Abstract:

The thesis of Nordic exceptionalism describes how unique characteristics of Nordic cultures, namely egalitarianism, homogeneity, social solidarity, and the welfare state work to institutionalize “cultures of equality”, also within the field of justice. Moreover, the Nordic countries are considered exceptional when it comes to education of police officers and police leaders. The Norwegian Police University College (NPUC) holds a monopoly in education of police officers, governed by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. NPUC offers a three-year bachelor degree in policing and master degrees within police science and investigation, as well as numerous post-graduate courses in various fields. Unlike police training in other countries, Norwegian police education emphasizes a non-armed and service-oriented philosophy. To advance to post-graduate police leadership education, a bachelor's degree in policing is required. In contrast to several other countries, police leadership education in Norway is primarily based on formal education rather than training. Consequently, police leadership education must adhere to the statutory requirements for higher education and be research-based. However, this requirement can be interpreted in various ways. In this article, we explore the concept of Nordic exceptionalism in the context of research-based education for police leaders at the NPUC. The data material includes NPUC study plans, course syllabi, educators' research portfolios, and evaluations from students, educators, leaders, and external examiners. Additionally, the data encompasses NPUC's routines, guidelines, and regulations for the development of studies from 1980 to 2024. The analysis is conducted using thematic analysis, a flexible, pragmatic, and reflexive method aimed at identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns within the data. The analysis show that NPUC has evolved from offering non-credit police leadership courses and programs to providing credit-bearing postgraduate programs. This development has been driven by NPUC and is also influenced by evaluations that document police needs. Further, the analysis show that external factors such as societal changes that place new demands on the police and their leaders have contributed to this development. Additionally, the increased societal emphasis on higher education and research-based teaching has enforced these changes. An analysis of the curriculum in police leadership educational programs over the past 30 years shows that there has not been a significant shift towards increased research-based education. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the scientific rigor of the syllabus literature in some police leadership education programs has been strengthened. The recently revised police leadership programs aim to have curriculum literature that meets the research-based expectations of a master's degree level. The analysis also indicates a significant need for increased research in several subject areas covered by the police leadership programs. This research should be incorporated into the curriculum and include studies on how the programs are implemented. When it comes to research-based police leader education, Nordic exceptionalism appears promising on paper but faces challenges in practice. This suggests that, in this field, we have not yet reached the point where we can quote Churchill and say, "Look to Norway."

Keywords:

Nordic exceptionalism, researched-based education, police leader education.