This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
– What preoccupies you at the moment?
– Over the past six months I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know the talented people in SV-info and our tasks. At the same time, much of the job is about planning ahead. We’ve appointed a new head of the buddy programme, we’re well underway with preparations for the start of the spring term, and we’ve starting laying the foundations for welcoming new students in the autumn. At the same time, we’re in the middle of the exam period and wrapping up the autumn semester.
– I’m focused on how SV-info meets students, and on making our study information simpler, clearer and more accessible. In a large system, we’re often one of the few contact points between students and the university, and that’s precisely why the quality of this encounter matters so much. It’s important to be both welcoming and realistic at the first meeting — clear about opportunities and framework, while we uphold the regulations and set the right expectations for what is possible.
– If you were to explain to an eight-year-old what you do at work using three short sentences, what would you say?
– Sometimes it’s hard enough to explain what it’s like to work in the higher education sector to my own friends, but to an eight-year-old I’d probably say something like:
– The university is like a big school, and SV-info is like the school office where you can ask about anything and get help. I’m the boss of the people who work in this office, and my job is to make sure everyone can answer the students’ questions. I also have to make sure the office staff work well together and learn new things so they can be good at helping others.
– What motivates you in your job?
– I’m genuinely motivated by working with skilled, engaged people! It makes everyday life at work both more enjoyable and more rewarding. I love learning new things and throwing myself into more complicated tasks where, together with colleagues, we can find smart solutions. When we achieve something collectively and make daily life easier for students or other colleagues, that’s when I feel true joy at work.
– If you were to become something different, what would it be?
– I’m very interested in politics and societal issues, and I listen to a lot of political podcasts. Being a political commentator — having a job where your job is to have an opinion about other people’s jobs — would be the dream. Otherwise, I’m keen on cooking and eating out, so being a restaurant critic wouldn’t be bad either.
– What do you do to completely unwind?
– Ideally, I’d be out on the sea on a summer’s day! But the year has several seasons. With a two-year-old at home, there’s been a bit less time to completely switch off. Some of the best moments are early weekend mornings with a big cup of coffee and playing with BRIO trains on the floor. I also try to sneak in a run now and then. That’s when I can let my thoughts flow freely.
– Over the last year and a half, I’ve had a little project to run my way through Oslo’s districts. I haven’t quite decided when I’ll ‘finish’, but I’m about to complete the fourth area and I’m well underway with several others. I’ll see how many it turns out to be in the end. The bonus is that I discover new places around the city, even in areas where I’ve lived for many years.