1980-2000: Specialisation and international expansion
In the early 1980s it was realised that the doctorial programme required updating and a new, structured PhD programme was introduced involving taught courses in addition to the research and writing of a thesis. This new PhD programme continued the focus on research at NHH, rather than just teaching. The first candidate to graduate from the new PhD programme did so in 1985 and the annual production of candidates increased from 1 in 1985 to 12 in 1990.
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| 'Modern' computer facilities, 1985 | |
The focus on expansion and internationalisation of research was recognised in 1984 as NHH was ranked 7th globally and 3rd in Europe in the American Economic Review amongst economics schools or departments in non-English speaking countries by publications in leading journals.
In 1984 SAF became organised as a separate research foundation and in 1986 the Centre for International Business (CIB) was founded in 1986. SAF, IØI and CIB were amalgamated into one research foundation, Samfunns- og næringslivsforskning (SNF - The Institute for Research in Economics and Business Administration) in 1991, and joined the NHH group as a market-based research organisation.
During this period, close relations with international research environments were also established. The international activities at the school have increased considerably and the international focus has become stronger over the years. In 1984 NHH established their first international exchange agreement with the Stockholm School of Economics, and in 1986 NHH became the first institution in Norway to offer a master degree programme taught entirely in English - the Master of International Business (MIB). Following this, greater emphasis has been placed on exchange arrangements for students, and the school joined the prestigious Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) and the ERASMUS programme in 1992 and the global Partnership in International Management (PIM) network in 1995. With the expansion of international activities, the International Office was established in 1993 to manage NHH's international relationships.
The changed political situation in Central and Eastern Europe following the fall of the Berlin wall opened up new international opportunities for NHH. In partnership with London Business School, HEC School of Management and Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), NHH established the Warsaw University of Technology Business School (WUTBS) in 1992. This was followed in 1995 by the establishment of the Nordic-Russian Leadership Executive Training programme (NORLET) in partnership with St Petersburg State University School of Management and the other Nordic CEMS partners. This was further developed with the formation of the North-European Business School Educational Network (NEBSEN) by the same partners in 1999 and the establishment of a two year master programme in International Business at St Petersburg State University. In the same year NHH established the Baltic Management Institute (BMI) in partnership with Copenhagen Business School, HEC School of Management, Louvain School of Management and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania to offer an International EMBA programme.
SAS CEO Jan Carlsson with flight attendants and Svæveru' at the first Symposiet, 1983
The 1980's and 1990's also provided new developments and growth for NHHS. In 1980 the first UKEN was organised, a three week music festival that has now grown into the second largest festival in Western Norway. This was built on the traditional 'studenteruken' or students week dating back to 1946 when the students at NHH organised a week long revue, and is now organised every second year. The musical activities in NHHS saw the arrival of the all-female choir Sangria and the mixed choir Optimum in 1980 and Big Business Band in 1984. The business involvement at NHHS deepened in 1983 when the first Næringslivssymposiet (the Scandinavian Management Symposium), or Symposiet for short, was organised by students. This conference was inspired by, amongst others, the Management Symposium organised by University of St Gallen since 1971. Symposiet brought together leading speakers from the business, politics and research sectors to discuss themes of importance to the business community and public sector in Norway.
Adult and continuing education at NHH received a major boost with the launch of the Autorisert FinasAnalytikerstudium (AFA - Authorised Financial Analyst) executive master programme in partnership with Norske Finansanalytikeres Forening (NFF - Norwegian association of financial analysts) in 1989. This was followed in 1993 with the executive Master in Technology Management (MTM) in partnership with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and in 1994 with the executive Master programme in Management Control (MØST).
The first EMBA in Strategic Management Class (MASTRA I), 1996
In 1996 NHH established its first Executive MBA programme, with a specialisation in Strategic Management (MASTRA). This programme was established as a natural development and extension of the work that NHHK had been doing since the late 1950's in promoting both further and continuing education. The two year part-time EMBA programme was a success and further specialisations were added in later years. These programmes were built on the academic competences of NHH combined with the experience gained from running part-time, specialised courses for people in business and public administration who were not able to take a full time course of study, but still had the desire to learn.
Student and staff numbers continued to rise throughout the 1980's and 1990's. By 1985 there were 1670 students and 198 members of staff in total. The continued growth lead to NHH gradually taking over all of the Merino building and in 1995 the Service building was opened, providing new library, IT and study facilities as well as a book shop, canteen and offices.
Continue on to 2000-present: Continued growth and development into the 21st Century.
