The Higher Education Sector in Norway Needs Structural Diversity

Norway needs all hands on deck, everyone who can contribute to meeting the country's major challenges in the years ahead, from meeting our emission targets and adapting to climate change to developing the country's position in the global knowledge economy. But we do not just need more of the same. No, we need greater diversity in approaches and thinking.

Diversity is a necessary property of a strong

Diversity is a sometimes overlooked attribute when the strength of a country's higher education sector or research base is considered.  It makes it more likely that we don't only produce good research and study programs for today but also have the capacity to address new challenges flexibly and responsively tomorrow.

This includes It is distinct from the contribution made by

Social diversity, which for instance includes the diversity of gender, nationality, and ethnicity, is 

to productivity, innovation and social cohesion.

the diversity of disciplines, institutions and support mechanisms. Structural diversity is a property of a ‘strong’ research base that not only produces great research today but also has the capacity to address new challenges flexibly and responsively tomorrow.