Instituttleder Ørjan Totland. Foto: Eivind Senneset, UiB
The numbers are ready, the verdict has been reached. From a deficit of 46.8 million at the start of 2023, we ended up with an improvement in the result of 6 million. This is another 4 million better than what we had predicted. The result for 2023 ended at minus 40.9 million. Although there is still a long way to go to regain the entire deficit, this is a wonderfully pleasing result. It comes from a formidable effort from all of us, through tightening of teaching operations, lab operations, very strict restrictions on employment, in addition to a very good effort on external funding, where we once again bring in a record amount of funds (a total of 132 million in turnover on external projects). This goes to show that we can actually get somewhere and that the measures we have implemented work while we still have great strength both on the research and teaching side. Thank you to all of you for your great effort and to the faculty for very good cooperation where we have all achieved an excellent result together.
We will pat ourselves on the back, and then continue the good work through 2024 based on the very good result from 2023. We are currently working on the budget for 2024 and will of course come back with more details.
The application deadline for a new head of department expired this Monday. There are five applicants, and I believe that we will actually get a new head of department by the time my term expires on 1 September. Until then, I will work hard to ensure that the new head of department takes over a department that is in as good a condition as possible.
Then I wish you all a really good weekend in the strange snow, and then the usual rain will finally come again.
Hilsen Ørjan