A new law in Norway mandates language training for foreign PhD students and postdocs, sparking legal challenges and criticism from academics who argue it impairs research competitiveness. Effective August 1, 2024, the law requires non-Norwegian speakers to complete language courses, with proponents claiming it aims to preserve Norwegian in academia. However, critics, including Nobel laureate Edvard Moser, contend that the law may deter international recruits, raise costs for universities, and ultimately fail to bolster Norwegian as a scientific language amid a growing trend of protectionist policies across Europe.
"These demands will make it difficult for us to recruit them," says Edvard Moser, a Nobel laureate who heads up the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience."
Critics argue that the law could harm Norway's ability to attract and retain international talent by cutting into research time and making hiring more expensive.
The law's aim is to 'preserve Norwegian as a professional language and prevent English from becoming the main language in Norwegian higher education.'
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