At the ‘Diversity in Academia: Next Steps’ workshop held on the 18th of November 2022, both speakers and participants were encouraged to discuss questions on how academic institutions in Norway can better welcome colleagues with varied backgrounds. Focus was placed on how factors such as gender, ethnicity, social class, and disability affect researchers and those working in academia. Personal circumstances relating to obligations of care and mobility as well as implicit rules, codes and expectations in universities also warranted a mention.
As a starting point, existing reports on diversity in Norwegian academic settings such as ‘En forskerrolle i endring: Om forskeres identitet, arbeidsvilkår og spenningen mellom kall og karriere (report from 2021, link broken)’ and ‘Mangfold og inkludering ved Universitetet i Oslo – en forskningsrapport (2022)’ were presented by Lene Korseberg (NIFU), Beret Bråten (Centre for Gender Research, University of Oslo) and Maja Feng Mikalsen (The Norwegian Police University College). In these presentations, insights into how the researcher role is changing due to the wide set of demands that are now expected and the issues resulting from inadequate peer inclusion were brought to light.
The event then continued with Jan Grue (Dept. of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo), Feroz Mehmood Shah (Dept. of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo), and Laura Létourneau-Tremblay (PluriCourts, University of Oslo) sharing reflections on their experiences relating to diversity in their working environments.
This was then followed by five parallel conversations, where participants were divided into small groups, discussing questions relating to intersectionality, obligations of care, mobility, international backgrounds, mentorship, peer inclusion and more. Reflections from these conversations and the questions that came from such conversations were then presented to the plenary.
As well as discussions on experiences, panel conversations were held. These panels discussed the role the DNVA, Research Centres and Universities can play in solving issues relating to diversity in Norwegian academia and better practices. The participants of these panels came from various backgrounds and roles within the Norwegian academic sphere, including: Andreas Føllesdal (PluriCourts), Alexander Jensenius (RITMO), Trygve Helgaker (Hylleraas Centre), Unn Røyneland (MultiLing), Åse Gornitzka (Pro-Rector University of Oslo), Nils Hallvard Korsvoll (Young Academy of Norway, University of Agder), Anne Julie Semb (Dean Faculty of Social Science), Frode Helland (Dean Faculty of Humanities), and Vibeke Blaker Strand (Vice-Dean for Research, Chair of the Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity in Research Faculty of Law). Representatives from the DNVA included Lise Øvreås, Gunn Elisabeth Birkelund and Terje Lohndal.