• Capacity building in organisations

Capacity building in organisations

This paper presents the findings of a review of a research and scholarship programme financed by NORAD through the Network of University Cooperation Tibet-Norway (NTN). The programme aims to:

• generate new insight into the nature, culture and society of Tibet;
• enhance institution and competence building for Tibetan researchers and students;
• contribute to the exchange of Tibetan and Norwegian students and researchers.

The review involved discussions with stakeholders in Norway and visits to Norwegian universities, (including dicussions with students), as well as field work in TAR, which involved visiting members of partner institutions and scholars who had returned home after studying in Norway.

The review found that every fellow in TAR claimed that the study in Norway had had profound impact on their personal development. Reviewers also noted a growing awareness in the target institutions that international contacts and co-operation are an indispensable part of the modern global scientific community.

Other main conclusions of the review team include:

• the stipend program and research programs managed within the framework of the Network are very much appreciated both on the Tibetan and Norwegian sides
• the stipend program of the Network is the most extensive foreign stipend program focused on Tibetan students
• the Network has established strategies to ensure impartiality, but issues related to impartiality would diminish had there been more external evaluations of the proposals
• the process for selecting candidates for MA studies in Norway is not unified, which on
  the one hand creates flexibility, but on the other hand leads to a lack of transparency
• the generally low level of competence in English is the main obstacle for the Tibetan students when it comes to obtaining a MA degree in the stipulated two years.

On the basis of the review’s findings, the report makes the following recommendations:

• a separate Stipend Program managed by the Network should be kept, as students from
  Tibet would otherwise only in exceptional cases be able to compete for scholarships
  within open scholarship programs
• the requirements for English language competence should be enforced to a greater extent. More emphasis should be put on language training prior to the arrival of the students in Norway
• the Network should engage in creating transparent and efficient selection processes for
  candidates for MA studies in Norway in collaboration with the target institutions in TAR
• a solution to the administrative split between the Network Secretariat and UiB should be
  found. The Network should consider engaging itself in further dialogue with Nufu and SiU to assess options for resolving this.
  

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