We are always delighted to see Hedda students to succeed. So we are particularly delighted about the news in May that Hedda master student Erin Nordal was elected as the vice-chairperson of ESU – the European Student Union. On this occasion we asked Erin a few questions about her new appointment and her views about higher education.
Erin Nordal
(Photo: NSO)
First of all, congratulations on your new appointment. Could you perhaps tell a little about what your work as a vice-chairperson for ESU will be about?
Thanks so much! As Vice-Chairperson of ESU I will lead an umbrella organisation that represents 47 national unions of students in 39 different countries, in total ca. 20 million students. Together with my two colleagues in the presidency, we are responsible for managing the internal development of the organisation, working with the budget and the staff. We also have a team of 7 other elected members, and 3 members selected by our team. Much of the work we do is focused on advocating for students rights, be they social, economic, cultural or political. We travel to many meetings and events, hold our own conferences and conventions, and speak at r conferences relevant for higher education and students. With the upcoming Bologna Ministerial Meeting in Yerevan in the spring of 2015, we will be placing all efforts on advocating for our policies and contributing to the discussion of the future of the Bologna Process. We will also be working with a new commissioner of education in the European Commission, and building relationships with a new set of members of the European Parliament that were elected in May.
Student union representatives tend to come from quite varied backgrounds – what attracted you to this? Is there a particular aspect about higher education as a field that you find particularly fascinating?
I started out as an exchange student from the United States at the University of Bergen, and I became the chair of the newly established International Committee in the Student Council of the Faculty for Social Sciences, which worked on improving conditions for international students at the faculty, especially focusing on inclusion. From there I was recruited into one of the political parties of the University’s Student Parliament, and I was elected Vice-Chairperson of the Parliament within only 6 months. My interests in student representation kept growing, and a year later I was elected to the executive committee of the National Union of Students in Norway (NSO), as international officer.
Along with being a student in the hedda programme this past year, I’ve been an elected representative in ESU’s Executive Committee, which is a volunteer position, but involves much of the same advocacy tasks as the presidency has. Throughout my time in the student movement, I’ve always worked internationalisation, although my main interest is the broader picture of it all: quality in learning and teaching, funding, governance and the role that the university plays in society. That being said, having grown up and studied for several years in the US, I am amazed by the power, professionalism and dedication that the student movement Europe has. I’m really proud to be a part of it.
Europe is still recovering from the financial crisis that has also had some consequences amongst else for public funding of higher education in a number of countries. In this context, what will in your opinion be the key challenges in European higher education in the coming years?
One of the major shifts that we have been witnessing for years is an ideological shift towards what is called the knowledge economy and away from the knowledge society. The knowledge economy focuses on the use of education for furthering economic growth, while the knowledge society focuses on education as a way for furthering social and cultural values in society. While the knowledge economy isn’t necessarily a bad thing in general, it often is used to point out how the individual benefits financially from higher education which means that students should be paying for their education. It also implies changes in research and educational priorities towards what is seen as profitable and applicable within the short term, instead of what is best for society in the long-term.
As you mentioned, funding is the most major challenge. The crisis has had severely negative impacts on how education is prioritised in national budgets. Tuition fees for students are being implemented or increased, and in some cases by over 300%, such as in the UK. Especially in the Nordic countries, tuition fees for students from outside of the EU and EEA are being implemented, which in turn closes Europe off from the rest of the world. Grants are also being turned into loans, and students face a bleak future with high unemployment and a daunting amount of debt.
All of this leads to the other major challenge that we face in Europe, which is ensuring equal access for all students. Many countries fail to collect data and set national targets for improving access for the students who are excluded from universities. For higher education to benefit the society as a whole, the diversity of the population needs to be represented in the student population.
Finally, one of the major challenges that we’ve had for years, and continues is that countries are loosing their commitment to the Bologna Process, using Bologna reforms as an excuse to implement other policies that negatively impact students and society. Nearly all of the countries are also failing to follow up on the commitments that have been made already in the Bologna Process. The Bologna Process is probably one of the most important forms of cooperation for higher education, as it is the only place where all stakeholders are formally represented. This is especially important for us as students to be heard.
You are also a student at the Hedda master programme – how do you see the relationship between the more theoretical knowledge about higher education in your work at ESU and as a student representative?
The knowledge that I have gained through the Hedda master programme has significantly contributed to having the level of expertise needed to play an expert role in advocating for the policies of ESU. It has given me the insight and opportunity to be able to see the bigger picture in the work that we do, which is necessary when designing new policies. Especially when it comes to complex topics such as university governance, funding and management, it’s important to have the theoretical background that we develop through the master’s programme.
Throughout the past year, while both studying and working as a member of ESU’s executive committee, I’ve also been able to use my knowledge and experience from the student movement to better understand the theories and concepts we work with in the master’s programme.
From all of us at Hedda – good luck with this important job!