The County Governor and UiA are two large state representatives in Agder. The County Governor is responsible for following up on decisions, goals, and guidelines set by the Storting and the government. UiA is under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Research and most of its activities are funded through allocations from the ministry. The two are now entering a formal cooperation agreement.
"Together, we want to contribute to the development of sustainable and knowledge-based services for the people of Agder. We see this agreement as part of our long-term commitment to investment in living conditions and regional development in the county," says UiA Rector Sunniva Whittaker.
"The aim of this agreement is to strengthen the region and the parties through strategic cooperation and targeted development work," says County Governor Gina Lund.
Research and internships
Through this agreement, the County Governor in Agder and UiA will foster cooperation in areas where the institutions have shared interests. These may include areas such as:
- development of the societal actor role where the County Governor in Agder and UiA actively contribute to setting the agenda, for example related to topics such as living conditions and sustainability
- research, innovation, and development projects. These are organised as separate projects with specific agreements for each project implemented.
- internships for UiA students with the County Governor's office
- dialogue on further development of relevant study programmes
- dissemination and promotion of research knowledge
The leadership teams of the County Governor in Agder and UiA will hold an annual meeting as part of the follow-up on the cooperation agreement.