From May 2022 a new directorate has been formed in Norway, the Norwegian Directorate of higher education and skills (HK-dir). The reason for this merger is to strengthen the quality in education and training, enhance the availability of education opportunities and heighten the competences in the population.

HK-dir will also work with internationalisation and digitisation in education and provide good information and support for those choosing education and career.

“We want to contribute to life-long learning for everyone. Our aim is that education, training and competence enhancement will contribute to a more adaptable and sustainable society”, says the Director general, Sveinung Skule.

“We are looking very much forward to collaborating with everybody working in the educational field”, says Skule.

 From 2023 the directorate also handles recognition services for foreign education, and is now complete.

The directorate is the executive agency for the Ministry of Education and Research within the higher education and higher vocational education sectors and is responsible for the national skills policy. It advises the Ministry, implements national policies, and coordinates incentive schemes and management instruments. 

The directorate shall contribute to enhance the quality of education and skills, strengthen international collaboration, and be a driving force for the digital restructuring of Norwegian universities and university colleges. It strives to enhance knowledge and skills in the population, make lifelong high-quality education and learning accessible to all and ensure that the world of work has access to a competent workforce.

The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills is the result of the merger of the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (Diku), Skills Norway, and Universell, as well as parts of Unit, the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD), and the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT).

Source: Eurydice Unit Norway