplied by the institutions. A couple of institutions have not registered the nationality of their students, and at most institutions there are a few students whose nationality is not registered. The percentages given here are as good an approximation as it is possible to get.

14 The three previous studies operated with these four categories: “Exchange student”, “Full degree student”, “Ph.D. student”, and “Other”. This year’s study uses the following categories: “Studying for a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a Norwegian institution”, “Taking courses/subjects at a Norwegian institution through an exchange agreement”, “Taking courses/subjects at a Norwegian institution without an exchange agreement”, and “Other”. For comparative purposes, the categories “Ph.D. student” and “Other” from the 2008–2012 studies have been merged, as have the two exchange student categories from this year’s study

15 The exchange student respondents who have come as part of an exchange programme greatly outweigh those who have not (1546 vs. 86 respondents)

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 13 Student status development Degree/exchange ratio, selected countries

2014 44% 51% 5% India 75% 12% 13%

2012 33% 55% 12% Sweden 72% 24% 4%

2010 35% 52% 13% China 65% 30% 5%

2008 24% 64% 12% Russia 59% 37% 4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Denmark 50% 46% 4%

Degree students Canada 47% 53% Exchange students USA 42% 53% 5% Other

Brazil 32% 66% 2% while the number of exchange students has remained fairly similar in the same Germany 21% 75% 4% period.16 The overall increase in degree students may be partially attributed to the France 14% 83% 3% fact that Sweden introduced student fees 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% for degree students outside the EU/EEA in 2011. It may also be the result of an effort Degree students Exchange students Other on the part of Norway and Norwegian in- stitutions to attract more degree students, in particular by increasing the number of Compared to the country distribution of English taught Master’s degree courses. the total number of respondents, Europe Reason for coming to Norway is far less prominent as a region of ori- The 1,425 respondents who are degree gin among the degree student respond- students represent 117 different countries. ents compared to the total number of 14% respondents. Exchange students number 1,634 students from a total of 88 countries. Degree students, top 10 countries The top ten countries are almost totally dominated by Europe, reflecting the well 100 developed means of intra-European stu- % dent exchange. In total the degree student 80 respondents constitute a more interna- tional group than the exchange student 86% 60 respondents.

40 The priority countries are well represent- 2% ed among both the top 10 degree student 20 respondents and the top 10 exchange stu- 99 81 80 75 67 44 41 40 39 37 dent respondents. 0 An overview of the ratio between degree Exchange USA India Spain China Nepal students Ghana

Russia and exchange student respondents in se- Sweden Ethiopia Germany lect countries shows that in some cases the distribution is quite imbalanced. In many cases this imbalance has prevailed Exchange students, since the first reputation management 98% top 10 countries study in 2008. That year 96 per cent of 250 the French respondents and 93 per cent of the German respondents were exchange 200 students. In 2012 the figures were 89 per 26% cent and 87 per cent respectively. These 150 figures indicate that the increase in de- gree student respondents from France and Degree 100 Germany in this year’s study is part of a students trend that has developed over time. 74% 50 Most students come to Norway to study 61 73 37 52 93 58 94 46 197 245 0 The vast majority of the respondents came to Norway specifically for studies. Unsur- Italy USA

Spain prisingly, almost all the exchange students Russia France Poland

Belgium Came to study Came for other reasons

Germany came to Norway in order to study, while Netherlands Czech Republic Czech

16 See also the SIU report Mobilitetsrapporten 2013, where estimates for 2013 can be found on p. 22

14 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 15 three quarters of the degree students came ents at Bachelor’s level has increased by One in three study at a university to Norway in order to study. more than 10 per cent compared to earlier All eight universities in Norway figure studies. In contrast to the previous three among the top ten institutions in this The majority of the respondents in this studies, this year’s questionnaire did not study. The top ten institutions here do study, 80 per cent, are between 21 and include an “Other” option. not necessarily correspond to the largest 30 years of age. This age distribution is institutions (in terms of student numbers) similar to the three previous studies. If we look at the distribution of Master in Norway, but they do correspond to the and Bachelor students in the priority institutions with the largest number of There is a slight majority of female re- countries, the following picture emerges: international students.17 Almost one third spondents. The female to male ratio in the total population of international stu- dents in Norway is 58 per cent female / Master's/bachelor's ratio, selected countries 42 per cent male. This is in line with the global trend that women attend higher India 81% 19% education in increasing numbers and in many countries outnumber men. In China 65% 35% this study female respondents outnum- ber male respondents to a greater extent France 57% 43% among exchange students than among Germany 44% 56% degree students. USA 42% 58% 88 per cent of the respondents have spent one year or less in Norway at the time Denmark 41% 59% when they responded to the question- Russia naire. It is important to keep this time- 40% 60% frame in mind when looking at issues Canada 38% 62% such as the motivations the respondents cite for choosing Norway as a study des- Sweden 22% 78% tination. Brazil 20% 80% Academic levels 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% With respect to academic levels, the re- spondents are fairly evenly distributed in Master's Bachelor's this year’s study. The number of respond-

While both Sweden and India have a high of the respondents (63 per cent) study at proportion of degree student respondents a university and almost one third (65 per Academic level (71 and 75 per cent respectively), Indian cent) study in one of Norway’s three larg- respondents are mostly studying at Mas- est cities – Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim.18 ter’s level while Swedish respondents are mostly studying at Bachelor’s level. There Natural sciences and may be several explanations for this. One technology more and more popular is funding – it may be that Indian stu- dents in Norway mostly have access to Field of study 52% 48% funding for Master’s programmes. An- % other explanation has to do with the availability of courses and programmes 5% 14% in English. Most Bachelor’s programmes are taught in Norwegian, which is not much of a challenge to Swedish students.

Master's Bachelor's 38% 22% Respondents per institution, top 10 % 700 8% Academic level development 600 13% 500 2012 53% 39% 8% 400 Arts and Humanities 2010 61% 35% 4% 300 Economics and Business 200 Health and Care 2008 54% 41% 5% Law and Social sciences 100 117

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 122 174 134 301 102 106 455 637

297 Natural sciences and Technology 0 Master's Bachelor's Other NTNU UiO UiB BI UiS NMBU HiOA UiT UiA UiN Pedagogy and teaching

17 Number of international students per institution, DBH figures for spring term 2014: UiO – 3,451, NTNU – 2,076, UiB – 1,453, UiT – 1,322, BI – 1,314, HiOA – 1,139, UiS – 970, NMBU – 737, UiA – 623, UiN – 602.

18 This figure is a little uncertain since two of the institutions included here – Diakonhjemmet University College (DUC) and NLA University College – have multiple campuses, two of which are located away from the three largest cities. The number of respondents from these two institutions is quite low, however, so this should not affect the figures cited to any significant degree.

