NORSI is a Nordic research school aimed at PhD candidates specializing in innovation and entrepreneurship. Currently, NORSI has 32 partner institutions across Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. The school’s primary mission is to strengthen doctoral education in the Nordic region by offering credit-granting PhD courses, writing seminars, conferences, and other activities that support academic development. Additionally, NORSI works to build and enhance Nordic and international connections within these specialized research communities.
The need for closer collaboration and increased access to research-based knowledge in innovation and entrepreneurship has never been greater. Global challenges such as climate change and rising social inequality demand innovative and sustainable solutions. This places NORSI in a key position to contribute to addressing these challenges through research and education.
NORSI’s courses and research activities are designed to meet these needs. With an interdisciplinary approach, the research school creates a valuable arena for young researchers seeking to establish a clear academic identity in a complex and multifaceted field. Through NORSI, PhD candidates and faculty members become part of a dynamic network that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, research dissemination, and international connections.
This network plays a crucial role in shaping the future of research and innovation. It facilitates the exchange of ideas, critical reflection, and the integration of diverse perspectives. NORSI provides a platform where young researchers can develop both individually and collectively in the effort to address society’s most pressing challenges. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to creating a sustainable future and finding solutions to complex global problems.
We organize a wide range of activities, including approximately ten PhD courses each semester, networking events, digital gatherings, seminars, conferences, and excursions. Currently, NORSI has 353 active students, 158 alumni, and several hundred faculty members affiliated with the school, and we are growing rapidly. Our diverse and comprehensive course and activity portfolio is in high demand, not only among students but also among alumni and faculty seeking continued professional development. We look forward to expanding our support for these groups in the future.
NORSI is experiencing significant interest from new students, faculty members, and external partners who wish to join this success story and contribute to its further development.
For PhD Candidates:
PhD candidates have gained access to a wide range of high-quality academic courses, writing seminars, and international research conferences on the topic of innovation and entrepreneurship.?They have built strong international research networks, connecting with leading faculty members and fellow researchers across the Nordic region and beyond.?Through participation in various academic activities, including writing seminars, conferences, and extracurricular events, they have strengthened both their academic and professional competencies.
For Member Institutions:
Member institutions have been able to offer their PhD candidates access to top-tier courses and activities, contributing to an overall enhancement of doctoral education quality.?They have benefited from a broader selection of specialized and relevant courses tailored to innovation and entrepreneurship.?Through NORSI, institutions have leveraged a cost-effective model for delivering key components of doctoral education.? Research collaboration among Nordic institutions has been reinforced, leading to an increase in joint research projects and interdisciplinary partnerships.? Institutions have had the opportunity to engage in constructive benchmarking and exchange best practices within the NORSI network.
For Policymakers and Society:
NORSI has contributed to the production of higher-quality research with greater societal impact in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship. ?Collaboration among Nordic institutions has been strengthened, resulting in a higher number of well-developed research proposals submitted to national and international funding programs.? Through NORSI, Nordic research has been reinforced in areas critical to innovation and societal progress.
NORSI’s rapid growth and its broad range of activities over the past four years reaffirm its central role in advancing innovation, collaboration, and research excellence across the Nordic region. This success story highlights the value of investing in international and interdisciplinary education to address future challenges and opportunities.
NORSI is the Nordic research school for PhD students within the research areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. NORSI coordinates PhD courses and other activities of high international standard among its partner institutions. All NORSI member institutions work together to facilitate activities and pool resources. With this network-based approach, NORSI member institutions create an excellent research education within innovation and entrepreneurial-oriented PhD studies in the Nordic countries. NORSI’s key missions are firstly to support the next generation of researchers within innovation and entrepreneurship by enhancing and facilitating research education in Norway and the other Nordic countries. Secondly, NORSI aims to further coordinate and strengthen the Nordic and international connections in the research community.
The NORSI course portfolio and research discussions reflects that we increasingly live in a knowledge-intensive society with a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurial incentives and processes in all sectors. The need for collaborative and appropriately vetted knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurial processes in society has increased. Global solutions to sustainable development challenges such as climate change and inequality requires innovative and entrepreneurial knowledge. NORSI plan to evolve its cross-disciplinary program as the need for appropriately evidence-based understanding in these areas is apparent. With its multi-disciplinary approach NORSI is for young researchers an meeting place that give a disciplinary focus and stronger research identity in a multi-disciplinary research field. Through NORSI students and faculty are part of a network that provides opportunities for collaborations, research dissemination and international exchanges. Faculty and students expand their network through NORSI and increased collaboration results in hightned internationalization of participating NORSI institutions.
