Strategy 2025 ⟶ 2028
Vision: Co-creating for tomorrow’s knowledge
The University of Agder (UiA) conducts research and academic and artistic development work at a high international level and offers quality research-based education.
UiA develops knowledge directed toward solving major societal challenges, contributing to societal development, innovation and value creation.
Co-creation occurs when students, staff, industry and the community challenge each other across disciplines.
Values:
Academic quality, openness, trust and respect
Our academic culture
Academic freedom
We stand up for the independence and freedom of expression of universities and academics and uphold the ethical commitments that strengthen academia’s credibility and position in society. Academic values underpin our relationships with our partners.
Organisational culture
We have a culture of quality, creativity and critical thinking. All employees have meaningful and challenging tasks, an inclusive work environment and development opportunities. Together, we develop new offers and services across disciplines and units.
Student culture
UiA students are shaped by their encounters with new knowledge. Their independence grows as they experience a sense of belonging, meaning and mastery. Students actively contribute to the knowledge community and take their share of responsibility for developing good learning environments.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the university. Encounters between people with different backgrounds and perspectives contribute to a better understanding of individuals, organizations and society.
International engagement and cooperation
UiA exercises responsible international cooperation and works actively to develop sustainable societies from a global perspective. In our internationally-oriented region, local contributions are also valuable in national and international development. UiA is an active member of the European university alliance FORTHEM. Student exchange, staff mobility and participation in international networks promote quality.
UiA works across disciplines for sustainable solutions
At UiA, different disciplines work together with local stakeholders to better understand societal challenges and to find sustainable solutions.
The University will continue to focus on interdisciplinary projects, study programmes and collaborations with societal partners in these areas:
- Health, upbringing, education and living conditions
- Art and culture
- Democracy and active citizenship
- Technology, digitalisation and societal preparedness
- Climate, environment and energy
- Sustainable change and innovation
We share our findings and solutions with those who can put them to use. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a central part of the European university alliance FORTHEM.
By taking advantage of synergies in our professional and academic programmes, we strengthen students’ abilities to collaborate across fields and disciplines.
Our strategic goals
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1. UiA is the students’ university
UiA will prioritise:
- strengthening student democracy, facilitating exchange of ideas and involving and making students accountable in how the university and study programmes are developed
- involving more students in research, innovation and academic and artistic development work
- continuing to develop our campuses into attractive and sustainable places of study, with good learning environments and social opportunities
- equipping students with the ability to articulate their competencies and participate in a rapidly changing job market
2. UiA has relevant, robust and attractive programmes
UiA will prioritise:
- developing student-active learning and assessment methods
- strengthening the links between our study programmes and research, academic and artistic development work, the job market and wider society
- making educational programmes more flexible, facilitating lifelong learning and reaching new target groups
- actively managing and developing our study programme portfolio
- strengthening student recruitment in collaboration with partners, especially for the major professional degree programmes
3. UiA enhances the quality of research and academic and artistic development work
UiA will prioritise:
- further developing independent and basic research
- fostering academic environments with the goal of achieving national centre statuses for excellence and socially relevant research and innovation
- leading and participating in larger research and development projects at a high international level
- improving researcher training; recruiting, nurturing and developing research talents and environments
- strengthening the organisational capability to design, conduct and disseminate research and academic and artistic development work
- enhancing quality and capacity through increased external funding and financial partnerships
- increasing participation in national and international research networks
- strengthening strategic partnerships and actively inviting more individuals from the workforce and broader society to co-create knowledge
4. UiA leads the way in efficient, sustainable and responsible use of new technology and new work methods
UiA will prioritise:
- developing and utilising new technologies and artificial intelligence in education, research, academic and artistic development work as well as administration
- providing students with artificial intelligence skills through our study programmes
- facilitating innovative development projects across the university
- promoting and highlighting societal ethical aspects of technology development
5. UiA strengthens its focus on socially beneficial innovation and entrepreneurship
UiA will prioritise:
- increasing knowledge transfer and commercialisation from research results and student projects
- enhancing the competence of students and staff in transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship
- further developing collaborative platforms with business and industry, the public sector and society at large
6. UiA takes a more prominent national position
UiA will prioritise:
- promoting excellent scientific and public dissemination of knowledge
- increasing our participation in public discourse as contributors and agenda setters
- strengthening UiA’s position in research and actively contributing to national and international policy development
- developing valuable collaborations with new strategic partners
- further developing alumni networks as a strategic resource
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The strategy was adopted by the UiA University Board 19 June 2024