16 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination I have fallen in love with the country. Everyone Norway is social-democracy with liberal I have met has been incredibly nice, and the values: it gives equal opportunities (at least lifestyle here is amazing. in education) Male Bachelor’s student US Female Master’s student Russia

I would say that Norwegians are some of Norway is a paradise for me. The climate is the nicest people I have ever met, but I warm enough, low crime rate, high standard was hoping to make more solid and last of living, people respect each other. relationships with them outside of my Male Bachelor’s student Russia working relationships Female Master’s student US

I love Norway, take me back Female Bachelor’s student Russia

If we combine the three categories “Com- 5 per cent of the respondents in the 2012 Personal resources puter Science and IT”, “Natural Scienc- study reported that they studied within important source of funding es”, and “Engineering, Technology and the field of “Education, Teacher Training, “The cost of living is very very Petroleum” that were used in the previ- Pedagogy”, a result which is similar to the expensive! It is difficult for an Erasmus ous studies, we find that in 2012, 29 per percentage who report that they study student to survive in Norway.” cent of the respondents reported that they within the field “Pedagogy and Teaching” studied within these fields. This year the in this year’s study. In 2012, 4 per cent of – Female French exchange student category “Natural Sciences and Technol- the respondents reported that they stud- ogy” encompasses all these three catego- ied within the field “Medical Sciences Asking respondents to choose maximum ries, with 38 per cent of the respondents and Health Care”. In this year’s study 8 two main sources of funding, the study studying within this field. per cent of the respondents indicate that found that the majority of respondents they study within the field of “Health and wholly or partially relied on personal and/ Care”.19 or family funding to meet the cost of their studies in Norway. This was true for both exchange and degree student respondents. In addition, exchange students tended to Sources of funding rely on home country or EU/international grants and/or scholarships, while degree 67% students to a greater extent relied on Personal/family resources 75% grants or scholarships from Norway as 62% well as income from employment during their studies in Norway. 26% Home country grant/scholarship 40% 12% The figure reflects the reality of funding opportunities available, and it indicates that 22% EU/international most international students in Norway sup- grant/scholarship 37% plement their scholarships and grants with 6% private funds. Degree student respondents 20% rely on such resources to a slightly lesser Norwegian grant/ 8% extent than exchange student respondents. scholarship 31% This may have to do with the fact that one third of the degree student respondents 17% Employment are funded by Norwegian grants or schol- 6% during studies arships that should be somewhat better 29% tailored to meet their needs in a high-cost 3% country than other grants or scholarships. Other 2% The fact that more degree student respond- 3% ents than exchange student respondents help finance their studies by working can 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% most likely be put down to the fact that it Total Exchange Degree is easier – but also more necessary – for those who stay longer to find a job.

19 Due to the differences in categories, it is difficult to adequately compare the results from previous studies with this year’s results. The “comparisons” mentioned here should therefore be read with this in mind.

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 17 18 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Access to information about studies in Norway

An important element in the process of recruiting international students is to Sources of information identify the best channels through which to reach them. This knowledge is also cru- Websites Norwegian institutions 54% cial because it tells us something about Students 38% where prospective students receive their Info meeting home institution 31% impressions of Norway from before they decide to travel and take up their studies. Academic staff 16% Norwegian institutions need this type of www.studyinnorway.no 14% data in order to find out whether their Other 9% recruitment strategies are on the right track and whether there are challenges Social networking sites 8% they need to address. This section will Administrative staff 8% look first at where international students Education agents 5% access information about study opportu- nities in Norway, then at which chan- Education fairs 4% nels they prefer to access this informa- Magazines/newspapers 4% tion through, and finally at the extent to Norwegian embassy 2% which the students are satisfied with the information they get about Norway as a 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% study destination.

Institutions’ website “The information I found online about second, third and fourth most important most important source studying in Norway and studying at sources of information involve various The earlier studies have shown us that the University of Oslo was incredible forms of direct interaction with people preferences for information access have (in a positive way)! There are so many at the home institution. Other web-based remained more or less similar since the sources of information, such as www. studies started. The websites of universi- useful websites as well as Facebook- studyinnorway.no and social network- ties and university colleges have consist- groups. Especially the website of the ing sites, are rated as far less significant ently been singled out as the most impor- University of Oslo was impressive as first-hand information sources. This tant source of information about study for me, since I consider it to be way may be because at the initial stage of the opportunities in Norway. In this year’s better organized and filled with useful information-gathering process, many re- study the respondents were asked to information than the website of my spondents had not yet heard about www. identify the sources from which theyfirst home university. I really appreciate the studyinnorway.no or explored resources received information about studying in such as the Facebook pages or Twitter Norway. Again, the websites of the insti- fact that there is so much information accounts of the Norwegian institutions tutions in Norway come out on top. This in English and that the staff is able they were interested in. At the early stage result leaves no doubt that websites re- to speak English so well. Keep up the of information-gathering it seems that main an important source of information good work!” many of the respondents have preferred for international students, but whether or Male Austrian exchange student sources that could provide them with im- not they actually constitute the very first mediate answers to their questions, more point of access for prospective students tailor-made to their needs than what ge- in order to familiarise themselves about Fellow students are rated as the second neric information on the internet is able study opportunities in Norway is another most important source from which the to supply. issue. It is reasonable to assume that stu- respondents first received information dents who access these websites already about studying in Norway. The third have some information about studying in most important source is information Norway in order to know which institu- meetings at the home institution. The tional websites to access. Consequently, it fact that international students turn to is also reasonable to assume that the re- Norwegian institutions’ websites for in- spondents have interpreted this question formation should be an encouragement to as concerning the most important and/or the institutions to keep up the significant adequate information source. work they are doing in that respect. At the same time it should be noted that the

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 19 serve as an important source of personal Sources of information + student status information about studying abroad.

58% As previously mentioned, degree students Websites Norwegian institutions 50% are a more mixed group with respect

36% to their geographic origin. The reasons Students 42% why and means by which they come to Norway to study are more varied. They 15% Info meeting home institution tend to seek out information on a more 48% individual basis and rely on web-based 21% www.studyinnorway.no sources of information to a greater extent 8% compared to exchange students. Since 11% they are usually planning to spend several Academic staff 19% years studying in Norway, it makes sense

9% that they are more interested in finding Social networking sites 7% out more about the studies offered and the facilities at the institutions they want 6% Administrative staff to study at. 10%

4% Education agents There is little variation between respond- 5% ents at Master’s and Bachelor’s level, apart 5% from the fact that respondents at Bache- Magazines/newspapers 3% lor’s level rely on information meetings at their home institution (36 per cent) to 5% Education fairs 4% a greater extent than do respondents at Master’s level (26 per cent). Respondents 2% Norwegian embassy at Master’s level show a preference for 2% web-based sources, both www.studyin- 13% Other norway.no (17 per cent compared to 11 4% per cent for Bachelor’s level respondents) and institution websites (56 per cent com- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% pared to 52 per cent for Bachelor’s level Degree students Exchange students respondents). This may be related to the age and maturity of the students, since Master students tend to be older than Sources of information about institution in Norway Bachelor students. Older, more mature students may prefer to look for informa- Institution's web pages 58% tion individually, whereas younger, less

Students 28% mature students may to a greater extent prefer to receive information in an or- E-mail contact with institution 18% ganised group. It may also be related to Family, friends 18% the fact that 60 per cent of the exchange Academic staff 14% student respondents with an exchange

Administrative staff 9% agreement are at Bachelor’s level and thus www.studyinnorway.no more likely to have access to information 9% Brochures or printed material meetings at their home institution. 8% Visit from host institution to home institution 6% A significant proportion of respondents Social networking sites 5% from China (50 per cent), Germany (52 per cent), Sweden (55 per cent), Canada Other 5% (56 per cent), the US (57 per cent), Brazil Education agent 4% (59 per cent), France (59 per cent), and Education fairs 4% India (60 per cent) received the first in- Magazines/newspapers 2% formation about study opportunities from

Norwegian embassy 1% the websites of Norwegian institutions. This indicates that the websites commu- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% nicate well with students from very dif- ferent countries and with varying English language skills. Russian respondents rated When we look at how degree students and grammes. In addition, exchange students other students as the primary source of exchange students rate the sources from rate information from fellow students and first-hand information (46 per cent) and which they first received information academic and administrative staff at their information meetings as the secondary about studying in Norway, interesting home institutions as important first hand source (42 per cent). yet unsurprising differences appear. The sources to a greater degree. This may be fact that exchange students to a far greater because the employees at the institutions Not surprisingly, the institution’s web- extent rate information meetings at their are the ones who will inform students site is to an even greater extent the pre- home institution significantly higher than about existing exchange agreements and ferred first source of information about do degree students is down to such infor- encourage students to apply. Fellow stu- the institution the respondents study at. mation meetings being readily available dents with prior exchange experience As many as 73 per cent of German re- from most of the larger exchange pro- spondents and 71 per cent of Canadian

