The Royal Ministry of Education and Research ( no, Det kongelige kunnskapsdepartement; short name ''Kunnskapsdepartementet'') is a

Norwegian government The politics of Norway take place in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the Council of State, the cabinet, led by the prime minister of Norway. Legislative power is ...

ministry responsible for

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

, research,

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

s and integration. The ministry was established in 1814 as the Royal Ministry of Church and Education Affairs. The current Minister of Education is Tonje Brenna of the Labour Party and the current Minister of Research and Higher Education is Ola Borten Moe of the Centre Party. The department reports to the legislature ( Stortinget).

History

The ministry was established in 1814, following the dissolution of Denmark–Norway, in which the joint central government administration of the two formally separate but closely integrated kingdoms, had been based in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. Originally named the Ministry of Church and Education Affairs, the ministry was the first of six government ministries established in 1814, and was also known as the First Ministry. The other ministries were the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Police, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of War. Norway was in a union with Sweden with a common foreign and defense policy until 1905, however church and educational policy was entirely the domain of each respective national government. The ministry was previously responsible for church affairs, but this function was transferred to the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

in 2002. Kindergartens were transferred to the ministry in 2006.

Organisation

Departments

The Ministry of Education and Research consists of seven departments: * Department of Integration * Department of Schools and Kindergartens * Department of Education, Training and Skills Policy * Department of Administration and Strategic Priorities * Department of Legal Affairs * Department of Governance of Higher Education and Research Institutions * Department of Higher Education, Research and International Affairs

Subsidiaries

Subordinate agencies

The following

government agencies A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...

are subordinate to the ministry: *

Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, NOKUT is a Norwegian government agency, established in 2003 as part of the Quality Reform. Its areas of responsibility include quality assessment of Norwegian universities, university colle ...

, or ''Nasjonalt organ for kvalitet i utdanningen''
Official site
conducts quality assurance of higher education institutions and tertiary vocational training, as well as recognition of degrees from foreign countries. * Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education, or ''Direktorat for internasjonalisering og kvalitetsutvikling i høyere utdanning''
Official site
Promotes international cooperation in higher education and research. *

Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund ( no, Statens lånekasse for utdanning) is a government agency that allocates loans and grants to Norwegian and certain foreign students for their education. Lånekassen was established in 1947. Lånekass ...

, or ''Statens lånekasse for utdanning''
Official site
Awards loans and grants to students. *

Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service ( no, Samordna opptak) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for application and admission to all public universities and university colleges in Norway for entry level degrees, eithe ...

, or ''Samordna opptak''
Official site
Coordinates admission to most undergraduate courses at state universities and colleges. * Skills Norway, or ''Kompetanse Norge''
Official site
works in areas such as adult education in basic skills, Norwegian language and socio-cultural orientation, vocational training, career advice and matching skills with the needs of the labour market. *

Unit Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (a ...

- the Directorate for ICT and Joint Services in Higher Education and Research
Official site
provides governance of and access to shared

information and communications technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications ( telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...

(ICT) services. *

Research Council of Norway The Research Council (also the Research Council of Norway; no, Norges forskningsråd) is a Norwegian government agency that funds research and innovation projects. On behalf of the Government, the Research Council invests NOK 11,9 billion (2021) ...

, or ''Norges forskningsråd''
Official site
is responsible for research funding and research policy. *

The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committee ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

s, or ''De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteene''
Official site
are professionally independent agencies for questions regarding research ethics, and for investigating misconduct in all fields of study. *

Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training ( no, Utdanningsdirektoratet, UDIR) is Norwegian government agency under the Ministry of Education and Research. The Directorate is responsible for the development of kindergarten, primary and ...

, or ''Utdanningsdirektoratetet''
Official site
Responsible for the development of primary and secondary education. Approves the primary and secondary school curriculum. * Statped
Official site
is a national service for special needs education for county municipalities and

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

. *

National Parents' Committee for Kindergartens National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, or ''Foreldreutvalget for barnehager (FUB)''
Official site
ensures that the voices of parents are heard in debates on kindergarten policy, and it also acts as the Ministry of Education and Research's advisory and consultative body representing parents interests. * National Parents’ Committee for Primary and Secondary Education, or ''Foreldreutvalget for grunnskolen (FUG)''
Official site
ensures that the voices of parents are heard in debates on education policy, and it also acts as the Ministry of Education and Research’s advisory and consultative body representing parents’ interests. *

Directorate of Integration and Diversity The Directorate of Integration and Diversity ( no, Integrerings- og mangfoldsdirektoratet) is a Norwegian government agency which is responsible for implementing public policy concerning refugees and integration. It is subordinate to the Ministry ...

, or ''Integrerings- og mangfoldsdirektoratet''
Official site
is responsible for implementing public policy concerning integration. * 22 July Information Center, or ''22. juli-senteret''
Official site
is an information center dedicated to the 22 July 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway, in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

and at Utøya. *

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs ( no, Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt; NUPI) is a Norwegian research institution based in Oslo, Norway. It was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 1959. History The Norwegian Institute of In ...

, or ''Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt''
Official site
Foreign policy research. * VEA – State School for Gardeners and Florists, or ''Norges grønne fagskole - Vea''
Official site
Educates gardeners and flower decorators at secondary school level.

