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My job: Advisor at the County Chief Executive's office in Aust-Agder

Foto: Jan Aabøe

My studies at the EISS were a great contribution to my master studies in Public Policy and Management. The EISS was also a great place to develop my verbal and written English skills. Besides, Kristiansand is a nice area for social and recreational activities!

Dag Ole Teigen

European Integration Summer School

Name: Dag Ole Teigen 
Study: European Integration Summer School
Title: Advisor
Employer: The County Chief Executive's office in Aust-Agder

What do you do in your job?

There are three levels of public administration in Norway: the central government, the county government and the municipal government. The counties are responsible for policies within (for example) secondary education, communications, cultural affairs, dental care, economic development and regional planning.

I work as an advisor at the office of the County Chief Executive in Aust-Agder County Municipality. I started my work here at about the same time as the counties of Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder started negotiations on the topic of merging. These negotiations were linked to a national government initiative of reforming the Norwegian regional structure. As an advisor at the administrative level, I have contributed to facilitate the political process, to give information about legal issues regarding the merging process and to draft the report that describes the merging process.

Why did you choose to study at the European Summer School?

The European Integration Summer School (EISS) adds an international dimension to your field of training. It provides interesting perspectives and puts existing knowledge into new light. The EISS is a concentrated summer programme with intensive tuition over a short period of time, and it gives you a chance to meet and discuss with leading experts in your field of interest. My studies at the EISS were a great contribution to my master studies in Public Policy and Management. The EISS was also a great place to develop my verbal and written English skills. Besides, Kristiansand is a nice area for social and recreational activities!

How has this strengthened your competence?

The European Integration Summer School is a specialization program on top of a regular master programme, and I believe this is an advantage when applying for interesting jobs in almost any field. 

Norway is not a European Union member state; however, European integration extends beyond the geographical borders of the EU. The European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement brings together the 28 EU member states and the three EEA EFTA states Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in the internal market governed by the same basic rules. It guarantees the EU Single Market's four freedoms, as well as non-discrimination and equal rules of competition throughout the EEA area. The EEA agreement is the cornerstone of relations between the EU and Norway.

Knowledge about the process of European integration generally, and the EU and the EEA in particular, is beneficial when working in public administration – at the regional level as well as at the national level.

Photo: Jan Aabøe