HiT Masters in Open Source ProgramBackgroundTelemark and the Grenland region has the fastest growing software industry in Norway. The industry is organized in a membership-based association called IKT Grenland. The association has identified that their members see talent recruiting both in quality and volume as their biggest growth challenge. IKT Grenland has been working with the Telemark University College (Høgskolen i Telemark / HiT) on how to meet this challenge. Two actions has been agreed:
The Scandinavian Market StudyTelemark University College performed a FLOSS training Scandinavian Market Study in May and June of 2007. The results indicated a large and growing need for training in the basics of FLOSS use, FLOSS development, Open Licences, Community and Ecosystem construction and Business Model Development in software based companies and of Open licences, FLOSS use and Open collaboration in Municipalities in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The study concluded on a growing demand for traing and workshops in these areas and a lack of high quality offerings. Our goal is a joint development of a training offering with resources from the regional ICT vendors and Telemark Universtity College. However, we also invite global Academic instituion and vendors to participate in building an ecosystem with the goal of a global collaboration tpo enhance national and regional training and education offerings in the area. The goal is to offer academic credits on the training modules. In this way it will give an headstart on a master degree focusing on FLOSS and Open Innovation. Project TimelineThe team working on the master's program has already been assembled.
Strategies For a 2008 Start of Recruitment to a FLOSS Master's Program OfferingHiT may be able to get a head start on this project by cooperating with another Norwegian or international educational institution who is already offering a master's-level program. Students would complete their bachelor's degree at HiT and then would travel to the other institution to complete their master's. We need to identify potential partners with suitable master's-programs. Good places to start could include:
Content for the Master's ProgramWe will start building the content of the FLOSS 6 Open Innovation parts of the master program by offering module-based training workshops with full academic credentials to people currently employed in the ICT industry or major user organizations. The EuropeantOSSad Project provide us with a lot of the connections and the potential content of a future FLOSS master offering. The first content for the training offering will be developen in the COIOS and MOIOS workshop offerings. Expected Costs / Needed Resources to develop and Run the offeringDeveloping the Program- phase 1 - proposal to the board of HiT and to NOKUT Thei project was initiatet Oct 18th 2007 in a project group with people from IKT Grenaldn and HiT. The total Project is estimated to cost approx: 350 - 500 000 NOK. Operating the Masters Program HiT will need more people to run their master's program:
This will cost around 5 million NOK (~ 1 million USD.) The training offering is a strategic element in starting the buildup of this required competence in cooperation between companies and HiT. Main barrier: Student recruitmentHere we discussed the possibilities of member companies offering part-time employment for master level students if the education and the project/work practice part are sufficiently relevant for companies and the students get a mandatory work period after finishing the master degree. Action Items
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