International Mobility among PhD Candidates at Norwegian Higher Education Institutions, 2011, Educational and mobility survey

The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) is a public administrative agency reporting to The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (KD). SIU is Norway's official agency for international programmes and measures related to higher education and primary and secondary education, and is commissioned by several national and international public organisations. SIU is coordinating national measures according to official Norwegian policy within the field of internationalisation, and is responsible for promoting internationalisation, cultural communication and international mobility within the realm of education, and shall through various internationalisation measures contribute to raise the quality of Norwegian education. The topic of this report is international mobility among PhD candidates at higher education institutions in Norway, its extent, driving forces and barriers. Mobility as one aspect of internationalisation is a high political priority in Norway. At the same time, there is only very limited knowledge regarding the scope, direction and character of the PhD candidates' international mobility. While comprehensive statistical information is available at bachelor's and master's level, no such information exists for the PhD level. The present survey and analysis deal with two aspects: the extent and characteristics of mobility of PhD candidates at Norwegian higher education institutions (HEIs) and the question of motives and barriers for going abroad during their PhD period. The results of the report will provide useful information for both authorities of higher education and the HEIs. At both national and institutional levels, increased knowledge about the extent and characteristics of mobility will allow for the appropriate measures to be taken. The survey presents a picture of mobility at national as well as an institutional level, answering important questions such as: How many PhD candidates go abroad as a part of their doctoral studies, where do they go, what do they do, and for how long do they stay? What characterizes PhD mobility in the different academic disciplines, and what are the differences between institutions? Data is freely available for download.