Candidate- Arild Våge Berge

My study background is from Bergen, Agder and Gothenburg. I hold a bachelor’s degree, teacher education (PPU), and a master’s degree in art from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design (KHiB). I am now a Ph.D. candidate in artistic research at the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD), where I work with topics such as industry and climate.

As a board member, I will work to strengthen academic quality, and to ensure that the University of Bergen is an inclusive and relevant place to study. The research at UiB should be present as a voice in society and be directed toward challenges of our time and the future. It is important that PhD candidates are given good career opportunities, that academic freedom remains strong, and that the university continues to develop solid strategies for what role artificial intelligence should have in academia work going forward.

Through previous work as assistant professor at UiB and OsloMet, I have coordinated study programs and gained experience with study development, research, and teaching. As a student at KHiB, I was a board member, chair of the student council, a member of the department council for art, and took part in the transition process when KHiB became part of UiB and moved into the new building in Møllendal.

Experiences from OsloMet, KHiB, and UiB have given me perspectives on different institutions, allowing me to see strengths and challenges across subject fields. My experience with the transition process taught me the importance of balancing traditions with new structures during periods of reorganisation. Working in different organisational levels has also given me an understanding of decision‑making processes — and how they should be anchored.