20 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination respondents report that they first received main target group, given that the site es- tential students from their home coun- information about the institution they pecially promotes English taught Master’s tries. This year’s study does not differ study at from the institution’s website. programmes. from the previous studies in this respect. Only 35 per cent of Russian respondents LinkedIn is the second most frequent- report the same. The same percentage of When it comes to the priority countries, ly suggested social media / networking Russian respondents report that they first the degree to which the respondents are site, followed by Twitter and Instagram. received information about the institution familiar with www.studyinnorway.no On this open-ended question, however, they study at from other students. varies considerably. As many as 53 per respondents from China and Russia sug- cent of Brazilian and 49 per cent of Indian gested “local” social media alternatives. One in three have heard respondents are familiar with the website, about www.studyinnorway.no while only 20 per cent of Chinese and Respondents from Russia and former 23 per cent of French respondents report Soviet republics suggested www.vk.com Familiar with the same. (Vkontakte, which is similar to Facebook), www.studyinnorway.no? while Chinese respondents suggested Those who were familiar with www.stud- www.weibo.com (similar to Twitter), yinnorway.no were asked to rate the in- www.renren.com (similar to Facebook), formation found on the website according www.chasedream.com (a website with to the criteria of usefulness, relevance, information on higher education), www. 34% and whether or not it was inspiring on a kina.cc (a website that caters to the Chi- scale from 1 to 5 where 5 was “very use- nese community in Europe), and www. 66% ful/relevant/inspiring” and 1 was “not at qq.com (similar to MSN). % all useful/relevant/inspiring”. 78 per cent of the respondents rated the website to Even when asked specifically about so- be useful or very useful, and 75 per cent cial networking sites, many respondents rated it to be relevant or very relevant. nevertheless stated that they thought the websites of the Norwegian institutions The website scored somewhat lower on were the best channel through which to No Yes the criterion “inspiring”, as 57 per cent of reach potential students from their home the respondents rated the website to be countries. Looking at what the respond- inspiring or very inspiring. The fact that ents say, social networking sites are not Many more degree student respondents respondents found www.studyinnorway. their destination of choice for initial in- (45 per cent) than exchange student re- no to be more useful and relevant than in- formation about either study opportuni- spondents (25 per cent) are familiar with spiring indicates that prospective students ties in Norway or Norwegian institutions. www.studyinnorway.no. This trend has consult this website more for practical in- Social networking sites may still be useful remained the same since the previous formation and to a lesser extent for input for up-to-date information on activities three studies. 38 per cent of the respon- on what to study and where. and important messages throughout their dents at Master’s level are familiar with studies. If institutions choose to use social the website, compared to 30 per cent at Facebook considered networking sites as channels of informa- Bachelor’s level. These results – that more most effective social networking site tion for international students, several of degree students at Master’s level have The large majority of the respondents the respondents stress that the informa- heard about www.studyinnorway.no – are think that Facebook is the most effective tion needs to be presented in English. an indication that the website reaches its social networking site for reaching po-

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 21 STUDY. PLAY.

22 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Three out of four chose Norway first

This section looks into the various rea- education system as a whole or due to there were those who wanted to study sons why the respondents chose to come the reputation of special fields of study. somewhere where they had the opportu- to Norway to study. Norway was the In the case of the former, respondents nity to learn a language that was not Eng- first-choice country to study in for nearly mentioned that the Norwegian educa- lish. Among those were the ones who spe- three quarters of the respondents, and the tion system had a reputation for being cifically wanted to learn Norwegian or a reasons why they had Norway as the first innovative, internationally recognised, Nordic language either for study reasons, choice will be discussed in detail below. and taught by highly qualified special- for work opportunities, or simply due The section also looks at the reasons given ists. The fact that it was free was men- to linguistic interest. On the other hand, by those who did not have Norway as the tioned by several respondents and that there were those who had chosen to come first-choice country to study in. Not all of it catered adequately for students with to Norway in order to improve their Eng- them regretted that they came to Norway special needs was highlighted by some. lish language skills, both because they had to study after all. Those who had sought out Norway due heard that English was widely spoken in to the reputation of particular education Norway and because they had learnt that “Norway is the best place in the world” programmes mainly mentioned fields of there were many English taught courses – why Norway was the first choice study related to the petroleum sector, the at Norwegian institutions. Among those maritime sector, natural resource man- were students who made the point that Norway first choice agement and renewable energy but also they regarded it as easier to improve their included fields such as visual anthropol- English language skills among non-Eng- ogy, nursery school pedagogy, psychology lish native speakers. and Arctic, Norse and Scandinavian stud- ies. A number of respondents mentioned 27% that the reputation of specific institutions “Norsk is easier to learn than had made them choose Norway. German or French.” % Male Bangladeshi degree student “Degrees obtained from here are 73% regarded highly across the world” Nature and the outdoors Norwegian nature figured frequently Female Zambian degree student among the reasons why the respondents had chosen Norway as a study destination. Yes No Socioeconomic reasons Some focused on the landscape’s unspoilt Respondents, especially those from the character, the cleanness of the air and developing world, mentioned the fact that water, and the tranquillity of even larger 73 per cent of the respondents have Nor- they were given Norwegian scholarships cities such as Oslo and Trondheim. In ad- way as their first choice country to study as the main reason for choosing to study dition to this, some respondents focused in. Compared to the previous three stud- in Norway. Some respondents also men- on the opportunities for outdoor activi- ies, there is little fluctuation in the distri- tioned the fact that higher education was ties, mentioning skiing, mountaineering, bution between those who have Norway free, that the welfare system in general kayaking, and rafting, for example. Spe- as their first-choice country to study in and the health care system in particu- cific characteristics of Norwegian nature, and those who do not. There is no great lar were well developed as reasons why such as the midnight sun, the fjords, and variation between degree students and Norway was their first-choice country of the aurora borealis, were also mentioned exchange students on this question. study. by some.

The respondents who reported that Nor- way was their first choice were asked to “Norway is one of the most developed “This country is extremely beautiful.” explain why. This was an open question, countries in the world; it has very good Female French exchange student and many respondents listed several dif- healthcare system.” ferent reasons for why they had chosen Norway. The reasons can be roughly Female Latvian exchange student Adventure and exoticism grouped into the following categories: A sense of adventure and exoticism also Language characterises the answers of many of the Quality and reputation of education The respondents that gave language as a respondents. Among them are those who Respondents had chosen to come to reason for choosing Norway did so for have chosen Norway not because they Norway due to the reputation of the two contrasting reasons. On the one hand, have heard a lot about it, but because they

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 23 Weather! please stop the wind It’s very hard to live in the city when shopping Female Lithuanian student centres in the weekend are barely open and on Saturday everything is closed. I thought that I could have less social life Female Italian master student here than in my country due to the climate but it is not true Norway is a very good country, and the Female Spanish bachelor student atmosphere of gender equality here changes my way of thinking. I feel more peaceful,beautiful and friendly. Female Chinese bachelor student Male Chinese master student The climate can be more difficult to manage It’s actually better than pictures. than I expected, but also more beautiful. Male French master student Female American bachelor student

Norway is beautiful, people are good, I had a fairytale view of Norway before coming education is good. The place is a little here. When I came here I realized that most expensive but it’s worth being here and people are quiet, stare a lot, and are not studying here. racially literate. Male Nepalese master student Female American bachelor student

