SAIH - Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond

What SAIH - Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond does

SAIH (Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond) is a Norwegian non-governmental organization founded in 1960 that advocates for equal rights to education, academic freedom, and student solidarity globally. It is structured as a democratically governed membership organization comprising 47 Norwegian higher-education institutions and student associations, including Norsk Studentorganisasjon (NSO), Universitetet i Oslo, Akademikerne, Utdanningsforbundet, and Lærerstudentene. The organization operates a network of campus chapters (lokallag) stretching from Tromsø to Kristiansand, an Oslo secretariat of approximately 20 staff, and a digital presence across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

The organization's primary activities center on partnering with local student organizations, universities, indigenous groups, and human rights defenders in seven countries — Afghanistan, Bolivia, Colombia, Myanmar, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — plus international-level advocacy. SAIH publishes thematic reports (e.g., "Activism Under Attack" in 2023 and 2024, "Students by day rebels by night") documenting education-rights violations, runs political campaigns (including the "Our House, Our Rules" apartheid-free zones campaign), and funds programmatic interventions such as the NORLYS project launched with the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza in February 2025.

SAIH's revenue model is built on three streams: voluntary semester-fee contributions of 20–60 NOK from approximately 160,000 Norwegian students (raising over 11 million NOK annually via the SAIH-tierne mechanism); institutional grants from Norad (Norwegian Directorate for Development Cooperation), Operasjon Dagsverk, the Grieg Foundation, and Open Society Foundations; and direct donations from private individuals. SAIH is not a technology company: it develops no software products, operates no APIs, and publishes no AI-driven features. It holds Miljøfyrtårn environmental certification and Innsamlingskontrollen fundraising-practice certification.

Name

SAIH - Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond

Legal name

Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond

Website

https://saih.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SAIH is a Norwegian non-governmental organization founded in 1960 that advocates for equal rights to education and academic freedom globally. It partners with student organizations across seven countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, funded by 160,000 voluntary Norwegian student contributors and institutional donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development & Education Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships (EDAIABAI)

Keywords

• International solidarity programs
• Student advocacy
• Academic freedom
• Human rights education
• Higher education access

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Student voluntary contributions (SAIH-tierne): 160,000 Norwegian students choose to contribute 20-60 kr alongside their semester fee, raising over 11 million NOK annually.
2. Institutional funding: Funding from Norad (Directorate for Development Cooperation), Operasjon Dagsverk, Grieg Foundation, and Open Society Foundations.
3. Direct donations from private individuals: Private individuals can support SAIH's work through direct financial contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SAIH is a Norwegian student and academic solidarity organization that supports equal access to higher education globally through advocacy, capacity building, and funding of partner organizations. The organization operates a community-funded model where 160,000 Norwegian students contribute 20-60 NOK alongside their semester fees, and partners with local organizations in seven countries across Latin America, southern Africa, and Asia to defend academic freedom and education rights.

Product overview

SAIH is a student organization focused on international solidarity and education advocacy, not a technology company. It does not offer technology products or software services. The organization publishes thematic reports, organizes campaigns, maintains local chapters across Norwegian universities, and facilitates volunteer engagement. Key activities include publishing research reports on education rights, organizing annual meetings, coordinating local activist groups, and managing membership programs like SAIH-tierne where 160,000 Norwegian students contribute financially.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAIH-tierne Voluntary Student Contribution Program
• NORLYS Project (Gaza Higher Education Support)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11 million NOK raised annually from student supporters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) - GazacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Through the NORLYS project launched February 2025, SAIH supports UCAS in Gaza to provide continued higher education access through learning spaces with laptops, solar-powered electricity and high-speed internet, reaching over 400 students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Akademikerne: Norwegian umbrella organization for academic professionals and a SAIH member. Akademikerne shares SAIH's higher-education and academic-freedom mission from the professional/academic employee side, and serves as a coalition partner and overlapping audience in Norway.
• Utdanningsforbundet: Norwegian Union of Education, a teacher and educator professional association and SAIH member. Shares SAIH's education-rights mission with overlapping membership and advocacy channels.
• Norsk Studentorganisasjon (NSO): The national union of Norwegian students, and one of SAIH's 47 member organizations. NSO is a directly comparable Norwegian higher-education advocacy body that shares SAIH's stakeholder base and policy agenda on student rights and education access.
• UAF (Studenter Utan Gränser): Swedish student solidarity organization that funds international student movements and academic freedom work. UAF operates the most direct peer model to SAIH — a Nordic country-level student solidarity NGO with similar donor, advocacy, and international partnership mechanics.

Emerging players

• Right to Education Initiative: International human-rights organization focused on the right to education, producing research and advocacy on education rights. A specialized peer that competes for foundation grants and partner attention in SAIH's thematic niche.
• Scholars at Risk: International network dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom worldwide. Highly aligned with SAIH's academic-freedom mission, and a natural potential partner or parallel program operator in the same target geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): One of Norway's largest humanitarian NGOs, also funded by Norad and operating internationally including in SAIH's priority countries. NRC is a much larger incumbent that competes for similar Norwegian government and foundation funding, though its mission is broader humanitarian assistance.
• Amnesty International Norway: Norwegian section of a global human-rights organization. Overlaps with SAIH on academic freedom, student persecution, and country advocacy in SAIH's priority geographies; competes for similar Norwegian individual and institutional donor pools.
• Plan International Norway: Norwegian arm of a global children's-rights and education organization. Operates with similar institutional funders (Norad) and a comparable international country footprint, but at significantly larger scale and broader programmatic scope.
• Save the Children Norway (Redd Barna): Major Norwegian international development and education NGO funded by similar institutional sources (including Norad). A scaled incumbent working on education rights globally, with overlapping funder relationships and country footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcwzASItcmouZDldFO2Y5Pw
• Facebookfacebook.com/saihnorway
• Instagraminstagram.com/saih_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saih-studentenes-og-akademikernes-internasjonale-hjelpefond

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SAIH - Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond