The NTNU Board approved a merger with university colleges in Gjøvik, Ålesund and Sør-Trøndelag today; NTNU name to be retained.

“I see great academic gains from this merger,” says NTNU Rector Gunnar Bovim. “We will establish a unified university in Trondheim covering most of our educational areas at all levels. Parallel to this, closer cooperation with SINTEF will create greater opportunities for research at NTNU. From an international perspective, this is an important contribution to achieving the high ambitions Trondheim must have as a research city.”

“Merging with the university colleges in Gjøvik and Ålesund will strengthen the academic opportunities in technology,” Bovim says.

The partners anticipate that the merger will increase recruitment to all their study programmes, both in Norway and from abroad.  They also believe that NTNU will be better positioned to obtain EU contracts and compete for highly qualified labour.

Rectors pleased

Bovim’s colleagues at the partner university colleges are pleased with the decision to merge.

“We look forward to building the new university together. This will be a flexible model in the educational landscape. I see some challenges related to subject profiles and geographical distance, but these we shall certainly be able to solve,” says Rector Helge Klungland at Sør-Trøndelag University College.

Rector Jørn Wroldsen at Gjøvik University College is looking forward to an exciting transition. “We have the ambition to add new expertise and innovative strength both in our region and nationally. I hope regional and central authorities will actively support the strategy that NTNU and the university colleges have laid out,” says Wroldsen.

Rector Marianne Synnes at Ålesund University College is also happy about the decision. “The merger will enable us to fulfill our social mission even more effectively.  This will also benefit our regional business sector and employment. We can become a stronger partner in both education and research,” she says.

Disappointment in Narvik

Originally it was suggested that Narvik University College be included in the new university, but NUC is not part of the merger. The college is also the smallest of the partners.

“It is disappointing, especially that the northern Norwegian perspective is not part of such a large technology merger. But this has also been a useful and informative process where we have been looked at cooperation possibilities that we hadn’t thought of before,” says Rector Arne Erik Holdø of NUC.

Bovim emphasizes that NTNU still wants to expand its cooperation with other institutions and industry clusters across the country.

All the participating rectors are committed to working together to arrive at a common vision and effective academic and administrative organization of the new university.

It is too early to say exactly when the merger will take effect.

For further information contact:

Rector Helge Klungland, Sør-Trøndelag University College, tel. +47 907 52 920
Rector Jørn Wroldsen, Gjøvik University College, tel. +47 918 79 443
Rector Marianne Synnes, Ålesund University College, tel. +47 472 68 858
Rector Gunnar Bovim, NTNU, tel.+47  954 67 446
Rector Arne Erik Holdø, Narvik University College, tel. +47 934 06 464