The climatic situation is very hard and I am a sun liker. The daily living is very expensive and there is not a big choice of products. Female German master student

know very little about the country. The “My long-term girlfriend is from if not most, of the respondents, so the majority, however, have some idea that Bergen, Norway” fact that this receives the highest rating Norway is different in many aspects, in is unsurprising. In this perspective, it is Male Australian degree student terms of both the climate and the culture. more striking that the factors “Norway is In particular European respondents say a peaceful and safe society” and “improv- they have chosen Norway because they A thorough analysis of more than 2,000 ing career opportunities in home country” wanted to experience something very open-ended answers is not within the receive such a high rating. When it comes different without having travel outside scope of this study. This superficial over- to improving career opportunities, it is Europe. view should be regarded as information reasonable to assume that any kind of in- to supplement the statistical findings dis- ternational education may contribute to “I chose Norway because it was cussed below. this end, unless the respondents are com- ing to Norway in order to follow specific completely different from my own English teaching language country.” study programmes e.g. in fields related to important motivator natural resource extraction. Female Spanish exchange student The study has mapped the respondents’ motivations for choosing Norway as a “I’m studying in petroleum engineering Ties to Norway study destination by asking them to rate and Norway is probably the best The respondents who mention that they 18 factors on a scale from 1 to 5, where European country in this field. I want chose Norway because they have some 1 equated “not important” and 5 equated connection to the country can be sepa- “very important”. Overall, the following to improve my English and it is known rated into two main categories. The first three factors were most frequently rated that Norwegian people are good in category consists of respondents with “very important” or “important” (meaning English too. Norway, from the French Norwegian relations, most commonly a that the respondents rated the factor as 5 point of view, is regarded as a perfect parent or a partner/spouse, but also an- or 4): English taught degree programmes society where everybody’s satisfied. cestry that goes further back. The second and courses (73 per cent); Norway is a So I wanted to know how they achieve category consists of respondents who peaceful and safe society (69 per cent); this.” have lived in or visited Norway earlier as improve career opportunities in home tourists, high school exchange students or country (65 per cent). English as a teach- Male French exchange student for work purposes, for example. ing language is a precondition for many,

24 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination RESEARCH. REFRESH.

Motivations for choosing Norway

English taught degree programmes, courses 73% The fact that Norway has no tuition fees Peaceful and safe society 69% was ranked as the eighth most impor- Improve career possibilities, 65% tant factor; 57 per cent of the respondents home country rated this as a very important or impor- Technologically advanced society 62% tant motivation for choosing Norway as Improve career opportunities a study destination. 68 per cent of US 61% in other countries respondents, 81 per cent of Indian re- Unspoilt countryside 58% spondents, and 70 per cent of Russian respondents indicated that this was a very Reputation of teaching 57% important or important motivation. No tuition fees 57% It is important to point out that the re- Improve career 56% opportunities in Norway spondents rated these factors only after they had studied in Norway for some Reputation of research 53% time. In consequence, the rationalisation Lifestyle 52% behind the choice may have been altered – consciously or subconsciously – to fit Reputation of student social life 37% with the impressions that the respond- Sporting opportunities 36% ents had formed during the time they have spent in the country. Gender equality 34% Opportunities for work Some of the factors the respondents while studying 33% could choose between are closely re- Family, friends, 24% partner living in Norway lated to Norwegian reputation manage- ment and nation branding. The factors Arst and music 17% “peaceful and safe society” and “gender Already living in Norway 16% equality” are part of what is presented as “the Norwegian model” – a democrat- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% ic welfare state with far-reaching equal

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 25 home country” came second with 68 per Motivations for choosing Norway cent and “peaceful and safe society” came third with 67 per cent. 72% Peaceful and safe society 67% In order to compare the motivations of re- spondents from various priority countries, 63% Technologically advanced society 62% we have combined all the ratings (1 to 5) of respondents from each country and divid- 52% Unspoilt countryside ed the result by the number of respond- 64% ents to find the average rating for each fac-

33% tor. This way we find that on average, it is Sporting opportunities 41% the Chinese and Indian respondents who rate “peaceful and safe society” the highest 51% Lifestyle (4.5), and that this is the most highly rat- 54% ed factor among these students as well as 17% among the Russian respondents. Brazilian, Arts and music 18% Canadian, and French respondents rated “English taught degree programmes and Family, friends, or partner 38% living in Norway 12% courses” as the most important motivating factor (4.4). For German respondents, “un- 28% Already living in Norway spoilt countryside” was rated the highest 4% (4.0). For a full overview and comparison

39% between the priority countries, please Gender equality 28% view table 1 in the appendix.

54% Reputation of the teaching If not Norway, then where? 61% The 27 per cent who did not choose Nor- 54% way first were asked to indicate which Reputation of the research 50% country they would rather have studied in, and why. 37% Reputation of the student social life 39%

English taught degree 66% Other countries first choice programmes and courses 81%

72% No tuition fees 45%

Opportunity for part time work 49% while studying 18% 37% 41%

Improve career possibilities 61% in home country 68% % Improve career 68% possibilities in Norway 44%

Improve career possibilities 63% 22% in other countries 60% English-speaking countries 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Other Nordic countries Degree students Exchange students Other countries

opportunities where wealth is relatively vanced technology – and research – re- 41 per cent of the respondents had an evenly distributed. Equal opportunities lating to the extraction and processing of English-speaking country (Australia, the between men and women are often held these resources. UK, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Ire- to be an indispensable part of the Nor- land) as their first-choice country of study. wegian model. It is interesting to note, “Peaceful and safe society” and “no tui- Apart from studying in an English-speak- then, that relatively few respondents rate tion fees” were both ranked “important” ing country, the reasons these countries “gender equality” as “important” or “very or “very important” by 72 per cent of were the first choice varied (open-ended important”.20 degree student respondents.21 “Improv- question), but in particular American and ing career possibilities in Norway” was British institutions of renown and the The factors “technologically advanced ranked “important” or “very important by quality of the education in these coun- society” and “unspoilt countryside” are 68 per cent. 81 per cent of the exchange tries were mentioned. Those who would both related to Norway’s reputation student respondents ranked “English rather study in Canada often argued that management efforts to present a country taught degree programmes and cours- Canada was relatively similar to Norway, “powered by nature”. Part of the nation es” as “important” or “very important”, but English-speaking, more culturally branding consists of promoting the ad- while “improve career opportunities in and ethnically diverse, and with more

20 38 per cent of female respondents rated gender equality as important or very important

21 “Peaceful and safe society” was ranked marginally higher than “no tuition fees” by the degree student respondents

26 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 27 renowned institutions. Overall, 22 per Not all the respondents who had other “I had two alternatives when applying, cent would rather have studied in another countries as their first-choice country based on the courses available, Brazil Nordic country. Particular institutions in were disappointed to have ended up in and Norway. As I come from Finland, Sweden and Denmark were mentioned as Norway. I chose the more exotic one, Brazil. reasons why these countries were pre- Ended up in Norway and have been ferred, with reference to the academic “I study international relationship and I happy with it.” credentials and international renown of thought that Belgium (that is located these institutions. in the core of Europe) could give Male Finnish exchange student

me opportunity for my future in the 22 Other, more general reasons other coun- “After finding out about UNIS I tries were first-choice countries included Europe institutions. But today I’m very the weather, the conviction that it would happy to have chosen Bergen, and cancelled Canada and came here be easier to find a job after their studies in if I could go back it would be my first instead.” English-speaking countries, and the im- choice.” Female Danish exchange student pression that most other countries have Female Italian exchange student lower living costs compared to Norway.

