Hedda (Higher Education Development Association) is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a one-day conference on 4th of November, 2011. The conference is themed “Mergers and Higher Education Cooperation” and takes place at the University of Oslo, the coordinating institution of Hedda.

Issues related to institutional mergers are now high on the agenda in the Nordic countries. In the new global context there is a pronounced focus on having the most effective institutions to produce new knowledge and contribute to innovation and economic development, in an increasingly unstable and financially restrained environment. Within this context, higher education institutions in a variety of countries are going through merger processes. However – what do we know about the dynamics of institutional mergers and the outcomes of these processes?

The conference highlights some international developments, in addition to giving an insight into some of the recent processes in the Nordic countries.

The aim of the conference is to bring together research and practice, featuring keynotes from top international researchers in the field and providing the practical insights from people who have held top executive positions in a merger process. We feel that this anniversary celebration captures what Hedda as an organisation is about in its aims to strengthen the relationship between higher education research and practice.

We are pleased to announce Dr. Leo Goedegebuure as the main keynote speaker, he has extensive experience in researching institutional mergers in various contexts and he has published over 100 articles and approximately 15 books, many focused on merger processes.

Practical information about the venue, registration form and updated information on additional keynote speakers will be added early August and there will be a link provided on the Hedda blog.