"This is a strategy designed to meet the challenges of the future," said Tora Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education, in connection with the launch of the new MST strategy Mathematics, science and technology for the future.
"The MST strategy will be heavily incorporated into framework plans and curricula, as well as into teacher training programmes, competence development activities and research initiatives," she stated.
Clear goals ' joint effort
The main objectives of the strategy are to increase interest in MST subjects, to strengthen recruitment to and completion of MST studies at all levels and to improve the general level of MST proficiency among Norwegian pupils. One particular aim of the strategy is to increase the recruitment of young women to the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry and technology.
The new MST strategy has been developed in cooperation with the National Forum for Mathematics, Science and Technology, a meeting place for the government, industry and the education sector. The participants of the forum, including the Research Council, will play a part in implementing the new strategy.
Society's needs
There is a large, unmet need for MST candidates in Norwegian trade and industry; moreover this sector is under pressure to increase its research activities significantly.
It is the university and university college sector that provide trade and industry with MST expertise. However, it is crucial that a sufficient proportion of doctoral candidates remain in academia and help to cultivate viable and robust research groups there.
"Increased cooperation between trade and industry and academia is a key success factor. A competitive industrial sector is dependent on a high-quality education sector, and vice versa," said Minister Aasland.
Targeting children and young people
The Research Council's role in implementing the new strategy in part involves its existing initiatives for children and young people. The Nysgjerrigper Science Knowledge Project (for children aged 6 - 12), the Proscientia project (for young people aged 12 ' 21), National Science Week, the PROREAL programme, which focuses on raising the profile of mathematics and science, and the Science Centre Programme, a programme for the development of regional science centres, all have MST as a main focus and are all relevant in this context. The PROREAL programme and the Science Centre Programme are specifically oriented towards these fields.