22 The University Centre in Svalbard

28 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination “[Australia] is an English speaking country. So, I think there might be Motivations for choosing institution more opportunities for jobs after completing our studies. But, the Programmes/courses offered 76% English taught main problem here in Norway is to programmes/courses 73% Institutional find the professional job related to agreement/cooperation 57% our studies because we do not have Location of institution in Noway 52%

perfect written and spoken Norwegian Reputation of teaching 52% language. I think it will be easier to Facilities 51% develop our career in Australia.” International campus 51% Male Nepalese master student Reputation of research 49%

Quick and positive response 48%

“Canada is a country where diversity Academic ranking 44% is valued and immigrants can get Recommendation from students 41% used to the new life quickly despite of Simple admission procedures 40% their original ethnicity, religion... I did not have any experience of living in Reputation of student social life 33% Institution's presentation Norway before coming here but right on internet 28% now if I compare Canada and Norway Family/friends nearby 21% I would say in Canada it was easier to 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% be socialized.” Male Iranian master student Norway as their first-choice country to institution in Norway was the existence study in) can be put down to the ambi- of an exchange agreement with their Institutions selected for guity of the question posed in the survey. home institution (85 per cent). English their programmes and courses It is highly likely that many of the re- taught degree programmes and courses As stated in chapter 3, one in three re- spondents interpreted the question “was were rated “important” or “very impor- spondents study at one of the eight Nor- the university or college you are enrolled tant” by 79 per cent of these respondents, wegian universities,23 and one in three at your first choice?” as meaning their and programmes offered at the institution study in one of the three largest Norwe- first choice among the Norwegian insti- was rated “important” or “very important” gian cities – Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. tutions rather than among the institutions by 71 per cent of these respondents. When it comes to the choice of institu- in their first-choice country. tion in Norway and what motivated this It is interesting to note that a lower per- choice, the findings resemble those that For degree student respondents, the most centage of the respondents rate “academic were presented above regarding motiva- important factor for choosing the insti- ranking” as “important” or “very impor- tion for choosing to study in Norway. tution was the programmes and courses tant” compared to “reputation of research” offered at the institution (76 per cent), and “reputation of teaching”. This may 90 per cent of the respondents had the followed by English taught degree pro- indicate that respondents think that ac- Norwegian institution they currently grammes and courses (68 per cent). Fa- ademic rankings in many cases do not study at as their first choice. The fact that cilities at the institution followed as the give an adequate picture of the qualities more respondents appear to be studying third most important factor (56 per cent). of an institution, preferring instead to at their first-choice institution than in For exchange student respondents, the listen to the experiences of students and their first-choice country (73 per cent had most important factor for choosing the academic staff.

23 The only institutions among the top ten that are not universities are BI – Norwegian Business School (in fourth place with 297 respondents) and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (in seventh place with 122 respondents).

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 29 30 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Over two thirds have a more positive impression of Norway

68 per cent of the respondents report that their overall impression of Norway Satisfaction - teaching and academic counselling has changed in a positive or very posi- Teachers' ability to make tive way during their studies. 9 per cent teaching stimulating 67% 25% 8% report that their impression has changed Teachers' ability to factilitate in a negative or very negative way. For understanding of difficult 66% 27% 8% subject matters the remaining 23 per cent there has been How well teaching 67% 26% 7% no particular change in their overall im- covers the curriculum

pression of Norway. These figures will be ­e quailty of the feedback 57% 26% 17% examined more closely later on in this on your work section. Individual student 51% 29% 20% counselling ­e teachers' ability 77% 16% The previous three studies have asked the to teach in English 7% respondents to rate their general experi- ences as foreign students in Norway on 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 is “very dis- Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied satisfied” and 5 is “very satisfied”. Since the first study in 2008 the percentage of respondents who have reported that they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” increased Satisfaction - study environment from 80 per cent to 88 per cent in the e programme's student group 2012 study. The present study has posed as a social environment 61% 25% 14% no such question, opting instead to ask e programme's student group the respondents to rate their experiences as an academic environment 64% 26% 10% in a more detailed way. The study focus- Rooms for teaching 80% 14% 6% es on the respondents’ satisfaction with and other study work teaching and academic counselling, the Equipment and study tools 79% 16% 5% study environment, and workload and formal requirements. Library and library services 79% 15% 6%

Generally high level of satisfaction ICT tools and services 79% 15% 6%

Introductory arrangements 65% 23% 12% “The teachers’ ability to explain for international students lectures is very good, their social 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

skills are also great, the equipment Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied is excellent, sometimes it seems like the workload is not that heavy and the course tempo is a bit too slow.” There is very little variation between de- is the case with aspects related to teach- Male German exchange student gree and exchange student respondents in ing and academic counselling. It is clear the rating of aspects related to teaching that the respondents are generally more and academic counselling. The only ex- satisfied with the material aspect of the When it comes to satisfaction with as- ception concerns the teachers’ ability to study environment (rooms, library, ICT pects related to teaching and academic teach in English, where 84 per cent of the tools and equipment) than with relations counselling, 77 per cent of the respond- exchange student respondents reported to fellow students and with induction ents report that they are satisfied or very that they were satisfied or very satisfied, programmes. satisfied with the teachers’ ability to teach compared with 71 per cent of the degree in English. Only 7 per cent report that student respondents. “I find the teaching method here they are dissatisfied (1 or 2 on the rating ineffective. Having many classes scale) with this aspect. 51 per cent report When it comes to aspects related to the during the semester and then a two that they are satisfied or very satisfied study environment, the overall level of with the individual student counselling, satisfaction (percentage of respondents hour exam is not an adequate way to while 20 per cent report that they are who reported that they were satisfied or measure how someone is learning.” dissatisfied with this aspect. very satisfied) is somewhat higher than Male American degree student

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 31 Again, there is very little variation be- noteworthy that more than half of the the exam tasks do not seem to be tween degree and exchange student re- respondents disagree or strongly disagree seriously thought through. However, spondents in the rating of aspects related that it is difficult to understand formal there is more freedom and students to the study environment. There are two requirements for exams and submissions. seem to be more intrinsically exceptions; the first one being that 71 per Some respondents would like the require- motivated. You have more the feeling cent of the exchange student respondents ments to be clearer, however: that you learn for your life and not are satisfied or very satisfied with the in- only for you exam. On the other hand, duction arrangements for international “There should be more information this seems to have caused a huge gap students, compared to 61 per cent of the regarding academic requirements between those who are motivated degree student respondents. This varia- and expectations e.g. minimum grade tion can be put down to representatives and those who are not.” required to pass, referencing systems, of the various exchange programmes at Male German exchange student the different institutions taking it upon what is expected in an essay/exam, themselves to host such programmes, and specific questions for assignments having experience in doing so. Similar not broad ‘you can write about Russian and Chinese respondents on average most satisfied arrangements may not be as readily avail- anything’ papers.” able to degree students. The second excep- Looking at the satisfaction rates of re- Female Irish exchange student tion is that 64 per cent of the exchanges­ spondents from priority countries, the student respondents are satisfied or very Russian respondents are most satisfied satisfied with the programme’s student “You need to improve the information with both teaching / academic counsel- groups as a social environment, com- about the formal requirements about ling and the study environment. Combin- pared to 59 per cent of the degree stu- the expected formats of papers: What ing all the ratings (1 to 5) of the Russian dent respondents. This variation may be should I talk about? How? Are there respondents and dividing this by the related to the one mentioned above: if number of respondents, we find that, on respondents have experienced a success- any imposed steps? I have very little average, the Russian students gave all the ful induction programme, then this may indications about all this and wasted a six factors related to teaching and aca- have had positive consequences for their lot of time.” demic counselling and all the five factors experiences with the social environment Male French exchange student related to the study environment a rat- of their programme’s student group as ing of 4 or higher. Chinese respondents a whole. are on average the second most satisfied Overall, degree student respondents group, and rate “the teachers’ ability to “I think that NTNU is one of the tend to find the workload and formal re- facilitate one’s understanding of difficult best universities when it comes to quirements more demanding than do ex- subject matters” (4.1) higher than do Rus- facilities, tools and all the available change student respondents. 35 per cent sian respondents (4.0). Canadian and US of degree student respondents agree that respondents are in general the least sat- ways of information interchange and the amount of time allocated to teach- isfied with factors related to teaching and technology requirements for teaching ing and organised activities is too great, academic counselling. Canadian and US and learning, but since I come from compared to 24 per cent of the exchange respondents rate the factor “the quality the Latin-American way of teaching students. 42 per cent of the degree stu- of the feedback to your work” 2.8 and it has been very difficult for me to dent respondents find that the volume of 2.6 respectively, and respondents from adapt to just one class per week and required reading is too great compared both countries give the factor “individual one month of “preparation/vacation” with 31 per cent of the exchange student student counselling” a rating of 2.8. respondents. 30 per cent of the degree before the exam. Also the exams look student respondents think that the re- The factor “teachers’ ability to teach in really much more complicated than quired submissions for written work are English” is an exception here; US and the contents of the course.” too demanding, while 19 per cent of the Canadian respondents rate this factor 4.1 Female Latin American exchange student exchange student respondents do so. and 4.0 respectively. In general, all re- spondents – both native and non-native “Workload could be a little burden-less.” English speakers – are highly satisfied With respect to workload and formal with the English teaching abilities of Male Ghanaian degree student requirements, the respondents are fair- teachers at Norwegian institutions. Swed- ly evenly distributed when it comes to ish and Danish respondents are the least whether they agree, disagree, or remain “The academic level of the students satisfied; they rate this factor 3.2 and 3.3 neutral with regard to the suggestions is lower compared to my home respectively. The reason for this may be presented in the questionnaire. It is institution, the teaching is worse, that many of these respondents follow teaching in Norwegian and do not have a lot of exposure to the English teaching skills of the academic staff. It may also Experience - workload and formal requirements be that Swedish and Danish respondents expect teachers at Scandinavian institu- Amount of time for teaching and tions of higher education in general to organised activities is too great 29% 35% 36% have advanced English teaching skills and Volume of required reading are therefore not as easily impressed as (curriculum) is too great 36% 33% 31% respondents who do not share these ex- Required submissions for written work are too demanding 25% 33% 42% pectations. Difficult to understand formal requirements for 22% 23% 51% Norwegian academic culture is character- exams, submissions ised by a relatively low level of hierarchy 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% and quite informal relations between ac- Agree Neutral Disagree

