News from the Executive Leadership Team

Top researchers in environmental, energy and cancer fields are representing the University of Oslo during Oslo Week at the Shanghai World Expo.

“Employers have confidence in UiO students, but the students don’t have sufficient belief in their own competence.” This is the opinion of Gisle Hellsten, head of the Career Centre at UiO.

Figures from this year’s coordinated application process (Samordna opptak) show that the number of applications to the University of Oslo have remained stable at a high level. There was a noticeable leap in applications for graduate teacher training, and several of the programmes in mathematics and physics also saw an increase in the number of applicants.

A keen interest in politics and a desire to reach as many people as possible is the reason rector Ole Petter Ottersen has decided to blog. He will blog about highly current research policy matters.

The Organisation and Personnel Department tailors leadership development for two faculties at a time. The objective is to reinforce administrators' sense of security and authority in their role as leaders.

Once or twice a semester, the University will invite its new international research fellows to a breakfast meeting where they will receive information about the system for welcoming and integrating them into the university community.

Only 24 per cent of the professors at UiO are women. - Academic environments often reflect the larger society and to achieve gender equality we need both special initiatives and good will, points out Deputy Rector Inga Bostad.

Project manager Ragnar Lie is sitting with a thick publication on his lap, containing 140 responses to the request for comments. They originate from the official consultation round and the open online consultation process. The publication contains a wide variety of responses.

“The University of Oslo is on a bit of a run with its health, safety and environmental work (HSE)”, according to HR Director Anita Sandberg and the head of HSE Roar Fikkan. Health, safety and the environment is a fixed item on the agenda of meetings of the rectorate and the university executive team, and leaders on various levels want to learn more about health, safety and the environment.

How green is the University of Oslo today, and how much greener can we become? The mandate for the Green UiO project has been approved by the University management. It encompasses research, teaching and technical aspects of running the University and aims to lay the foundation for a long-term focus on the environment at the University of Oslo.

“Politicians compare how much Norway pays into the EU framework programmes to how much we receive. However, it is essential to remember that the amount we pay in is calculated on the basis of Norway’s gross national product; and because Norway has such a high GDP, it is nigh impossible for us to get as much out as we pay in,” says Bjørn Haugstad, Director of Research.

The European arena is having an increasing impact on universities, and the University of Oslo is no exception. Collaboration among the universities is growing exponentially. This was the topic of the first seminar at the “Creative Days” strategy conference at the University of Oslo.

“Knutepunktet” is the new student information centre in the administration building on the Blindern campus. As a supplement to the faculties’ individual information centres, this recently opened centre makes it much easier for students to find out about services etc.

International strategies was the theme for a breakfast seminar held by the Kunnskap Oslo alliance at Oslo City Hall recently. The alliance discussed possibilities for cooperating on the international competition for recruiting and funding.

The “youth wave” must be regarded as a resource, says Rector Ole Petter Ottersen. Good dialogue with business and industry should help society make the best possible use of the academic knowledge which this wave of young people will represent.

In its bicentennial year in 2011 the University of Oslo will present a new graphic look. The university is to be perceived as a unified entity. The new graphic profile will be launched today by the University Director.

”The Strategic Plan is so important for UiO that all our employees and students must be given the opportunity to offer input. They can do this over the internet,” says Rector Ole Petter Ottersen.

Once the Student Health Services Centre has vaccinated persons in the at-risk groups, students under 20 years of age will be next in line. There are 3,700 students in this age group at UiO.

The University Leadership Team is now reinforcing preparedness for the swine influenza pandemic. The central preparedness group continues to monitor the situation.

Will Blindern ever be a part of the city? This was one of the questions Professor John Peter Collett posed during the seminar entitled “Oslo – University City” (“Universitetsbyen Oslo”), where it was discussed whether there are grounds for a research programme on the relationship between Oslo and the university.

The new eco-certified student canteen at the Faculty of Social Sciences was opened last week by the University’s Director. This is a continuation of the “Green UiO” project (Grønt UiO), and Gunn-Elin Aa. Bjørneboe believes that healthy food in pleasant surroundings stimulates creativity and creates a good social environment.

Global environmental problems may have a positive effect on the future of universities. This paradox was the theme of Rector Ole Petter Ottersen's speech during the Transatlantic Science Week last week.

UiO has signed a declaration that will make a career as a researcher more attractive and make it easier for researchers to move around within Europe.

The University Board recently convened for a few days for a board seminar at Baroniet Rosendal. The top item on the agenda was the work on the new strategic plan for the University of Oslo.