NMH Joins NorPal

NorPal aims to mobilise and coordinate resources that can support and rebuild Palestinian higher education.

Marianne Skjulhaug, rector of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, first brought the initiative to the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH).

“When I heard about the initiative, I contacted the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and the Norwegian Academy of Music, both of which were eager to contribute to this work. Initially, we have come together to provide financial support, but we also envision collaborating in other ways in the future.

“We are pleased to contribute to this collaboration, which we believe is crucial for the future of the Palestinian people. Access to education is essential for rebuilding a society that has experienced war – and may continue to face more of it.”

To realise the goals of the consortium, the organisation is based on the following principles:

• Ensuring the structure allows for strong support and the opportunity for initiatives among leaders, staff, and students at our institutions.
• Ensuring coordination with relevant public organisations and aid agencies.
• Building robust and long-term collaborations with Palestinian universities and colleges.
• Opening opportunities for collaboration with relevant international partners.
• Facilitating the consortium's active role in public discourse and communication with political authorities regarding national initiatives. For example, a dedicated Palestine programme to fund Palestinian researchers and joint R&D projects between Palestinian and Norwegian academic communities under the Norwegian Research Council, similar to the initiative for Ukraine.

Our ambition in the consortium is to develop an organisational model and funding structure that provides sufficient administrative resources and development capacity, while remaining as non-bureaucratic, flexible, and scalable as possible.