32 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination ademic staff and students. At the same ing than they had expected, and 54 per of Chinese and 73 per cent of Brazilian time, students are given a relatively great cent found getting to know Norwegians respondents report the same. amount of freedom in shaping their ac- more or much more demanding than ademic texts and exams. They are also they had expected. Neither academic de- expected to develop their own critical mands nor the climate posed that much “I have been positively surprised the assessment and reasoning without rely- of a challenge compared to living costs cost of living in Norway. Not only there ing too much on input from the teach- and reserved Norwegians. is a very good balance between the ing staff. Being used to a wide variety of prices I pay in Norway and the quality academic modes, respondents from dif- On average, it is the Indian respondents ferent countries experience these aspects who find dealing with the living costs I receive, but also some essential of the Norwegian system differently. In most challenging (4.1), followed by the acquisitions, like a monthly public terms of respondents’ satisfaction with US and Chinese respondents (both 3.8). transportation card, are not expensive factors related to the study environment, Indian, Chinese, and German respondents at all, considering everything they respondents from the UK and Sweden face the same average challenge relating cover. Moreover, the climate here is appear to be the least satisfied on average. with Norwegians (3.7), while Danish and very enjoyable, and the international In addition to the Russian and Chinese Swedish respondents find this easiest (2.9). community in here is very open.” respondents, Indian respondents are also Those who, on average, found coping with among the most satisfied with the study academic demands most difficult were Female Brazilian exchange student environment. For a full overview and Chinese respondents (3.4), while those comparison consult tables 2, 3, and 4 in who found this least difficult were Cana- the appendix. dian respondents (2.5). For a total over- “I have been living in Norway for a view of and comparison between priority year, slowly making some Norwegian Living costs more countries, see table x in the appendix. challenging than climate friends and getting to understand the difference between their culture and upbringing with that of mine.” Male Indian exchange student Experiences

Coping with academic demands 29% 41% 30% 53 per cent of Swedish respondents and 58 per cent of Canadian respondents re- Keeping up an active social life 31% 32% 37% port that their impression of Norway has

Getting to know Norwegians 22% 24% 54% changed in a positive or very positive way. This is low compared to the other pri- Adapting to Norwegian 36% 35% 28% ority countries. It is likely that Swedish lifestyle/culture respondents had relatively realistic im- Dealing with costs of living 15% 26% 57% pressions of Norway to begin with; 39 per cent of them report that their impression Dealing with the climate 40% 28% 32% of Norway has not changed much one way or another. This is at least 10 per 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% cent more than any of the other priority 24 Easy Neutral Difficult countries. It is less straightforward to explain the Canadian respondents’ rel- atively mediocre impressions, but some of them suggested that their expectations The respondents were asked to rate their Despite these challenges, more than two may have been a bit too high. experience of coping with six factors dur- thirds of the respondents report that ing their studies on a scale from 1 to 5 their overall impression of Norway has where 1 = “much easier than expected” changed in a positive or very positive di- “I had an outrageously positive and 5 = “much more demanding than rection during their stay. 77 per cent of In- perception of Norway before I arrived, expected”. 57 per cent of the respond- dian respondents report that their overall so it could only really go down.” ents found dealing with the costs of living impression of Norway has changed in a more demanding or much more demand- positive or very positive way. 75 per cent Female Canadian degree student

24 Except for Danish respondents, where 30 per cent reported that their impression of Norway had not changed

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 33 FUTURE. NOW.

34 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination More than half consider staying on in Norway

An important aspect of Norwegian repu- tation management in higher education, Reasons for considering staying in Norway and an important rationale for recruiting international students, is recruiting high- 13% Continue studying ly skilled internationals as productive 29% members of the workforce. This study 65% Find a job shows that Norway is an attractive coun- 54% try for the respondents; 55 per cent of 10% them contemplate staying on after they Have a job 6% have completed their studies. As many as 11% 70 per cent of the degree student respond- Other ents consider this, compared to 42 per 11% cent of the exchange student respondents. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 70 per cent of those who consider staying on in Norway do so because they want to Degree Exchange find a job here (61 per cent) or because they already have a job (9 per cent). In 2012 six out of ten respondents said they way do so because they have or want to connection to Norway probably increases considered looking for a job in Norway.25 find a job (75 per cent) compared to ex- the chances of their considering staying change student respondents (60 per cent). in Norway after they finish their studies. Both degree students Among the exchange student respondents Among Chinese respondents, 94 per cent and exchange students consider who consider staying, 29 per cent say they of those who report that they consider staying in Norway to work want to continue studying. For future staying in Norway came to the coun- studies it could be worthwhile exploring try specifically to study. The figure for Reasons for considering which proportion of these respondents both Russian and US respondents is 79 staying in Norway considers continuing to study in order per cent. It is therefore quite significant to find a job in Norway at a later stage. when 49 per cent of Russian respondents and 55 per cent of Chinese respondents 11% 19% “I would definitely want to go for a job report that they would like to find a job in Norway. 9% here. Working environment is good here as I had worked here for a few years.” Some, however, express misgivings: Female Pakistani degree student % “Even if I came to Norway for further studies, I have to learn their language More than half of all Chinese and this may be challenging. It is also respondents want to find a job in Norway 61% very hard for an Asian to stay and An overview of all respondents from a work in Norway.” select number of countries shows a sig- Continue studying nificant variation in the percentage who Female Chinese exchange student Find a job considers staying in Norway. When it Have a job comes to Swedish respondents, 64 per The abovementioned factors partially ex- Other cent of those who report that they con- plain why only 46 per cent of the Swedish sider staying in Norway also report that respondents report that they want to find they initially came to Norway for oth- a job in Norway. 21 per cent of those who A greater percentage of degree student er purposes than studying. In the case consider staying already have a job in the respondents who consider staying in Nor- of Swedish respondents, having a prior country, which is many more than in any

25 In 2012 six out of ten respondents said they considered looking for a job in Norway. The figures from this year’s study are not easily compared with the figures of the previous studies. The previous studies asked all respondents whether they considered looking for a job in Norway when they finished their degree, without specifying whether that degree was taken in Norway or elsewhere. The present study first asked the respondents whether they considered staying in Norway after they finished their current degree or programme. Only those who replied “yes” to this question were asked why and were made to choose between “continuing as a student”, “finding a job in Norway”, “already have a job in Norway”, and “other”.

