Western Norway Graduate School of Educational Research (WNGER)

This project describes the establishment of a Graduate School of Educational Research in Western Norway. Behind the application are five partner institutions, one university and four colleges (The University of Bergen, the Stord/Haugesund University Colle ge, Sogn og Fjordane University College, the Norwegian Teacher Academy (NLA) and Bergen University College). The research school will be anchored at the University of Bergen and developed in collaboration with Vestnorsk Nettverk (http://www.uib.no/vnn-f u/), and faculties responsible for the obligatory part of the PhD training. WNGER will also draw on international networks already established by the collaborating partners, ongoing research projects and engaged Professor IIs. This proposal also include s an application for a Professor II attached to the Research School, Professor Rosamund Sutherland from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol, UK. Sutherland has substantial experience from PhD-supervision and is former Head of the University of Bristols Graduate School. Through a joint effort by the participating institutions, the school will develop a course programme specifically designed to promote high quality educational research. The collaborating partners will form a boar d with one member from each institution. The board will decide on the course programme, the organization and the overall running of the school and evaluate the work. The board will also scrutinise applicants and make decisions on how to use external fundi ng to promote the work in the school. The School will arrange eight seminars or workshops each academic year.divided into four main categories: 1) Research methodology, 2) educational philosophy (and history), 3) writing and publication of academic text s and 4) thematic courses of relevance for the group of students attending the school that particular year. Each semester, there will be a two day workshop where candidates present their prosject