Hei,
Well, then I have been subject group leader for a few weeks, and am slowly but surely starting to get a small overview of the subject group’s challenges as well as all the other slightly more pleasant tasks that come with it. And I have to say that I feel a bit sorry for Are who had to pass the baton on just as things started to settle down. Not so long ago, the fish health study was in danger of having to be closed due to the hiring freeze that still reigns at the institute. As it is a professional study that will give the candidates the right to prescribe medicines, it was a bit regrettable that we were in danger of not having someone who could teach precisely this, i.e. pharmacology. We also lacked a bacteriologist, and most preferably a virologist, as Are teaches this now, but he is retiring soon.
But now things are finally looking a little brighter as we have hired two II positions to help us through the difficulties: Sverre Småge from Cermaq who, at the time of writing, is striving to be able to provide full-fledged bacteriology teaching this spring and Marit Bakke from NMBU who will take the pharmacology. And the solution to virology has been for me to learn and eventually take over this subject.
We also have many good applicants for the fish health study, and hope for a full litter in the autumn. We also have few dropouts, and we are quite satisfied with the feedback we received on this year’s student survey, although there are things to address there. And with the work that is now being done with the subject portfolio, it seems that we can open up at least some of the subjects to more than just the fish health students, which is good. And with the major welfare challenges facing the industry today, our job feels very meaningful: Those who often speak up for the fish are precisely the fish health biologists!!
Hilsen Aina
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Aina-Cathrine Øvergård
Leder, Faggruppe fiskehelse