26 Brazil is not included in this table due to the low level of respondents (N=10).

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 35 Consider staying on in Norway Why do you want to work in Norway?

France 26% 9% Germany 46% 9% Brazil 45%

Russia 70% 43% USA 53% 19% % Sweden 75%

China 69%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 21%

Good career possibilities Want to find a job in Norway High wage level Family, friends or partner in Norway Difficult to find job at home France 13% Other Germany 26%

Russia 49%

USA 23% The Norwegian labour market is highly regarded Sweden 46% Although nearly one fifth of the respond- China 55% ents who report that they already have or want to find a job in Norway do so be- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% cause they have family, friends or a part- ner in the country, the majority – 63 per cent – do so based on their impressions of the other groups. What all the respond- “Our school doesn’t provide Norwegian of the Norwegian labour market. Com- ent groups have in common, though, is lessons so I have needed to pay paratively high wages play an important that of those who report that they con- for lessons privately. I believe it is role in these considerations, but twice as sider staying in Norway, the majority do important to learn the language and many of the respondents in this group so because they want to find a job here.26 consider the Norwegian labour market to culture, but it has been expensive offer “good career opportunities”. Norwegian language and difficult to do this, and I cannot considered an obstacle to work afford to spend more on my language Whether this last point is a reflection of a This apparent interest in finding a job in classes than I do for my school fees.” corresponding lack of career opportuni- Norway notwithstanding, in answers to Male UK degree student ties in the respondents’ home countries is the open-ended questions some respond- a valid speculation. It may be argued that ents consider their lack of Norwegian many of the respondents who think that language abilities an obstacle to success. “You need to offer Norwegian language Norway offers good career opportunities Overall, 51 per cent of the respondents courses to ALL who want it - there do not necessarily think of this in the report that they participate in Norwegian has been a huge lack of available narrow sense of quick advancement and language courses during their stay. Among spaces in these courses. Every other rapidly increasing salaries, but rather in those who consider staying in Norway in terms of job opportunities in a broader order to find a job, 61 per cent report that country offers language courses to sense. Only nine per cent reply that they they are taking Norwegian courses. all international students who want to want to find a job in Norway because it learn the language, regardless of their is difficult to find a job at home. This reasons, but NOT Norway.” may mean that while there are jobs in “Norwegian companies need to open Male American degree student their home countries, those are not nec- their minds to give more chances to essarily the jobs the respondents look for, international students, even though and that the working conditions are not we cannot speak norsk right now. “International students should be considered as good as the respondents want them to be. That we can’t speak norsk does not considered as regards the language. mean we do not want to learn it, but It’s difficult and expensive to learn. The school stopped teaching we need TIME, we have to find ways to “Another reason for considering intermediate and advanced which is stay here first and then, learn norsk. staying in Norway is an economic unfair considering the students before If we only have a one-year visa, and crisis in my home country. That is the us were granted the privilege to learn we are always rejected by Norwegian reason why I’m thinking of working up to advanced level. And it’s difficult employers because we don’t speak abroad, and the reasons for choosing to get a job without the language, it’s norsk, then we will never have chance Norway are high wages and un- quite frustrating.” to learn it. It is unfair.” stressful working environment.” Female Nigerian degree student Female Chinese degree student Male Slovenian exchange student

36 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Respondents within the fields of econom- Why do you consider staying in Norway? ics and business studies as well as natural sciences and technology are more likely Natural sciences and technology 19% 67% 5% to consider staying in Norway because they want to find a job. In particular re- Arts and humanities 31% 47% 7% spondents within the fields of natural sciences and technology consider the Law and social sciences 27% 53% 8% labour market in Norway to offer good career opportunities for them. Career op- Pedagogy/teaching 8% 46% 31% portunities emerge as the most impor-

Health and care 12% 50% 23% tant reason for considering working in Norway for respondents within almost Economics and business studies 15% 69% 7% all fields, except for respondents within the fields of health and care and pedagogy 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% and teaching. This perception is partially I want to continue as a student at odds with future needs in the Norwe- I want to find a job in Norway gian labour market, where the need for I already have a job in Norway employees in the health and care sector Other in particular is projected to increase over the next 15 years.27 It may be that these projections are not generally known to Why do you want to work in Norway? the respondents, but it may also be that jobs within these sectors are not consid- ered “good career opportunities.” Natural sciences and technology 52% 18% 8% 13% 9%

Arts and humanities 26% 25% 19% 16% 15% The variations here may also be put down to differences in the respondent popula- Law and social sciences 38% 21% 7% 21% 13% tion within the various fields of study. 35 per cent of respondents within the field Pedagogy/teaching 31% 8% 6% 47% 8% of health and care and 36 per cent of the respondents within the field of pedago- 17% 6% 39% Health and care 36% 3% gy and teaching report that they initially came to Norway for other reasons than Economics and business studies 40% 28% 7% 17% 9% studies. As a group, these respondents’ 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% prior connection to Norway – due to work and/or family relations – is a lot Good career opportunities stronger than that of respondents with- High wage level Difficult to find job at home in the other fields. Only 12 per cent of Family, friends or partner in Norway respondents within the fields of natural Other sciences and technology as well as eco- nomics and business studies reported that they initially came to Norway for reasons other than studying.

27 Texmon and Stølen (2009): Arbeidsmarkedet for helse- og sosialpersonell fram mot år 2030. Dokumentasjon av beregninger med HELSEMOD, www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/rapp_200909/rapp_200909.pdf

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 37 Sources

Reports and articles \\ SIU 2009: Omdømmeundersøkelse blant \\ Angell, Svein Ivar and Mads Mordhorst internasjonale studenter i Norge høsten (2014): “National Reputation Management 2008. SIU-publikasjon 03/2009 and the Competition State: The Cases of \ Denmark and Norway”, Journal of Cultural \ Texmon, Inger and Nils Martin Stølen “Arbeidsmarkedet for helse- og Economy (forthcoming) (2009): sosialpersonell fram mot år 2030. \\ Government of Norway: Lange linjer – Dokumentasjon av beregninger med kunnskap gir muligheter, Meld. St. 18 HELSEMOD.” Statistisk sentralbyrå, rapport (2012-2013); government white paper on the 9/2009 future of research in Norway \\ Wiers-Jenssen, Jannecke (2013): \\ Government of Norway: Internasjonalisering “Utenlandske studenter i Norge”. NIFU av utdanning, St.meld. nr. 14 Arbeidsnotat 12-2013 (2008-2009); government white paper on internationalisation of education Internet sources \\ SIU 2014: Mobilitetsrapport 2013. \\ Database for Statistics on Higher Education SIU-rapport 01/2014 (DBH): http://dbh.nsd.uib.no/dbhvev/ student/utenlandske_rapport.cfm \\ SIU 2013a: Internasjonal profil? Strategier for \\The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: internasjonalisering ved norske universiteter www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/tema/ og høyskoler. SIU-rapport 03/2013 norgesprofilering-og-kultursamarbeid/ \\ SIU 2013b: Omdømmeundersøkelse blant norge_omdoemme.html?id=708753 internasjonale studenter i Norge, 2012. \\ Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in SIU-publikasjon 05/2013 Education (NOKUT): \\ SIU 2011: Omdømmeundersøkelse blant www.nokut.no/en/Facts-and-statistics/ internasjonale studenter i Norge, 2010. Surveys-and-databases/Accredited- SIU-publikasjon 09/2011 Institutions/

38 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 39 Appendix

TABLE 1: To what degree was your decision to study in Norway influenced by the following factors?

