Foto: Eivind Senneset, UiB
Welcome back from holiday to those of you who are already in place and to those who will arrive later. I hope you have rested and relaxed, at least mentally, and that you are now full of energy and motivation to start a new semester. I myself have had the great pleasure of finally meeting good colleagues again, both in the administration and otherwise.
Next week is the start of teaching. It is always great to welcome new students who have chosen BIO for their future dreams and of course also welcome back all our existing students. At the start of the semester, I always think about the great responsibility we have, both for building knowledge that develops each individual student and their further career, but not least the collective knowledge within our fields which is so important for society to develop in the right direction. As I have said before: biology and molecular biology are absolutely crucial for people’s living conditions and the people we educate now will have a decisive impact on what the world looks like in the future. It is a big responsibility.
Arild Folkvord has been head of the Fisheries and marine biology group (FMB) since its inception and will now be replaced. I have always experienced Arild as a very good, insightful and strategically strong representative for his field. It has been very important; The FMB group is hit particularly hard by the job freeze at BIO. Nevertheless, I perceive that the scientific community within fisheries and marine biology looks ahead in a constructive way and that there is a strong will to roll up the sleeves and move on. This is much to Arild’s merit. He has been skilled at keeping his group continuously up to date. Arild has not hesitated to challenge me when he has found it necessary and I have always found it constructive. You have been an invaluable sparring partner for a terrestrial mountain ecologist who has needed your clear input in many marine-related matters. Many thanks Arild, for a great effort as FMB group leader.
Katja Enberg takes over as group leader after Arild. I am very much looking forward to her becoming part of the management team. The way I know her, it’s going to work out really well. Katja has experience from the faculty board, which will come in handy in the future. Thank you very much, Katja, for taking on a great deal of work and responsibility.
I wish you a nice weekend and I look forward to next week.
Hilsen Orjan