54 Municipalities and 5 Universities in Northern Sweden make

KHiS

- Municipalities and Universities in Collaboration

Background and History

Since the end of the 1980-ies municipality representatives and representatives for Luleå Institute of Technology, Umeå University and Mitthögskolan met on a yearly basis to exchange experiences and information. From 1992 to 1996 two Learning Centre-projects aimed to improve and to increase the use of municipal Learning Centres. These projects resulted in 1996 in the new organisation for collaboration – KHIS.

The purpose of KHiS

The purpose of KHiS is to collaborate and create increased accessibility to higher education and competency development in places without a University of their own in northern Sweden. Thereby local competency needs can thus be catered for in each region respectively.

This is mainly achieved through the collaborative development of flexible education programmes that are delivered over distance, and also by prioritizing usage of distance bridging Information and communication Technologies and associated teaching techniques (ICT). The spread of information about Study/Learning centres shall be mediated through the University Institutions.

KHiS shall increase the possibilities and act as pressure group towards authorities and organisations to favour the common good in the purpose to coordinate demands to new educations and to stimulate innovative thinking.

KHiS Objectives

• To obtain a long-term, economically sustainable solutions for educational volumes and choice.

• Based on the size of the network operate actively towards governmental departments, other authorities, businesses, etc.

• To stimulate the use of distance-bridging information and communication technologies and associated educational methods.

• To contribute to that the awareness and knowledge about the municipal Learning Centres is increased both within the municipalities as well as in the Universities.

• To contribute to the coordination of demands on new education programs and to stimulate innovative thinking.

• To stimulate the exchange of experiences and new ideas, both at the annual KHiS Conference and continuously through the KHiS website.

www.khis.org