AVERAGE SCORES: 5 = very important 1 = not important Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany India Russia Sweden United KingdomUnited StatesTotal

Peaceful and safe society 4,2 3,8 4,5 3,2 3,7 3,5 4,5 4,1 3,0 3,4 3,7 3,9

Technologically advanced society 3,9 3,2 4,1 3,1 3,4 3,4 4,2 4,0 2,7 2,6 3,3 3,7

Unspoilt countryside 3,0 4,0 3,7 3,7 3,6 4,0 3,9 3,5 3,0 3,7 3,7 3,6

Sporting opportunities 2,5 3,3 3,0 3,1 3,1 3,3 3,0 2,9 3,0 2,8 2,6 3,0

Lifestyle 3,6 3,6 3,8 3,3 3,6 3,3 3,6 3,3 3,3 3,6 3,6 3,4

Arts and music 2,3 2,7 2,8 2,2 2,1 2,2 2,5 2,4 2,2 2,5 2,6 2,4

Family, friends, or partner living in Norway 1,9 1,9 2,4 2,9 1,5 1,7 2,4 2,3 3,3 2,3 2,7 2,2

Already living in Norway 1,7 1,4 1,8 2,1 1,2 1,4 2,0 1,9 2,9 2,0 1,7 1,8

Gender equality 3,0 3,1 3,1 2,4 2,6 2,6 3,6 2,3 2,5 2,8 3,0 2,8

Reputation of the teaching 3,4 3,1 3,8 3,1 3,6 3,5 3,6 3,7 3,0 2,9 2,6 3,5

Reputation of the research 3,8 3,0 3,8 2,8 2,9 3,2 3,8 3,7 2,7 2,6 2,7 3,4

Reputation of the student social life 2,8 2,6 3,3 2,8 3,1 3,1 3,2 3,3 2,5 2,2 2,3 3,0

English taught degree 4,4 4,4 4,3 2,1 4,4 3,8 4,3 4,0 1,9 3,7 4,1 4,0 programmes and courses

No tuition fees 3,5 3,2 4,3 2,8 3,2 3,1 4,2 4,0 3,0 3,2 3,7 3,5

Opportunity for part time work while 2,4 2,5 3,3 2,3 2,0 1,8 2,5 3,1 2,8 2,4 2,8 2,7 studying

Improve my career possibilities 4,2 3,6 3,9 3,5 3,8 3,3 3,5 3,7 3,2 3,5 3,4 3,7 in my home country

Improve my career possibilities in Norway 3,8 3,1 3,8 3,3 2,8 2,9 3,8 4,0 3,8 3,4 3,1 3,5

Improve my career possibilities 4,0 3,5 3,6 3,1 3,8 3,2 3,8 3,7 3,3 3,4 3,0 3,6 in other countries

N 44 45 122 70 239 327 52 167 114 45 99 3216

40 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination TABLE 2: How satisfied are you with the teaching and academic?

AVERAGE SCORES: 5 = very satisfied 1 = dissatisfied Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany India Russia Sweden United KingdomUnited StatesTotal

The teachers’ ability to make the teaching 3,7 3,2 4,1 3,6 3,7 3,7 3,8 4,1 3,7 3,7 3,5 3,8 stimulating

The teachers’ ability to facilitate one’s 3,7 3,4 4,1 3,8 3,8 3,6 3,9 4,0 3,6 3,7 3,3 3,8 understanding of difficult subject matters

How well the teaching covers the curriculum 3,9 3,5 4,1 3,7 3,6 3,7 3,7 4,1 3,6 3,8 3,5 3,8

The quality of the feedback on your work 3,6 2,8 4,1 3,2 3,4 3,4 3,7 4,1 3,1 3,2 2,6 3,6

Individual student counselling 3,0 2,8 3,8 3,0 3,3 3,5 3,3 4,0 2,9 2,8 2,8 3,5

The teachers’ ability to teach in English 4,2 4,0 4,2 3,3 4,5 4,1 4,0 4,5 3,2 4,2 4,1 4,1

N 44 45 122 70 239 327 52 167 114 45 99 3216

TABLE 3: How satisfied are you with the study environment?

AVERAGE SCORES: 5 = very satisfied 1 = dissatisfied Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany India Russia Sweden United KingdomUnited StatesTotal

The programme’s student group as a social 3,3 3,8 3,9 3,4 3,7 3,8 3,6 4,0 3,5 3,2 3,5 3,7 environment

The programme’s student group as an 3,8 3,6 3,9 3,4 3,7 3,7 3,7 4,0 3,4 3,5 3,3 3,8 academic environment

Rooms for teaching and other study work 4,3 4,2 4,3 3,6 4,2 4,2 4,4 4,5 3,3 3,6 3,8 4,2

Equipment and study tools 4,4 4,0 4,4 3,6 4,4 4,1 4,3 4,5 3,5 3,6 3,8 4,2

Library and library services 4,3 3,8 4,4 4,0 4,4 4,0 4,3 4,5 3,8 3,5 4,0 4,2

ICT tools and services (e.g. teaching 4,3 4,1 4,3 3,4 4,2 4,0 4,3 4,5 3,7 3,7 3,7 4,2 platforms, internet and available PCs)

Introductory arrangements for international 3,9 3,6 4,1 3,0 3,9 4,0 4,1 4,3 2,9 3,2 3,3 3,9 students

N 44 45 122 70 239 327 52 167 114 45 99 3216

Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 41 TABLE 4: With respect to workload and formal requirements, to what extent do you agree that:

AVERAGE SCORES: 5 = strongly agree United KingdomUnited StatesTotal 1 = do not agree at all Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany India Russia Sweden

The amount of time for teaching and other 3,2 2,5 3,4 2,5 2,6 2,4 3,2 3,1 2,6 2,4 2,4 2,9 organised activities is too great

The volume of required reading (curriculum) is too 3,5 2,6 3,4 2,4 3,0 2,7 3,2 3,3 2,7 2,5 2,6 3,1 great

Required submissions for own written work is too 3,2 2,0 3,0 2,2 2,6 2,4 3,2 2,9 2,3 1,9 1,9 2,8 demanding

It is difficult to understand the formal requirements 2,7 2,9 2,6 2,1 2,6 2,2 2,7 2,7 2,5 2,4 2,7 2,5 for exams and submissions

N 44 45 122 70 239 327 52 167 114 45 99 3216

TABLE 5: How have you experienced the following issues?

AVERAGE SCORES: 5 = much more challenging than expected United KingdomUnited StatesTotal 1 = much less challenging than expected Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany India Russia Sweden

Coping with academic demands 3,1 2,5 3,4 2,8 2,9 2,7 3,1 3,1 2,9 2,6 2,6 2,9

Keeping up an active social life 3,1 2,6 3,4 2,9 2,8 2,9 3,4 2,9 3,0 3,2 2,8 3,1

Getting to know Norwegians 3,6 3,4 3,7 2,9 3,6 3,7 3,7 3,1 2,9 3,6 3,5 2,8

Dealing with the costs of living 3,5 3,5 3,8 3,5 3,6 3,5 4,1 3,4 3,2 3,6 3,8 2,5

Dealing with the climate 2,6 2,2 3,1 2,7 2,8 2,5 3,2 2,9 2,8 2,6 2,5 2,9

Adapting to Norwegian lifestyle/culture 2,8 2,5 3,2 2,8 2,8 2,7 3,3 2,9 2,7 2,6 2,6 3,1

N 44 45 122 70 239 327 52 167 114 45 99 3216

42 SIU :07/ 2014 / Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination / SIU :07/ 2014 43 Vaskerelven 39,5014Bergen COOPERATION IN EDUCATION www.studeriutlandet.no www.studyinnorway.no www.siu.no Tel: Office address: FOR INTERNATIONAL NORWEGIAN CENTRE E-mail: 55 303800 [email protected]

5809 Bergen 5809 1093 Postboks Returadresse:

B

REPORT SERIES – Foreign students’ perception of Norway as a study destination 2014 07/2014