The fact that data science and computing is an important part of the strategy is, of course, a natural consequence of the fact that the University of Oslo (UiO) has invested heavily in this area for many years and that we have many academic environments that deliver research and education at a high international level.
Based on our strategy, we will take this initiative to a new level and an appointed committee proposes that a new center for data science and computing should be established and function across Departments at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. It is important to emphasize that all Departments at the Faculty are somehow involved in data science and computing. There are also many research groups at other Faculties at UiO that use methods and tools in data science and computing in their research and education. Read the faculty strategy.
The proposal from the appointed committee is very interesting and we will now investigate how such a center can be established, built up and organized at the Faculty. The Faculty already has four centers across Departments, but not a center to the extent and the breadth we see here. The goal is to establish this center from January 2020, but that the build-up will have to take place in phases over a period of 4-5 years.
The center will contribute throughout the breadth of our mission, but the center will first and foremost contribute to strengthening UiO's international position as a research-intensive university.