CEMPE has been a 10-year long adventure and a gift to the Norwegian Academy of Music and higher music education. What initiatives and projects will live on beyond CEMPE's period?

Reflecting on the projects and achievements since 2014, made possible through the funds granted to the centre, is indeed overwhelming. Many development initiatives have been realized for the benefit of the educational institutions, students, and teachers. As CEMPE concludes, it is encouraging to see that several development initiatives are carrying forward CEMPE's ideas and methodologies.

1st January 2024, the day after CEMPE's tenure ended, marked the commencement of a new chapter for the Norwegian Academy of Music through our participation in the European University Alliance IN.TUNE. The alliance is the first of its kind for higher music education institutions and is a significant achievement. In the coming years, NMH, in collaboration with seven European higher music education institutions, will collectively develop in various areas, including teaching methods, staff competency development, and student involvement. The knowledge and experience gained from ten years with CEMPE provide valuable insights when entering this endeavour.

Another significant development occurred in 2023 when NMH introduced a merit award scheme for educators. This initiative established a structure that values and rewards pedagogical development work, quality improvement, and a culture of collegial sharing. Currently, there is also a general heightened awareness that pedagogical development work is equated with research and artistic development work. This is evident both in announcements of additional R&D and in the material presented on websites and at conferences.

In the area of student involvement and partnership, several initiatives will continue beyond CEMPE. The student-led project scheme that CEMPE initiated and managed for four years will be carried forward by NMH. Although the funding will be somewhat reduced, the existence of this scheme and the elective course is crucial. It provides a key foundation for students’ agency to make their education more relevant and to develop their artistic identity during their studies. We also believe that the cultural shift regarding student partnership in significant decision-making processes is a lasting change. Students’ voices are valued more today than ten years ago, visible in that students play a central role in IN.TUNE, and in that today's student committee receives more compensation for their work.

The Music Student Conference, funded by CEMPE for three years, will continue with financial support from the National Committee for higher music education institutions (FUM), and will take place at the University of Agder in 2024. The National Network for Music Students that started as a spin-off from the Music Student Conference because students felt a need to continue to collaborate and join forces with their fellow music students around Norway, will also continue with practical and economic support from FUM.

The strong, national collaboration among higher education institutions, to which CEMPE has contributed, will largely be sustained through CreaTeMe. The Centre for Excellence in Creative Use of Technologies in Music Education at the University of Agder was awarded centre status in 2022 and will operate until the end of 2026.

Despite the challenging financial situation at NMH towards the end of CEMPE, we recommend that NMH revisit the plans for a learning centre or a centre for pedagogical development work once the financial circumstances allow. We believe that such a centre would be beneficial to maintain a strong emphasis on pedagogical development and quality improvement of learning and teaching practices. It will also ensure that student-focused and student-active learning methods are further developed and become an integral part of higher music education. Additionally, it could serve as a hub for all the development initiatives that currently are ongoing at NMH and for projects that will start up as a the IN.TUNE project develops.

Thank you

Lastly, we want to use the opportunity to say thank you to all the wonderful people who made CEMPE into what it was. Thank you to staff who have been involved in CEMPE's projects, who have spent their time developing new learning and teaching models, new teaching roles, new forms of collaboration and new ways of integrating students into research and artistic development work. Thank you to our student partners, to students who led projects, and to students who created networks and contributed to the national and European discourse on higher music education. Thank you to the International Advisory Board of the first period and to the steering group members throughout the two periods. Thank you to those who worked administratively to make the centre work so smoothly. Thank you also to AEC for the close collaboration in the SMS-project on the LATIMPE platform. And lastly, thank you to the Norwegian Academy of Music for hosting the centre, both providing support and a fruitful collaboration, thank you to Nokut for granting us this opportunity in the first place, and to Diku and HK-dir for facilitating such an inspiring network of National Centres for Excellence in Education.