As part of its academic visit to the University of Stavanger, Norway, a delegation from the University of Hargeisa paid an informative visit to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). During the visit, the delegation received a comprehensive briefing on NAV’s mandate, organisational structure, and the wide range of welfare and employment services it delivers to the people of Norway.

Following the visit, the delegation was warmly hosted for lunch by Professor Siv Oltedal, former faculty member of the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Stavanger. Professor Oltedal has maintained a longstanding relationship with the University of Hargeisa, having visited the institution in 2024, where she met with the leadership of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and contributed to Social Work teaching alongside colleagues from the University of Stavanger.

The gathering provided an excellent opportunity for meaningful discussions between the University of Hargeisa delegation, Professor Oltedal, and her former colleagues. The meeting focused on exchanging academic experiences, sharing best practices, and exploring opportunities to expand collaboration in teaching, research, staff and student exchanges, and institutional capacity building.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of both universities to strengthening international academic partnerships, promoting knowledge exchange, and advancing collaborative initiatives that contribute to higher education excellence and sustainable development.