Wed 6. Dec. UiB Conference: Norwegian Proficiency in Academia – from Words to Action

In the action plan Frå ord til handling. Handlingsplan for norsk fagspråk i akademia, [‘From Words to Action: Action Plan for Norwegian language for Specific Purposes’] the government proposes regulations that would mandate Norwegian language proficiency among educators in Norwegian higher education institutions. Additionally, the government suggests that institutions provide language training to doctoral and postdoctoral fellows.

The purpose of the seminar is to discuss specific actions that institutions may take to implement the new language policy measures.

The seminar is open to all who are interested and will be conducted in Norwegian and English.

More info, program and registration

Greetings from the Department – 10.11.2023

Foto: UiB/privat

This week I and several others in the group are at meetings in Turkey and Tromsø. Such meetings, seminars and conferences with associated long journeys can be important and necessary, but take a lot of time and cost a lot of money. It is a cross of thought that in economic times we spend a lot of money on travel and hotels. Will therefore strike a blow for the use of own and local facilities. For smaller meetings, the Marine Biology Station at Espegrend is an excellent alternative (there are 20 single rooms at the boarding school), a bit more work for the host (us), but overall better and cheaper than travel + hotel. The call is therefore that to the extent that we can hold the meetings at home and in our own premises, we should do so. It will be a win-win for the economy, both the projects and BIO, and for UiB’s climate accounting.

Last week, the position of Head of department after Ørjan was advertised. Whoever gets the job will be extremely important for BIO’s future. It is the Faculty, not BIO, that hires and it may be that they prefer someone who likes “challenges” and will drive change on the Faculty’s terms, not someone who wants to fight for BIO on BIO’s terms. If I were to give advice to the person who is offered the position, it would have to be that they ask for debt restructuring before employment in order to be able to start with a blank slate and lead BIO into the future.

The budget for 2024 is coming soon. It will be exciting, but I’m not sure if there’s anything to look forward to – we’ll see. We have a new autoclave at the top of the equipment list, if it is not funded there will be problems for everyone who depends on sterile equipment at HIB. We are also waiting for the results of the bioevaluation (EVALBIOVIT). It will also be exciting. I am quite sure that we have done well, but I am very curious as to what the evaluation will be used for and what (financial) consequences it will have for us. Is it the Matthew principle that those who have and are good should get more, or a more social democratic principle of accommodating the weak so that they will improve?

Gunnar

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Gunnar Bratbak

Head of the Microbiology group

 

Status update on the ongoing noise-issues due to work in Store Lungegårdsvann

Noise measurements, left (pt 1) to right (pt 3)

The Estate and Facilities Management Divison (EIA) represented by Jan-Terje Nygaard, continuously follows up the noise situation related to the gravel laying work in Store Lungegårdsvann and the work boat which is located at the quay outside TM53/55. Several measures have been implemented in collaboration with the operator – Boston, and noise level measurements have been made before and after the measures. The latest status update from EIA reads as follows [Our translation]:

From sailing expedition to research paper

Foto/ill.: Malin Kvamme/ Statsraad Lehmkuhl

“Teaching sustainability at the high sea: the “One Ocean Expedition”” has now been published in the renowned journal Sustainability Science. The article shares experiences from the UiB summer course “SDG 200 Ocean-Climate-Society” on the voyage’s first leg across the Pacific Ocean.

[Our translation]

Vacancy: University lecturer (universitetslektor) in science didactics (temporary, 20%). Application deadline 23. Nov.

[Our translation]

At the Department of Biological Sciences, there is a vacancy for an intermediate 20% position as university lecturer in science didactics. The position is for an annual period of 1.5 years and is linked to teaching on the teacher education program (Lektorprogrammet) at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

The position is available from 1 January 2024.

Application deadline 23.11.2023

Read the announcement here [Norwegian language]

Deadline for submitting new publication channels for the Cristin database is November 30th

Have you published in a channel that is not registered in the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers?

Publications must be published in a publication channel that is approved on level 1 or 2 to be eligible for reporting through Cristin. If you in 2023 have published in a channel (journal, publisher, series) that is not registered, the channel must be submitted for evaluation.

The deadline for submitting new publication channels to the register is November 30. 2023.

Videos have to be re-posted to pages and courses in Panopto

[Our translation]

As many will know, UiB is in the process of changing its video service from Kaltura to Panopto, cf. info here at uib.no and the announcement in My UiB pictured above. Information about this has been disseminated in several channels, but the introduction project finds that many lecturers are not yet aware that a change is taking place.