Universities

* Nord University, or ''Nord universitet''
Official site
* Norwegian University of Life Sciences, or ''Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet''
Official site
* Norwegian University of Science and Technology, or ''Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet''
Official site
*

University of Bergen The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...

, or ''Universitetet i Bergen''
Official site
*

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

, or ''Universitetet i Oslo''
Official site
* University of Stavanger, or ''Universitetet i Stavanger''
Official site
*

University of Tromsø The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (Norwegian: ''Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet''; Northern Sami: ''Romssa universitehta – Norgga árktalaš universitehta'') is a state university in Norway an ...

, or ''Universitetet i Tromsø''
Official site
*

University of Agder The University of Agder ( no, Universitetet i Agder), formerly known as Agder College and Agder University College, is a public university with campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad, Norway. The institution was established as a university co ...

, or ''Universitetet i Agder''
Official site
*

Oslo Metropolitan University Oslo Metropolitan University (Oslomet; no, Oslomet – storbyuniversitetet)"Skrivemåten av universitetsnamnet Oslomet – storbyuniversitetet," Language Council of Norway, 17/677-4/DGI, 18 January 2018 is a state university in Oslo and Akers ...

, or ''Oslomet – storbyuniversitet''
Official site
* University of South-east Norway, or ''Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge''
Official site

Specialised University Colleges

Oslo School of Architecture and Design The Oslo School of Architecture and Design ( no, Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo, AHO) is an autonomous institution within the Norwegian university system. The School offers a unique research-based education with a strong international stan ...

, or ''Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo''
Official site
*

Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, or ''Norges handelshøgskole''
Official site
*

Norwegian School of Sport Sciences The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences ( no, Norges idrettshøgskole, NIH) is a public university located at Sognsvann in Oslo, Norway. It has the national responsibility for education and research related within sport sciences. It provides educ ...

, or ''Norges idrettshøgskole''
Official site
*

Norwegian Academy of Music The Norwegian Academy of Music (Norwegian: ''Norges musikkhøgskole'', NMH) is a university-level music conservatory located in Oslo, Norway, in the neighbourhood of Majorstuen, Frogner. It is the largest music academy in Norway and offers the ...

, or ''Norges musikkhøgskole''
Official site
* Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, or ''Norges veterinærhøgskole''
Official site
* Oslo National Academy of the Arts, or ''Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo''
Official site
* MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, or Det teologiske menighets fakultet
Official site
*

BI Norwegian Business School BI Norwegian Business School () is the largest business school in Norway and the second largest in all of Europe. BI has in total four campuses with the main one located in Oslo. The university has 845 employees consisting of an academic staff o ...

, or ''Handelshøyskolen BI''
Official site
* Molde University College, or ''Høgskolen i Molde - Vitenskapelig høgskole i logistikk''
Official site

University Colleges

* Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, or ''Høgskolen i Innlandet'' (Official site) *

Sámi University College The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Rus ...

, or ''Samisk høgskole ''
Official site
* Volda University College, or ''Høgskolen i Volda''
Official site
*

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Western Norway University of Applied Sciences () or HVL is a Norwegian public institution of higher education, established in January 2017 through the merging of formerly independent colleges across five campuses: Bergen, Førde, Haugesund, Sog ...

, or ''Høgskolen på Vestlandet''
Official site
* Østfold University College, or ''Høgskolen i Østfold''
Official site

Limited companies

Norwegian Centre for Research Data The Norwegian Centre for Research Data ( no, Norsk senter for forskningsdata) (NSD) is a Norwegian government-owned company responsible for managing data for the research community of Norway. Until 1 March 2016 it was known as Norwegian Social Scie ...

, or ''Norsk senter for forskningsdata''
Official site
Information and data services for higher education and research. *

University Centre in Svalbard The University Centre in Svalbard ( no, Universitetssenteret på Svalbard AS; UNIS) is a Norwegian state-owned limited company that is involved in research and provides some higher education in Arctic studies. The company is wholly owned by the ...

, or ''Universitetssenteret på Svalbard''
Official site
conducts research and some university-level educational offerings in Arctic studies. * Uninett
Official site
Operates the national education and research internet communication network and the norid domain register. *

Simula Research Laboratory Simula Research Laboratory (also known as Simula) is a Norwegian non-profit research organisation located in Oslo, Norway. Simula was founded in 2001 by the Norwegian government to conduct fundamental, long-term research within information and c ...

Official site
conducts research in the fields of networks and distributed systems,

scientific computing Computational science, also known as scientific computing or scientific computation (SC), is a field in mathematics that uses advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems. It is an area of science that spans many disc ...

, and

software engineering Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development. A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term '' ...

Ministers of Education

Key

Ministers for the 1st Ministry (1814–1819)

Ministers of Education and Church Affairs (1819–1884)

Ministers of Education and Church Affairs (1884–1945)

Ministers of Education and Church Affairs (1945–1990)

Ministers of Education and Research (1990–present)

Minister of Higher Education

The Minister of Higher Education is responsible for policies regarding higher education. The post was originally established in 2007, before its responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Culture. The post was re-established when the Liberal Party joined the Solberg Cabinet in 2018. Key

Ministers

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norwegian Ministry Of Education And Research Education and Research Education in Norway

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

Ministries established in 1814 1814 establishments in Norway Research ministries