Norwegian and Swedish higher education through the prism of the bologna process

The educational system is one of the constituent aspects of successful state. The author considers the educational systems of Norway and Sweden.

The Scandinavian higher education has evolved significantly since the establishment of the European Higher Education Area. At the same time, some national characteristics preserved against substantial unification of the educational process in accordance with the principles of the Bologna Declaration, which was signed by the Nordic countries among the first. 

In 1999, the Bologna Declaration was signed, in accordance with which the Unified European Higher Education Area was created. The signing of the document contributed to the advancement of new standards in the face of an increasingly deepening globalization of the modern educational process. However, this led to the loss of many unique features of the national educational systems of the countries of Europe [1].

The Scandinavian countries, which were at the origin of the creation of a Unified European Higher Education Area, fully support innovations that contribute to the competitiveness of European universities. Nevertheless, some peculiar features of educational process in the European countries remained invariable which is demonstrated by the countries of Northern Europe. Sweden, and especially Norway, the first university that appeared just over two hundred years ago, and this event is associated with the transfer of the center of Norwegian culture from Copenhagen to Oslo and the revival of the spirit of national independence, remain committed to preserving traditions associated with the peculiarities of the formation of sovereign states and development in them various political, economic, social and other spheres, including the educational system.

In Norway, a compulsory educational program assumes a ten-year education, that is, the acquisition of primary, incomplete secondary and full secondary education. Teaching in Norwegian schools is focused on the individual development of the abilities and skills of students.

To prepare for higher education, every Norwegian citizen has the right to study for three years at a high school of secondary education, where both general theoretical and special practical courses are studied for admission to a higher or professional educational institution.

Almost the whole system of higher education in Norway is concentrated in state hands. In Norway, 7 universities and 25 university colleges, as well as specialized universities and state institutes of arts, accumulate up to 90% of students. If we draw analogies with our higher education system, then the tasks and the form of functioning of university colleges resemble a specialized branch system: public university colleges are created to decentralize education and increase its accessibility. As in ordinary universities, bachelor's and master's programs are offered there, scientific research is conducted, and researchers are trained with doctoral and post-graduate training.

The duration of study in the Norwegian universities is different, but in most cases it is reduced to the formula 3 + 2 + 3 with the structure: bachelor, master, doctor of science. Thus, the bachelor's degree is mainly passed for 3 years, the master's degree is for 1-2 years of training, and the doctor's degree can be obtained only after completing the master's degree and defending his research after 3 more years of training. [2]

The Oslo university in the rating of QS for 2016-2017 takes the 113th place, in the Shanghai rating of 2015 - 67, in the rating of Times Higher Education — 132, 3 more higher education institutions (Bergen university, the Norwegian university of science and technology, and also University of Tromsyo, the Arctic university of Norway) enter in top-400 the rating of QS [3].

The educational system of Sweden is under the control of the Ministry of Education of the country, and specially established commissions are developing training programs unified throughout the country. The main feature of the modern education system in Sweden is its democratic character.

After finishing the school, more than 97% of students continue their education in the gymnasium, whose curricula have different orientations: professional, technical or academic (social and natural sciences).

The history of higher education in Sweden has more than 500 years, but it is directed to the future, therefore practically in all universities of the country it is possible to study in English.

Despite small number of the Swedish population (about 10 million people) in the country there are about 60 higher education institutions, the majority of which state. Classical universities, unlike Norway (the oldest university Oslo is a little more than 200 years old), have long-term, and even centuries-old history: Stockholm (year of foundation 1871, is well-known that in it the department of mathematics was received by S.Kovalevskaya, the Europe's 3rd female professor, the 196th place in the rating of QS for 2016-2017, the 81st — in Shanghai, the 144th — THE), Lund (year of foundation 1666, in the rating of QS for 2016-2017 takes the 73 rd place, in the rating of Times Higher Education — the 96th), Uppsalsky (year of foundation 1477, Karl Linney and Anders Tselsy are connected with his name, in the top list of QS for 2016-2017 takes the 98th place, in ARWU borrows 60, in Times Higher Education — 93 [4]) and some other. The Caroline Institute, founded in 1810 - one of the largest medical universities in Europe, awarding the Nobel Prizes in the field of physiology and medicine, stands apart: it is defined as the best university in the country, but due to its specifics, it participates in separate ratings, for example in QS.

