During the last generation, however, changes have occurred that present the -university with new challenges. Most of us have experienced a dramatic increase in international communication. International contact and cooperation are evident in the daily activities of the private sector as well as public administration. This far-reaching internationalisation of the last few decades has put new demands on university studies. Many initiatives have been launched to increase study abroad, often combining studies from different universities.
Much work remains to be done to fully establish the new system and get it to function well.
New forms of international communication and cooperation have created new frameworks for research. It is important for Norway to manifest itself as a partner in European Union research programmes. Meanwhile new institutional modes of cooperation have also created some problems for basic research at the universities. The trend in recent years has been that fewer young researchers now work for a longer period at research institutions abroad. Longer stays were previously a major factor in maintaining the international character of university-based research.