Not appointed deputy member of Norway´s Council for animal ethics

Today the new members, for the period 2015-2018, of the government-appointed Norway´s Council for Animal Ethics (Rådet for dyreetikk) was announced. I was a candidate for deputy representative for animal rights organizations, but was not appointed.

Associate editor of TRACE - Finnish Journal for Human-Animal Studies

I am (correctly) listed as an Associate editor of TRACE ∴ Finnish Journal for Human-Animal Studies.

To be employed by Department of Social Studies

Yesterday I met with the Head of department at University of Stavanger's Department of Social Studies, Svanaug Fjær. In the academic year 2014-2015 (July 2014 to June 2015) I will be employed as an Associate professor in philosophy, in a 50% position. The occasion is that Jon vegard Hugaas will have research leave. My responsibility will first and foremost be teaching, grading and planning in the department's version of Examen philosophicum (course in introductory philosophy), which has ca. 200 students.

I will thus be affiliated with two departments at UiS, given my existing engagements at Department of Health Studies.

Contract for Norwegian-Estonian research project signed; employment and shared office agreed on

Tuesday last week the Partnership Agreement between University of Tartu and University of Stavanger was signed by Department of Health Studies' Head of Department Kari Vevatne, on behalf of the University of Stavanger. The 32 page document, which I had gone through with a research consultant at the university (we had a meeting October 15th) and signed with my initials page by page so as to confirm that I vouch for it, was then posted to Tartu. The contract regulates the research collaboration involved in the project "Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural Mediation and Semiotic Analysis".

As part of the project work - where I'm the Norwegian project leader - I will be employed in a 10% position from March 15th 2014 to April 30th 2016. During my meeting with my Head of Department she also confirmed that I'll get a shared office in the project period (starting next summer, until then I have my own office, based on my current employment contract).

Interest in being member of national committee for research ethics

In response to an open call, I have signalled my interest in being appointed as a member of one of the three National Committees for Research Ethics in Norway ("Forskningsetiske komiteer"). Members of new committees for the period 2014-2017 will be appointed this autumn by the Ministry of Education and Research, based on recommendations from the Research Council of Norway. All three committees seek philosophers with competence in ethics.

EMP 151: Revised budget; draft of plan for specific activities

This last week I've revised the budget of the Norwegian research group of the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EEA Norway Grants EMP 151). The revised numbers will be included in the partnership agreement between University of Tartu and University of Stavanger. Revisions include more to fieldwork in 2014 (and no fieldwork in 2016), more to technical equipment (video camera etc.), less to travel costs in 2013 but just as much more in 2015, and some money saved on salary (to me) due to changes in the NOK/EUR exchange rate; even though I have increased number of paid work hours from 380 to 397 (starting March 15th 2014). 

I've further contributed to a 2-page plan for specific activities, based on the scientific rationale of our application but with some minor adjustments. Plus I've done a lot of thinking on practical sides of conducting the Norwegian fieldwork.

See also:

Research project application on "Animals in changing environments" successful

Contract for another year at UiS signed

April 15th I signed another contract with the University of Stavanger - my third. I will be employed in a 100% position from July 1st to December 31st 2013 and in a 25% position from January 1st to June 30th 2014. As in the current academic year, my responsibility will envelop teaching and grading in Examen Philosophicum - introductory philosophy (regular course in autumn, internet/gathering-based course in spring), and a master course in the philosophy of science and ethics (in autumn).

I started in my position as an Associate professor at Department of Health Studies January 1st 2012. It is in the main related to the research leave of Professor Sebastian Rehnman.