The Swedish and Norwegian higher education systems are very similar, because until 1905 these were two parts of one state. The present existence in a Unified European Higher Education Area n only emphasizes this similarity. Yet the peculiarity of Swedish education is a peculiar system of credit charging (20 per semester). Depending on the complexity of the discipline, from 20 to 60 credit units are charged. 80 credit units, usually received during two years of study, give the right to receive a diploma of higher education (hogskoleexamen). To obtain the degree of candidate of philosophy (kandidatexamen), you need to recruit 120 credits, which will correspond to our bachelor's degree. If a student learns at least 160 credits, often for 4 years of study, and defends his thesis, he will receive a master's degree (magisterexamen). Thus, the duration of study in the Swedish university on the steps of bachelor's and master's degrees can vary from 4 to 6 years depending on the chosen specialty (training in the specialties law, medicine, pedagogy, art can be longer).

As for doctor's programs, in Sweden training in doctoral studies is possible, however there are two kinds of diplomas. It is possible to receive degree of the licensee (Licentiate Degree) at development of 120 credit units for 2 years, and it is possible to receive the doctor's degree (4 years, 240 credits) after defending a doctoral dissertation, which should be based on the scientific work and the results of the study [4].

Swedish education is gaining new positions in the pan-European space of higher education, primarily because of its orientation to the future, as well as the opportunities for free education for EU citizens. The competitiveness of Swedish universities is quite high: in addition to the QS rating for 2016-2017, outlined in the top 400, there are five more Swedish universities.

The Unified European Higher Education Area oriented national educational system to create conditions to ensure equal opportunities to educate all citizens of countries that joined the Bologna Declaration in 1999. All universities in Sweden and Norway have ECTS-compatible national systems for assessing students' knowledge (see table), in addition, they expand the teaching in English, which increases the opportunities for academic exchange, aims to open Swedish and Norwegian universities for the maximum number of foreign students. 

Table 1 Comparability of the learner assessment system 

Thus, having got acquainted with the higher education systems of the Nordic countries, it can be noted that this model has proved itself from the best side, combining ample opportunities for those wishing to learn with long- standing educational traditions, dynamic and innovative culture in research and teaching methods. Each of the countries offers the highest standards of education, confirmed by international ratings (in the top 400 QS of the North European challenge - 22, in the top 500 ARWU - 21, in the top 400 Times Higher Education - 23 [4]), active application of theoretical Knowledge, the close relationship of university programs with the demands of the modern professional environment, interdisciplinary research, and the active development of research tasks by students. All this allows graduates of universities in Northern Europe to successfully compete in a saturated labor market with their peers from other countries [5]. 

Table 2 Dynamics of the ratings of the universities of Norway and Sweden in 2015-2017. 

* doesn't participate in rating

** participates in the separate rating of QS in the field of natural sciences and medicine

References:

1. Сабитова А.А. Международно-правовое сотрудничество государств в образовательном пространстве. // Вестн. КазНПУ. Сер. Международная жизнь и политика. – 2013. – № 3. – С. 13.
2. Высшее образование в Норвегии. //Портал Norsk.hru. [http://norsk.h14.ru/norge/edu.html]
3. Результаты рейтингов вузов опубликованы на официальных сайтах данных рейтингов: QS [https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings]; ARWU [http://www.shanghairanking.com/index.html]; TimesHigherEducation [https://www.timeshighereducation.com/]
4. Высшее образование в Швеции. // Портал Взгляд на Швецию из России. [http:// ru/vysshee-obrazovanie-v- shvecii/]
5. Кульбаева А.Т. Система высшего образования в Скандинавских странах на примере Финляндии и Дании: болонский контекст. //Вестн. КазНПУ. Сер. Международная жизнь и политика. – – № 4. – С. 54.