Goodbye from Merethe!
The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (Hk-Dir) offers a short-term internal position at the Norcore office every semester.The aim is to have an exchange benefitting both the office in Brussels and in Norway. This spring, we were lucky to have Merethe Anker-Nilssen, Senior Advisor in the Department of Evaluations and Research. We had a chat at the end of her stay, about her experience and thoughts.
Merethe's background with both higher education and skills, has been of high value in Brussels working with synergies and cross-disciplinary topics in the EU.
- My broad experience has been useful both in the office and in the EU context. Academically, I have learned about those synergies together with the two other organisations, but also a lot about the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and Innovation Norway (IN). To know exactly where you can find the right sources within the EU system as well as learning the ''EU language'' while reading all these documents, is a highly underestimated value. Decisions here affect Norway to a great extent, and being ahead is key.
She summarizes the three most important points from her stay.
1. Networking is more than just talk. I will definitely take more initiative for meeting places to network and discuss.
2. Expanded expertise about the EU programmes and system; making it easier to access the right information, especially when providing input to the Ministry of Education and Research.
3. All the contacts you get in Brussels! I would not have had the same connections if I had not been here.
Last, but not least, her kind words about the NorCore office cannot go untold.
- It has been inspiring to work with such talented people as my colleagues at NorCore. I have learned so much by being part of this joint office, where one gets quick access to information - to both influence and use that information early enough in all the processes. Especially with Norway not being a member of the EU, collaboration with partners from other countries truly is the key.
- The unique coordination the office has, with other stakeholders, is something one can't get done from Norway if the aim is to have an impact on decisions and policymaking. I've enjoyed every second of my stay, Merethe said.
By Theresa Aarhus
NorCore Trainee