QUEEN MAUD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education (QMUC), Trondheim, was established in 1947, and is a non-profit scientific institution specialized on training Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) teachers and doing research within the ECEC field. QMUC’s strategic vision is “to the best interest of the child”, and all teaching and research conducted is guided by this vision.
The largest part of QMUC’s teaching is a bachelor’s-level professional education and further ECEC studies on the master’s level (four master programs). The number of students at QMUC is approximately 1400. One of QMUC’s master programs, Early Childhood Education and Care – Early Childhood in a Changing Society, has a special course on ECEC Institutions’ Physical and Psychosocial Environment which is very relevant for this application. We also have a special early childhood teacher education with a focus on outdoor play and nature activities. Outdoor play and learning is one of the scientific specialties of QMUC, both within teaching and research.
All together QMUC has about 140 professional employees and the research staff counts approximately 90 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including 13 professors, 35 associate professors, 51 assistant professors, and 9 PhD students. QMUC aspires to be on the international forefront of key research areas within the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. QMUC’s main aim is to provide new, relevant and research-based knowledge to society in general, and to the ECEC sector particularly, as well as to our students and collaborating institutions. QMUC’s scholars are all focusing on ECEC relevant research, and several participate in both national and international research. The university college is co-operating broadly with local and national administrations/ agencies, with public and private bodies in our region, and with other colleges and universities, engaged in the field of ECEC. One of the strengths of QMUC is its close contact with the ECEC sector, which enables its faculty to identify knowledge and competence needs in the practice field and furthermore to initiate relevant and sought after research. QMUC’s research activity is thematically organized into five research groups: 1) Childhood and cultural diversity (Managed by Professor Tora Korsvold), 2) Spaces for play and learning (Managed by Professor Ellen Beate H. Sandseter), 3) Management in ECEC institutions (Managed by Professor Kjell-Åge Gotvassli), 4) Special education needs and early intervention (Managed by Professor Berit Groven), and 5) Child culture and arts education (Managed by Professor Marit Hopperstad). QMUC has a high number of scientific publications relative to the number of research resources.
QMUC’s main funding comes from the Norwegian Government and money is allocated to both teaching and research. As such, all employees at QMUC have a certain share of R&D included in their position. In addition, further research activities are funded through project based grants such as from The Research Council of Norway, The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, Erasmus +, and other foundations and stake holders.
QMUC is established as a foundation with a board, a rector, three vice rectors and approximately 140 employees. The institution is registered as a non-profit organization and has a VAT exempt status.
Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education – Trondheim, Norway
