Peter Arbo

The globalization of the fishing industry and the case of Finnmark

The Norwegian fishing industry is in the lucky situation that the quotas increase. Russian catches are delivered in Northern Norway and the aquaculture industry has had a tremendous growth over the last five years. Nevertheless, several sectors of the fishing industry are experiencing crises, especially in Finnmark, the most fishery dependent county. This paradox is explained by looking at the driving forces behind the globalization of the white fish industry, and the local effects, as they are experienced in the fishery dependent communities. The central process is a decoupling of various local economic activities. As each of the economic actors have tried their own optimizing strategies, an increasing fragmentation and instability is brought into the local communities. If the fishing industry is to be in a position to contribute to employment and settlement in coastal Finnmark in the future, a stronger market orientation among all local actors is necessary.

Arctic futures: conceptualizations and images of a changing Arctic

Abstract The future of the Arctic is an issue of increasing concern. During the last five years, a large number of reports, books, and articles have appeared which directly focus on what happens in the Arctic. This article summarizes the findings of an assessment of more than 50 such studies. It aims to identify the basic assumptions, analytical approaches, and future images that characterize current thinking about the Arctic. The article shows that the studies are diverse in thematic scope and background. Different methodologies are applied to envision the future of the Arctic. The future images range from boom to doom, from escalating conflicts to peaceful collaboration. There is a strong agreement that the Arctic is subject to profound change, driven by developments outside the region. Simultaneously, the studies display the many uncertainties that the future of the Arctic is imbued with. This article does not attempt to sketch an alternative version of the future of the Arctic, but rather to highlight how future studies can stimulate debate, create preparedness for change, offer direction, and inform policy.

Mergers in the North: The Making of the Arctic University of Norway

The University of Tromso in Northern Norway merged in 2009 and 2013 with two smaller university colleges in the region. Both mergers were voluntary and initiated by the institutions themselves. In this chapter, we describe and analyse these mergers. We look into their background, the merger processes, their different characteristics, and their outcomes. The chapter also highlights factors that facilitated and complicated the mergers, such as institutional distinctiveness, size, complementarity, and geographical distance. The mergers have created a more hybrid, multi-campus university that is more challenging to manage and coordinate. The processes have been time-consuming and required considerable resources. Nevertheless, the overall conclusion is that these mergers have been beneficial in terms of teaching, research, regional engagement, and the attractiveness of the institutions. A main finding is that institutional context and leadership are of critical importance in higher education mergers.

Experiences from the Norwegian RUSH Programme

RUSH is an experimental programme aimed at strengthening the collaboration between state colleges and regional industry in Norway. Four state colleges are involved. The programme has given special attention to the organization and development of business services and contract activities as a means of enhancing transfer of knowledge from the colleges to small and medium-sized enterprises. The participating colleges have chosen different models and followed various routes in their completion of the tasks. Here, the background and main characteristics of the programme is outlined and the achievements and policy lessons of RUSH are highlighted and discussed.

The University of Tromsø

When Norway got its first university in 1811, the country was still in union with Denmark. The main arguments for establishing the university were that Norwegians should be given the same educational opportunities as Danes, Norwegian society should have a better supply of universitytrained professionals and that a university would benefit the development of the country’s industries. In addition, some academics saw a new university as an opportunity to reform the university curriculum. The University of Copenhagen was considered to be old-fashioned and out of touch with the development of newer and more utilitarian branches of knowledge.