NORHED. The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development. Results 2015

The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) was launched by Norad in 2012 and aims at strengthening capacity in higher education and research in low and middle income countries.

This report is the second annual results report for the NORHED programme. The aim of the report is to present key achievements and results to date, to contribute to programme level learning as well as to point out any areas to be improved. It is clear from the report that the programme is making good progress in contributing to strengthening universities in our partner countries in terms of the programme’s intended results: More and better qualified graduates, and more and better research produced by the country’s own researchers.

While the first NORHED Results Report focused mainly on the programme documents and project reports, this report goes more in depth into the selected countries of Ethiopia and Uganda. These are the two countries with the highest number of NORHED projects. The report is based on consultations with project partners both in partner countries and Norway, including field visits to Ethiopia and Uganda. We learn about both accomplishments and challenges for the programme and related to specific countries and projects. Some of the main challenges identified will help us to adjust the programme continuously, and to ensure that the intended results are reached.

This report provides an excellent opportunity to understand the vital role of higher education and research in contributing to sustainable development. It is encouraging to see that the programme is progressing well in the key areas of institutional strengthening for improved education and research.