Rector summarizes October

Dear colleagues,

It's difficult to summarize October without touching on the situation in Palestine and Israel. OsloMet condemns the acts of war. This is also the position of the University and College Council.

Many employees and students are concerned, and some are deeply engaged. I ask that we all seek to support those who have family, friends, or colleagues in the affected areas. OsloMet offers support services for both students and staff.

Since our last communication, the national budget has been released. Our funding for the next year is approximately the same as this year (a decrease of 0.3 percent). The same applies to our sector (an average decrease of 0.7 percent). However, there is a significant reduction in funding for higher education and research due to the discontinuation of funding for the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (338 million Norwegian kroner). Naturally, we would have preferred to see the numbers moving in the opposite direction.

This autumn, I started meetings with all department heads at OsloMet, which have continued into October. I had initial conversations with them when I began my tenure, and it was time to touch base again. Next semester, I plan to visit all the larger units, which I look forward to.

We had both a board seminar and board meeting in October, and it was nice to get to know our new board chair and new board members better. Work on the university's new strategy is nearing completion, and efforts are underway to finalize a version for presentation at the last board meeting before Christmas on December 15th.

In October, we also had a gathering for all leaders at OsloMet. It was two productive days that allowed for meaningful discussions about the university's strategy and future direction. One highlight of the event was a presentation by Prorector Silje Fekjær about myth-busting. Here are eight myths and one truth that she addressed. Can you spot the true statement?

• The requirement for pedagogical competence only applies to new hires.
• Most Ph.D. graduates will not engage in research.
• There has been little development in research at OsloMet.
• University lecturers earn less than school teachers.
• Our students are much weaker now than in the past.
• Employees in the SVA (School of Business, Technology, and Arts) cannot be used in teaching because it's too expensive.
• Administration continues to grow at the expense of academic positions.
• OsloMet has many more students per academic staff member than UiO (University of Oslo).
• Today's students cannot study and take exams because they were in high school during the pandemic.

On October 27th, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, along with our new Minister of Digitalization, Karianne Tung, visited the Ocean Laboratory at OsloMet. The focus was on the government's investment in artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to Professors Vahid Hassani and Alex Alcocer from the Faculty of Technology, Art, and Design, who organized the visit and showcased underwater technology as a prime example of how OsloMet is leveraging artificial intelligence for the benefit of society.

We also discussed the importance of controlling the development of AI technology to ensure it is useful and safe for users and society. OsloMet is closely involved in this work, as our Prorector for Research and Development, Tanja Storsul, has been tasked with leading the Research Council's rapid-response expert group, which will advise the national AI initiative.

We are now well into November, and early next week, the board will appoint deans for both the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Health Sciences for the next four-year term. It will be good to have them in place.

Despite the darkness, I wish you all a pleasant November!

Best regards,
Christen

(The correct answer to which statement is true was "OsloMet has many more students per academic staff member than UiO (University of Oslo)")