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Description
The proposed mobility project will support students and staff from the University of Bucharest (UB) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) by offering training in the history, governance and sustainable management of natural resources in Norway and Romania. The academic exchange of students and staff between the two higher education institutions, leading educational and research organizations in Romania and Norway, tackles the gaps existing in an integrated training in natural resources management, history and governance in the two countries and a lack of cohesive expertise that impedes upon the current efforts European countries make towards the achievement of a green transition towards a sustainable economic development.
Summary of project results
Before applying for financing, the terms of the collaboration were negotiated between both partners. The needs and capabilities of each partner were carefully evaluated. As a result, an inter-institutional agreement was signed. Given the global character of natural resources exploration and management the following subject areas were considered important therefore added to the agreement: history -0222, business and administration -0410, political science and civics -0312 and earth sciences (geography, geology) -0532. On Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s side the Department of Modern History and Society was the main host whereas within the University of Bucharest several entities were involved: Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies, Faculty of History, Faculty of Business and Administration, Faculty of Geography, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Faculty of Political Science.
When due to the COVID-19 pandemic the necessity of extending the period of project’s implementation arose, the inter-institutional agreement was extended to the academic year 2022-2023.The COVID-pandemic could be considered one of the main challenges. Under the post COVID-circumstances the students hesitated to apply for a semester away from home. Then, the war in Ukraine made the Norwegian students reluctant to come to Romania. Another difficulty for the outgoing students came from the high living costs and the cost of plane tickets that were higher than the allocated travel grant. Although the students were well informed about the grants, some of them cancelled their mobility last minute due to the financial difficulties.
Therefore, the project was designed to help students and faculty from both institutions get acquainted with research and teaching in the partner institution and develop thus a more comprehensive view on the history, governance and sustainable management of natural resources. This need was especially high for Romanian students and scholars who focus on the history and management of natural resources, but proved to be helpful also at enlarging the perspective and knowledge of the Norwegian students and scholars. University of Bucharest students in mobility at Norwegian University of Science and Technology followed courses such as Digital Mapping for the Humanities and the Social Sciences and the global political economy of natural resources, 1870-2000. At the same time, the University of Bucharest offered to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology exchange student various courses, which integrated political science approaches with insights from history and international relations and dealt also with global security challenges, which are often related with the availability of crucial natural resources. The exchange of academic staff was a major part of the project. The better mutual knowledge and trust are crucial results of the project, which put a solid foundation for further cooperation at master and doctoral level.
While the wider impact of the project may not be visible at the first glance, the impact of the mobility projects ripples outward, influencing not only the immediate organizations and participants involved but also the broader communities, societies.
The first beneficiaries could be considered the staff and students participating to the mobility project. The sharing of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s expertise in the field of natural resources management contributed to a better understanding by both students and staff of the University of Bucharest of the successful strategies of sustainable management of natural resources designed in Norway, thus having the chance to act in their home country to the design and implementation of policies for a more rational use of these endowments and long-term sustainable development of Romania.
The second beneficiaries are Interdisciplinary School of Doctoral Studies, Faculty of History, Faculty of Business and Administration, Faculty of Geography, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Faculty of Political Science) and University of Bucharest at large.
The students participating in this mobility program will have good opportunities to continue their studies and embark in an academic career in the framework of competitive research networks, or to pursue an international career in resource management and improving their chances on the job-market for highly-skilled professionals.
In what the staff mobility is regarded, the outgoing and incoming staff had the chance to get first-hand knowledge on the institutional architecture of the partner''s research and teaching environment, as well as the disciplines, different teaching methodologies, and scientific contents used by the partners in the teaching and research of the domain of natural resources management. This will contribute significantly to the improvement of both partners'' staff skills and knowledge on natural resources in the two countries.
Number of ECTS credits received ed by the students in the mobility projects -121
Share of staff who declare improved skills/ competencies in their field - 8
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology was chosen as a host due to the perfect environment for international students and the fact that the natural resources are an integral part of NTNU’s strategic research areas energy, oceans and sustainability. Furthermore, NTNU is Norway''s biggest institution for higher education in engineering and natural and earth sciences. The sharing of the NTNU expertise in the field of natural resources management contributed to a better understanding by both students and staff of the UB of the successful strategies of sustainable management of natural resources designed in Norway, thus having the chance to contribute in their home country to the design and implementation of policies for a more rational use of these endowments and long-term sustainable development of Romania.The students coming from the UB had the possibility to be hosted within the Faculty of Humanities, especially at the Department of Modern History and Society. The courses from this department gave the outgoing UB students the possibility to study questions such as: structures of ownership and the decision making processes in the companies authorized to work in these fields, allotment of benefits from natural resources'' exploitation, royalties, wages, dividends & taxation, spillovers at local and national level, shifts in the state''s interventionist control over resource management or international rules regarding the exploitation and management of natural resources.