We are excited to announce that this week ISET will be hosting a large delegation representing the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen. A four-day program is planned to start on April 6, which includes anti-corruption seminars, public discussions, and site visits to relevant public institutions and businesses.

The main goal of these events is for Georgian and Norwegian students to have a better understanding of the political and socio-economic context of Georgia’s anti-corruption reforms, what worked and what did not work. Georgia is internationally recognized for its successes in reforming the public sector, improving the quality of public services, and eliminating corruption. Georgia’s experience – both positive and negative – carries lessons both for its current policymakers and development practitioners around the world.

The NHH delegation consists of 32 students and faculty members. It will be led by Professor Sunniva Whittaker, Vice-Rector at NHH, and Professor Tina Søreide, a leading scholar in the field of law and economics.

The aim of the current phase in our collaboration with NHH is to develop a dual degree program in energy and environmental economics. The project is supported by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (Senter for internasjonalisering av utdanning (SIU)). SIU funding will also provide ISET students and faculty with the opportunity to spend some time on the NHH campus in Bergen, participate in research seminars, and take advanced courses that are not available at ISET.

The academic partnership with the Norwegian School of Economics is a major step towards making ISET a truly international program. NHH is the latest addition to the list of ISET international partners which already includes such premier European institutions as HEC Lausanne, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the University of Bielefeld.

The Norwegian School of Economics is a business school situated in Bergen, Norway. Opened in 1936 by King Haakon VII, it is Norway's oldest business school and has since its foundation been a leading Norwegian teaching and research institution in the fields of economics and business administration. The school celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2011.