News

International activity

Visits, delegations, conferences, new partnerships, project launches, mobility and events.

2026

7 stories

New, practice-near e-course on recovery launched, free and multilingual

Eight modules take you from a basic introduction to recovery all the way to implementing recovery-oriented practice. The course is free, available in several languages, including Hindi, and open to anyone who creates an account.

April 2026

Student Mobility South Africa

Practice placements in South Africa approved for student support

The practice placement in South Africa was approved for support from Lånekassen from spring 2026, opening the first destination in KBT's international placement programme.

2026

Student Mobility India

Practice placements in India approved for student support

The practice placement in India was approved for support from Lånekassen, opening a second destination in KBT's international placement programme.

2026

Research Sweden

How social enterprises can get better conditions to grow in rural areas

Findings from the SING project point to access to capital, competence and networks as decisive for social enterprises outside the major urban centres.

2026

Partnerships India

Possible cooperation in India, agreement signed with SPYM

Rector Karl Johan Johansen travelled to India and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SPYM, one of the country's largest organisations in mental health and addiction work.

2026

Student Mobility South Africa

Students on exchange in South Africa, spring 2026

Six students travelled to Cape Town in the first exchange pilot: four peer-worker students in March and two social entrepreneurship students in May.

2026

Student Mobility Ireland

“Why shouldn’t we have what everyone else has?” Learning from Irish community cooperatives

A group from KBT Vocational College travelled to Connemara for an internship with one of Ireland’s 32 community cooperatives, working to make rural areas as attractive as the city.

2026

2025

10 stories

Partnerships Ukraine

Bogomolets National Medical University to adapt Norwegian veteran rehabilitation experience

KBT Vocational College and Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv have signed a memorandum of understanding on veteran reintegration, capacity building and therapeutic innovation.

December 2025

Partnerships Norway

ECHE certification opens new opportunities for students and staff

With the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education in place, KBT can offer Erasmus+ mobility for students and staff and take part in European cooperation on a broader basis.

2025

International Projects European partners

Structural embedding of knowledge by experience: handbook and videos published

The Erasmus+ project SEKEHE has published a handbook and a series of videos on co-creation and co-teaching with people who hold lived experience.

2025

International Visits China

KBT invited to China in connection with the ASEAN meeting

KBT was specially invited to China as a guest in connection with the ASEAN meeting, reflecting a developing relationship with Chinese institutions and stakeholders.

2025

International Visits China

Knowledge exchange with China: five cities in a few days

In June the rector and the international coordinator travelled through China to meet possible partners, and returned with a cooperation agreement with a mountain village in rural Hunan.

2025

International Projects South Africa

Social entrepreneurship in practice: TCB, Taking Care of Business in Cape Town

During the visit to plan a new exchange programme in South Africa, KBT Vocational College met TCB, Taking Care of Business: an award-winning social enterprise that turns surplus retail goods and unemployment into circular-economy opportunity.

September 2025

Partnerships Ukraine

Cooperation agreement with the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies

On 23 October KBT signed a cooperation agreement with the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies, an international initiative started by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska.

2025

Student Mobility Ukraine

A Ukrainian class in social entrepreneurship: highly educated people also need to build competence

In autumn 2025 a dedicated Ukrainian class started in social entrepreneurship, with backgrounds ranging from professional opera singer to psychologist.

2025

International Visits United Kingdom

Study visit from Wales with the correctional services as the theme

From 3 to 7 November, KBT Vocational College welcomed representatives from St Giles Trust in Wales for a study visit on the Norwegian correctional services.

2025

International Projects European partners

POMEIL: entrepreneurship as a route into the European labour market

The POMEIL project maps the barriers immigrants and refugees meet when entering the labour market, with a particular focus on Ukrainian refugees.

2025

2024

5 stories

International Projects Nordic and Baltic countries

Free educational material for peer support workers, a Nordic-Baltic collaboration

The Nordplus-supported network on educating peer support workers has released shared, freely available educational material.

2024

International Projects Norway

Training peer support workers inside a high-security prison

In a pilot project with Romerike Prison, Ullersmo unit, inmates are studying to become peer support workers — a programme that required rethinking almost every practical detail.

2024

Conferences United Kingdom

Dr. Mary Leamy on recovery and CHIME

One of the researchers behind the CHIME recovery framework visited Trondheim to work on the CHIME 2.0 project and lecture for students in the peer support worker education.

2024

International Projects European partners

Hoping lived experience will gain greater recognition across European higher education

As the Erasmus+ project SEKEHE nears completion, it has already produced concrete changes at KBT Vocational College and at the participating European universities.

2024

Partnerships Norway

A hybrid model with campuses across Norway

Teaching is streamed online with in-person session weeks, and local partners host campuses in Trondheim, Kristiansand, Hamar and Ålesund.

2024

2023

1 story

Partnerships Norway

Peer support workers joined the college team

KBT Vocational College hired peer support workers dedicated to the college itself — from administration and representation to student contact and guidance.

2023

2022

3 stories

International Visits Germany

Study visit to Ex-IN in Germany: experts by experience

Ex-IN in Germany trains what they call experts by experience. Staff from KBT joined one of their twelve training modules to see the teaching in practice.

2022

International Projects Italy, Romania, Greece and Norway

Erasmus+ project PIA looks for new solutions in dementia care

Together with partners in Italy, Romania and Greece, KBT explores how experiential knowledge can strengthen dementia care across very different health systems.

2022

International Visits Sweden

Visit from Sweden: cooperating on training for peer support workers

The Swedish umbrella organisation NSPH visited KBT to compare how peer support workers are trained in the two countries.

2022

2019

1 story

Partnerships Norway

Accredited vocational education in peer support and social entrepreneurship

KBT was accredited as a vocational college by NOKUT in autumn 2019, and today offers study programmes in peer support work and social entrepreneurship worth 60 study credits.

2019

More news from the college, including study programmes and research, is published at kbtfagskole.no.

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