About NAMED
The NAMED project will investigates Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish experiences and needs in mainstream schools in Norway. The 4-year project (2026–2029) project is funded by the Research Council of Norway.
The acronym NAMED refers to the project “Sustaining National Minorities in Education: Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish Experiences and Needs in Mainstream Schools.” The NAMED project responds to the urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding of the state of education about and for national minorities in mainstream education. Hence, the primary objective of the NAMED project is to assess the current state of teaching about and for the Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish national minorities in mainstream education in Norway and to chart a way forward for advancing education about and for these national minorities.
The NAMED project investigates the situation of Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish pupils through surveys mapping teachers’ competence to teach about and for these groups, as well as interviews with Kven/Norwegian Finnish and Forest Finnish pupils and their parents. Based on the findings, the project will propose revisions to legislation and curricula and develop new pedagogical theories and practices to support the national minorities.
The project comprises three working packages (WP): WP1 surveys teachers' knowledge, WP2 examines Kven/Norwegian Finnish pupils and parents, and WP3 focuses on Forest Finnish pupils and parents. WP1 uses quantitative and qualitative methods, while WP2 and WP3 use qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. Learn more about the different WPs under “Work Packages”.
Managed by The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) and The University of Inland Norway (INN), with Professor Leena Maria Heikkola as project manager and Professor Jonas Yassin Iversen leading the INN team, the research collaborates with an advisory board of stakeholders and an international expert panel. The project also recruits a PhD student and a postdoctoral researcher to advance minority studies in education. Learn more about the researchers involved in the project under “Project Group”. The project will start in January 2026 and ends in December 2029.