The global temperature increase is going faster than many had expected, and the World Wide Fund for Nature's new 'Living Planet' report documents a dramatic reduction in wild animal species. At the same time, we are all affected by war in Europe, inflation, rising interest rates and a doubling of electricity prices. Also at our Faculty, ABE cuts, increased salary expenses, shock prices for electricity and cuts in grants from the Research Council have meant that we are in a financial situation that requires comprehensive savings measures. At the start of the new year, the Faculty management works together with the management of the various Departments to solve these challenges without our core activities being damaged and without our ability to maintain and preferably increase our external income.
During the efforts to balance our local budgets, it is also important not to forget that the solutions to global challenges will require knowledge which, as Norway's foremost faculty in science and technology, we are obliged to help deliver. Which means we have to take care of the young and talented who are often highly motivated to save a world that today no longer seems to be on a sustainable course.
Although the situation at the start of the new year is demanding, there are also bright spots. We are a Faculty with many talented researchers and teachers. A quarter of all the country's SFF finalists work with us and we will get two new SFFs (had the NFR not cut the SFF budgets we would have got three out of eleven), and a new SFU in 2023. The Dean's office feels that there is a large degree of trust and solidarity between our various units and there is good cooperation between the academic and the technical and administrative parts, both at department and faculty level. Together, we have all the prerequisites to cope with the demanding times we are in in a good way. The Dean's office looks forward to continuing the good collaboration with all of you in 2023.
Happy New Year
Bjørn Jamtveit