BI Norwegian School of Management is one of the larger higher education institutions in Norway and the largest business school in Europe. Their maritime education faculty, BI Shipping, is a growing force in Norwegian and global maritime education, and has acquired invaluable experience in working abroad with international research and education and training programmes. BI works with maritime personnel from over 80 countries, many of them from developing nations. In 2007, BI decided to anchor shipping centrally in its strategic plan of action. They continue to work towards creating a successful maritime venture programme by providing the industry with stable, specialised recruitment of a competent and sorely needed workforce.
The Maritime Trainee program, under the guidance of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, is designed primarily for students with a Masters' in Economics or Business Administration. The program runs over two years, starting in the autumn. Trainees have their primary employment a dedicated company, but also have a shorter period as guest workers in another, related company in the program. In addition to daily tasks they also gain insight into their company's overall enterprise, and take part in approx. 35 days of theoretical maritme education together with their fellow trainees.
The program was established in 2005 with 24 corporate sponsors, and 25 in 2007. The 2008 group will have approximately 30 openings, with sponsors from shipping, yards and equipment, to banking, insurance and maritime law. For more information contact project manager Tom Kleppestø.
Vestfold University College is a medium-sized Norwegian university college with approximately 4000 students, offering a wide range of bachelor's and master's degree programmes and a large number of credit courses. Vestfold offers Bachelor's degrees in social sciences and maritime studies and Master's and Bachelor's degrees in the fields of health, education and engineering.
The Scandinavian Institute for Maritime Law at the University of Oslo is divided into two departments - Department of Maritime Law and Department of Petroleum and Energy Law. A recently established pan-Scandinavian collaboration on Marine Insurance and Risk Management has proven to be a great success. The Institute has joint administration with the Centre for European Law. The Institute's academic staff cover a wide range of private and public law subjects, with special interest in the fields of maritime and transportation law, insurance law, and petroleum and energy law.
The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF), with its 1800 employees, is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia. SINTEF’s headquarters are based in Trondheim but it conducts extensive maritime research through its subsidiary MARINTEK at their Oslo offices.
While not located in Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim represents a national resource in technical education and research, and they have extensive collaboration with institutions and companies in all major regions in Norway, including Oslo. Their two-year Master of Science degree in Marine Technology has prepared many Norwegian and foreign students for innovative, professional challenges in a wide variety of career possibilities.