Alice Crary introduced at the occasion of the Steffens lecture 2024 at UIS; dinner

Yesterday evening I introduced Alice Crary when she gave the Steffens lecture 2024 at University of Stavanger, "All justice is animal justice". The event was well attended, with some 2-300 people attending in person. The lecture was also recorded and will later be made available online. 

Photo credit: University of Stavanger

After the lecture I joined Alice and some others, including University of Stavanger rector Klaus Mohn, for dinner at Bellies, a top-notch local vegan restaurant.

Corona measures at University of Stavanger; meeting

This morning I attended an ad hoc-meeting in the faculty leadership group related to the quickly developing corona virus situation in Norway. The rector just announced drastic measures, including cancelling all on-campus teaching until Easter and limiting meetings to critical functions (see info here in Norwegian).

Three meetings

Today I have attended three meetings, including the "rector meeting" at University of Stavanger (first time - features the rector and vice rectors, the deans, and selected directors), and a meeting on the Faculty of Social Sciences´ research report.

Two meetings and a supervision session

Today I have attended a meeting regarding my role as head of the ph.d. in social sciences, attended an introductory meeting between the upcoming rector of University of Stavanger, Klaus Mohn, and the leadership group at Faculty of social sciences, and supervised my Ph.D. student.

UiS action plan for ethical trading 2017-21 approved

On December 1st, the board of University Stavanger had a board meeting where in case US 109/16 issues settled by rector Marit Boyesen were reported. On November 22nd she, by mandate, approved of the action plan for ethical trading 2017-2021 (RF 41/16) that I have helped prepare as a member of the UiS work group on ethical trading. The plan also includes a procurement strategy.

Election of UiS rector: Boyesen reelected by wide margin; almost 10% voted blank

Marit Boyesen has been reelected as rector of University of Stavanger, with a surprisingly big share of the vote, see news story of the UiS webpage. Dag Husebø (43) will be pro-rector.

Altogether the two got 800 votes, while the challengers Einar Marburg and Gro Johnsen got only 420 votes. Boyesen´s margin of victory was especially big among administrative staff, here she won 3-1 (while she won about 2-1 among research and teaching staff, and 3-2 among students).

No fewer than 126 out of 1346 votes, or 9,4 %, were blank.

See also:

Election of UiS rector: Why I vote blank

Rector candidates debating in UiS debate forum

Open meeting with Marnburg and Johnsen attended

Two candidates for UiS rector

Election of UiS rector: Why I vote blank

The election of new University of Stavanger rector and pro-rector started today. I have voted - submitting a blank vote. I think that both candidates (Marit Boyesen and Einar Marburg) are too mainstream in their reasoning about university strategy.

Einar Marnburg is a straight-talker - that is a strength - and appears to call for fresh ideas about how to organize work at the university. However, he has not provided many substantial, specific fresh ideas himself during the electoral campaign, and his envisioned university strategy is on most key points very similar to that of Marit Boyesen. Marit Boyesen, on her side, is more experienced than Marburg on broader university policy issues, and has somewhat of an advantage regarding her ability to formulate measured policy ambitions, though her statements are often quite vague and sometimes not committing enough.

Open meeting with Marnburg and Johnsen attended

Today I have attended an open meeting where two of the candidates at the election of rector for University of Stavanger, Dean Einar Marnburg and Head of Department Gro Johnsen, were presented, in dialogue with the audience. The meeting was targeted at Department of Health Studies and Department of Social Studies. I asked a few questions on the candidates´ thoughts about research, and the relation between rector and university director.

I have not decided who I will vote for, if anyone (the other candidates are Rector Marit Boyesen and Dag Husebø).

Two candidates for UiS rector

There are two candidates for rector of University of Stavanger ahead of upcoming elections - Marit Boyesen (with Dag Husebø as pro-rector), the current rector, and Einar Marburg (with Gro Johnsen as pro-rector), currently the Dean of Faculty of Social Science. The linked electoral programs are in Norwegian.

I happen to have met all four at different occasions.

Petition against employed rector signed

I have signed a petition calling for a refusal of the government´ proposal of changing the standard model for selecting higher education rectors from elected rector to employed rector. The petition, which highlights the importance of democracy and autonomy in higher education, has been signed by some 2.700 scholars.

Meeting with UiS rector following petition

On Monday December 1st I was called upon to attend a meeting with rector of University of Stavanger Marit Boyesen, along with Oluf Langhelle and Ole Andreas Engen, following our petition last week for a more climate-friendly research profile. At the meeting we discussed our respective agendas and possible ways forward.

See also:

Debate with UiS rector on regional radio

23 UiS researchers sign petition calling for climate profile

Interview in Stavanger Aftenblad on UiS university strategy

UiS Head of Department´s stance on climate change attacked in Stavanger Aftenblad letter to the editor

Yesterday a letter to the editor by Professor emeritus Gunnar Kvåle was published in the Norwegian regional daily Stavanger Aftenblad, entitled "Er det greit at en instituttleder ved UiS fnyser av FNs klimarapport?" [Is it OK that a Head of Department at University of Stavanger /rejects/ the UN´s climate report?]. This concerns Hans Borge, Head of department at Department of Petroleum Engineering. Kvåle cites my chronicle, published earlier this month, "10 spørsmål om fremtidens UiS" [10 questions about the future University of Stavanger], and claims that rector of UiS Marit Boyesen (see her reply chronicle) avoids replying to my questions regarding the actuality of climate change.

Rector´s petroleum/strategy chronicle listed in ethics committees´weekly media recap

The chronicle by rector of University of Stavanger Marit Boyesen which was written in reply to my chronicle on university strategy and the ethics of petroleum research is listed in the weekly media recap of the National Committees for Research Ethics in Norway (week 45).

A partial (?) view of Boyesen´s chronicle is available here, via the reference service Opoint.

Rector's reply to chronicle on petroleum research posted on UiS debate pages

Rector Marit Boyesen's reply to my chronicle "Olje og omstilling: 10 spørsmål om fremtidens UiS" [Oils and restructuring: 10 questions about the future University of Stavanger], entitled "Olje, omstilling og fremtidens UiS" [Oil, restructuring and the future University of Stavanger] has now been posted on the debate pages of University of Stavanger (see debate thread).

UiS rector replies to chronicle on ethics of petroleum research

In a chronicle entitled "Oljå, omstilling og fremtidens UiS" [The oil, restructuring and the future University of Stavanger], Marit Boyesen, rector of the University of Stavanger, today replied in the Norwegian regional daily Stavanger Aftenblad to my chronicle yesterday in the same newspaper, "10 spørsmål om fremtidens UiS" [10 questions about the future University of Stavanger].

Excerpt:

Rector comments on NENT statement in UiS news article; article links to Utopisk Realisme

In response to this Wednesday's statement of Norway's National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) on the research ethics of petroleum research, the rector of University of Stavanger, Marit Boyesen, has yesterday issued comments in form of a UiS news article ("UiS-rektor ønsker NENT-uttalelsen velkommen" [UiS rector welcomes NENT statement]). The newsarticle links to several news articles on the NENT statement, and also to my blog post in my Norwegian language blog Utopisk Realisme,  "Hvordan vil rektor følge opp NENTs forskningsetiske vurdering av petroleumsforskning?" [How will rector follow up NENT's research ethical consideration of petroleum research?]. Among other things Boyesen says that the NENT report will be included in the university's future strategy work.

See also:

UiS debate letter: How will rector follow up NENT's statement on petroleum research?

"Animals in changing environments" project mentioned at staff meeting

At yesterday's staff meeting at University of Stavanger's Department of health studies, the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EEA Norway Grants EMP151), for which I am the Norwegian project leader, was mentioned as one of the department's three EU projects, in the Head of department's summary of the department's activities. At this specific staff meeting, which was a "dialogue meeting", the leadership of UiS including the university rector was present.

Semester opening and more at University of Stavanger

Tuesday August 14th I was present in the audience in Tjodhallen during the official semester opening at the University of Stavanger. The program included speeches by rector Marit Boyesen, mayor of Stavanger Christine Sagen, and others, stand up, and musical performances. The main speech was given by Ketil Solvik-Olsen, a member of parliament who is also the deputy Chair of Norway's right-wing party Fremskrittspartiet (The progress party). Incidentally Solvik-Olsen referred to Stavanger's role as the Norwegian "oil capital", and suggested that he was sure there were "philosophers in the room who would think that simply praising the oil industry [or something to that effect] was very cynical." Sic.

After the opening ceremony I proceeded to a master degree meeting at the Department of Health Studies, where the agenda concerned the soon-to-come opening of the master program for 1st year students, and the inflow of students.