Why are you standing for election?
Temporary academic staff constitute a diverse group facing complex challenges. I am standing for election to represent this group, motivated by a desire to ensure our voices are heard in the university's processes and decisions. If elected, I welcome input from you as a temporary employee, whether via email, an online form, or over a coffee.
My key issues
- UiO must work more strategically on recruitment for academic positions to ensure a broader diversity of gender, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
- UiO should better align the number of recruitment and qualification positions with the availability of permanent positions, and prioritise a review of the use of postdoctoral positions.
- UiO must facilitate better working conditions for temporary academic staff, which counteract mental health issues.
Election platform
A free and autonomous academia
The Movement for a Free Academia calls for a new foundational thinking and research culture within academia. In a time of significant societal changes, ongoing budget cuts, and diminishing trust in research, the logic of competition has taken hold: research must be relevant to society and contribute to our international standing, with results becoming crucial. I support the movement's call for a more autonomous academia, where we have greater power and influence over which research is conducted and what questions are asked. The university must ensure academic diversity in its research.
Diversity, inclusion, and equality
Sixty-six percent of researchers in academia have parents with higher education. Despite a slight increase in the number of researchers with immigrant backgrounds, there are still just under 1 percent of Norwegian-born researchers with immigrant parents working in academia—while this group is overrepresented in higher education. The proportion of female professors has also increased over the last 20 years, but women still face barriers in their career progression. It is telling that it is only this year that a Norwegian study is being conducted on the working conditions of LGBTQ+ individuals in academia. We know from other countries that LGBTQ+ individuals report experiences of discrimination, minority stress, and censorship.
By 2026, a new action plan for equality, diversity, and inclusion should be established. I believe that the current plan is insufficiently ambitious, and I will use my voice on the board to advocate for measures that address racism and harassment of minority groups, as well as implement more strategic initiatives regarding recruitment.
Temporary positions and career paths
UiO should adopt a comprehensive career policy with clear career pathways. Nevertheless, the number of recruitment and qualification positions does not seem to be aligned with the number of permanent academic positions at the other end. In the Board's review of temporary employment at UiO in 2024, there is recognition of the need to assess the use of postdoctoral positions and consider measures to ensure that these positions are utilised in accordance with regulations. Furthermore, it states that efforts to reduce temporary employment should not result in more temporary positions in the form of doctoral and postdoctoral roles. I will advocate for UiO to initiate such a review.
Working conditions
Working in academia allows for flexibility, and as temporary academic staff, we are privileged to have the opportunity to explore and learn. However, pursuing an academic career can be demanding and risky. We find ourselves in a pressured situation, facing unclear expectations and uncertain futures. Most of us do not only need to succeed in our research but must also balance compulsory duties and teaching responsibilities.
I believe that temporary academic staff should receive good training, particularly related to compulsory duties, and there should be a mentoring system in place for doctoral candidates. The university must ensure that temporary academic staff can maintain a sustainable working life.
About me
I am a doctoral research fellow at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research at the Faculty of Education. In my PhD project, I examine how teacher candidates' practice is assessed from the perspective of practice supervisors.
Both during and after my studies, I have been engaged in research, academia, and the higher education sector. In my master's programme, I looked at academic career pathways and the imbalance in high-level academic positions. As a student, I was a representative on several boards at the University of Agder, and I served as deputy chair of the board at UiA's Student Parliament. In the years before I started at UiO, I worked as an advisor in two national student organisations.
Nominators
- Silje Leifsen, UV
- Mina Boldermo Eriksen, UV
- Elodie Guillemin, UV
- Julie Alstadnes Malme, UV
- Guro Stordrange, UV
- George August Pound Sekkelsten, UV
- Laura Isabelle Hultberg, UV
- Fatima Reda, UV