Akademi Norr Becomes a Model for Europe

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In 2007 Akademi Norr visited Cornwall in England in connection with the Fyra Norra project. This was the start of a cooperation, which since then has grown in concept as well as scope. The Combined Universities of Cornwall is a result of strategic thinking as regards the use of structural funding, built on local and regional conditions and with the aim of developing growth and a changed structure of trade & industry and working life. The work in Cornwall has become quite renowned and has also led to their establishing themselves as "No 1 in Europe" as regards creating effects out of EU funding.

As early as the first meeting there was an interest from Cornwall to learn more about the work that Akademi Norr has done as regards building infrastructures, networks and knowledge of how to deliver higher education in areas outside the campus sites. After two years' planning, meetings and partnership building the UNICREDS (University Collaboration in Regional Development Spaces) project was approved by Interreg 4C with its office at Lille, France. The project includes 15 partners from 6 countries, and aims at developing regions with structural problems by means of the so-called "UNICREDS 5-step model". The model will be built on 5 cases of best practice, which will be compiled, described and accounted for at workshops, seminars, conferences and in writing during the project period 2010-2012. The model includes the following cases:

Geographic and community fit (Akademi Norr)
Building partnerships (Skellefteå Campus)
Embedding economic and community benefits (Cornwall)
Nurturing innovation (UHI Millennium Institute, Skottland)
Achieving excellence (University Consortium of Seinajoki, Finland)

The major part of the budget deals with an exchange of experiences, which will enable decision-makers on different levels to get an opportunity to meet and "learn from each other". For Akademi Norr it will imply both an opportunity to visit other environments and also to demonstrate what we have managed to achieve.

The total budget is at SEK 25 million, of which ca 5.5 million is the total budget for the Swedish partners (Akademi Norr, Skellefteå Campus and Region Västerbotten). Interreg 4C will finance 75 % of the Swedish part.

Region Västerbotten decided on December 11, 2009, to co-finance the whole of the Swedish co-financing of the project from its 1:1 funding. The operative part of the project will start on February 4-5, as the project steering committee will meet in Brussels. For Akademi Norr January will be devoted to allocate the resorces for the project.

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