The school’s mission is to co-create knowledge by applying international, innovative and responsible perspectives. We are building a distinct profile in the Norwegian market for business education as a university-based and innovative business school, offering unique international and practice-oriented experiences to our students. Our work and strategic objectives are founded on our vision, which is to be regionally connected and globally engaged.
We want to further strengthen our close cooperative relations with regional actors and further develop our ties to international partners. To succeed with these aspirations, we have formulated strategic goals in four areas: research, education, outreach and internal organisation. We see these areas as closely inter-linked and mutually supportive.
Vision
We want to be a business school that is regionally connected and globally engaged. We believe that our ability to be closely connected to our regional partners is a distinguishing feature and a major opportunity. We seek to move closer to our partners through more joint research, tighter interaction in the delivery of education programs and ambitious co-creation of executive education.
Mission
Our mission is to ‘co-create knowledge by applying international, innovative and responsible perspectives’.
We implement this mission by educating responsible professionals with a global mind-set and innovative attitude, as well as by doing relevant research that allows us to collaborate with strong international partners. We also implement this mission by interacting closely with businesses, state institutions and civil society to develop and disseminate knowledge.
Impact
The School of Business and Law wants to ensure that our activities have a positive impact on our stakeholders. We monitor our impact in annual impact assessments.
The School of Business and Law continues to attract a high number of applicants and a larger share of the applicants are high calibre students.
Our study programs are clearly distinguished in the Norwegian market for business education by the international and practical experiences they offer our students.
A substantially larger share of our students complete their degree (improved completion rates)
The share of master level candidates that receive job offers before final graduation has increased.
Management and quality assurance of study programs have been formalised, simplified and made more explicit.
Key initiatives Education
Building on the 2018 work in progress on new programs the school launches at least one new master program by 2023.
Market analysis and market campaign for student recruitment by 2020.
All major study programs will be comprehensively evaluated and renewed by 2023.
Research Goals
The school has maintained high productivity levels and increased the quality of research (more Norwegian level 2/AJG (ABS) level 3-4/or equivalent)
A sizable share of the school’s research is done in collaboration with external partners, including business, government and research institutes
The school has generated more external research funding from national and international sources
Key initiatives Research
Co-ordinated push for securing more funding from the Research Council of Norway (NFR) launched, which includes freeing up time for some scholarly staff and ensuring sustained application efforts to select programs in NFR by 2023.
Two top-level and large academic conferences held within 2023.
One special journal issue/edited book initiated within 2023 which stimulates collaborative research initiatives across the school.
Outreach Goals
The Executive Education Centre has been strengthened through further administrative resources and continued scholarly management.
UIA Nyskaping offers support to all efforts to commercialise research at UIA.
The school’s communication, marketing and alumni contacts are well planned, strategic and comprehensive.
The school has developed 4-6 long-term and strategic relations with selected international institutions. These relations include both research and education.
Key initiatives Outreach
MBA program fully revised by 2023.
Coherent bundle of BA level executive education courses established by 2023.
Current alumni work is, by 2023, elevated to a state of the art customer relations management system where relations to former graduates are actively maintained.
Internal organisation Goals
Administrative and scholarly personnel co-operate even more smoothly and efficiently, deploying a unified understanding of roles and responsibilities and sharing information sufficiently.
The school is in the forefront in adopting new technology in both teaching and in the running of the organisation.
The school has continued to recruit high calibre scholars for research and teaching, and it has continued to recruit highly competent members of the faculty administration.
The school has further developed an organisational culture that creates a sense of belonging, as well as offering inspiration and motivation.
Key initiatives Internal organisation
The school pioneers an UiA-wide initiative to make recruitment processes more time efficient within 2023.
All scholarly and administrative staff has received by 2023 at least two full days of schooling on new technological developments (in the education sector or in their field of specialisation).
An advisory board for the school is established in the course of 2018.
Analysis, comparison and visit to inspirational peer schools by management group ahead of new strategy formulation is completed within 2021.
The school completes a revision of its mission, vision and strategic framework, including corresponding adjustments in the AOL. This is ready for implementation in 2024.
The school shares the core values of the University of Agder.
These are transparency, trust, integrity, generosity and collaboration. The values are reflected in a flat organisational structure that encourages students, lecturers and researchers to interact and inspire each other.
Print-friendly versions of the Executive Summary of our Self Evaluation Report for the AACSB accreditation visit in 2018, and Impact Assessment reports: