From regional colleges to global universities? The impact of academic drift on Norwegian higher education

This paper examines the evolution of Norwegian higher education with a particular focus on the role and transformation of colleges. Historically, these colleges have been instrumental in providing geographically accessible, higher (vocational) education tailored to local and regional needs, significantly contributing to Norway’s workforce and community development. However, reforms over the past three decades have drastically altered their structure and function. By using prior research and descriptive data analysis in combination with a case study of the consequences of a merger process at one leading university, we analyse the concept of academic drift and its implications. Our findings highlight side effects of these changes: While the reforms often claimed to streamline higher education, foster global competitiveness and improving efficiency, they disregard the original function of providing regional educational opportunities and skill needs, focusing less on the original welfare state-oriented goals of these institutions. Additionally, the geographical spread as well as the disciplinary breath of merged institutions are under constant threat as part of ongoing rationalisation processes. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of how educational reforms have reshaped the landscape of higher education in Norway

Understanding Plurality, Engagement, and Change in Vocational Education and Training through French Pragmatic Theory

This paper argues for the use of French pragmatic theory for theorising about vocational education and training (VET) through a focus on understanding plurality, human engagement, and change within VET organisations and in various training situations and professions. Drawing upon the influential works of Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot, we propose that French pragmatist theory offers a valuable framework for understanding the complex dynamics of VET systems and practices. French pragmatic theory, as an analytical tool, sheds light on the existence of diverse perspectives and conflicting rationales in education as well as in work life. Additionally, Thévenot’s engagement theory reveals the tensions between forms of attachment and the moral evaluations in humans’ interactions with VET systems. We argue that utilising these theoretical perspectives can provide a richer understanding of social dynamics, conflicting values, and justifications within the VET context

Challenges in the transition from apprenticeships to higher education in England, Germany, and Norway

The transition from technical and vocational education and training to higher education is particularly challenging for apprenticeship graduates. These challenges are not only bureaucratic or logistical but also reflect deeper systemic inequalities. In many countries, apprenticeship routes at the upper secondary level are disproportionately chosen by disadvantaged groups in relation to class, gender, and/or race. As a result, the limited, time‐consuming, and inconsistently regulated progression pathways in place contribute to the reproduction of social inequality. This article examines how such structural barriers are embedded in three national apprenticeship models in England, Germany, and Norway, where access to apprenticeship qualifications is primarily mediated by the labour market. In England, higher‐level apprenticeship routes combine company‐based learning with part‐time participation in institutional education. In Germany, the parallel or “dual” model integrates school‐based and company‐based training, while Norway’s sequential model structures apprenticeships as successive phases in schools and workplaces. In comparing these models, we conclude that despite differences across transition routes and claims to improve permeability, the divide between vocational and academic education persists across all three systems, thereby reinforcing rather than reducing systemic inequality