The City Government wants to spend three million kroner on creating a «knowledge alliance» between the City of Oslo and the city’s learning institutions.

Last week the City Government put forward its budget proposal for 2009. It wishes to put aside three million kroner for the so-called knowledge alliance. Rector at the University of Oslo (UiO), Geir Ellingsrud, has, together with the rectors of Oslo University College and the Norwegian School of Management BI, already had a meeting with the chairman of the City Government in connection with this venture in the capital.

- The City of Oslo and the institutions must reach an agreement on how the funds are to be spent, Ellingsrud says.

One of the main goals of the City Government is to strengthen Oslo as a centre of knowledge and decision-making, in close partnership with the central institutions of knowledge and research.

- The plan is to spend 1,8 million kroner each year on up to two fixed term postdoctoral positions. We would also like to establish a prize of 200 000 kroner for the best Oslo-related contribution to research, in which 100 000 kroner will go to the best contribution by a member of academic staff, while there will be two prizes of 50 000 kroner given to MA students, says Trond Andersen, head of section at the department of the chairman of the City Government.

The City Government will finish processing the budget in December.