What should we ask of the ocean? BSRS 2026 is underway

In her opening remarks, Professor Sehoya Cotner highlighted the ocean’s central role in addressing some of today’s most pressing global challenges, like food security, climate change and energy.

“Are we asking too much of the oceans, or are we not asking enough? Do the oceans unite or divide us? Are current regulatory mechanisms sufficient? Which research questions should we prioritise, and what actions should we take?”

Cotner, who leads the STEM Education Research Centre at the University of Bergen and serves as this year’s scientific director for BSRS, has brought together leading researchers from across Bergen’s academic community. 

Together, they are delivering four parallel courses exploring sustainability accounting, ocean productivity, ocean governance, and how societies live with—and from—the ocean. There will also be a demanding joint corse on systems thinking and session tith the University Libabry staff on publishing in the AI age.

Investing in the next generation

From the opening session, one message was clear: BSRS is a place for curiosity, connection and a sense of openness.

UiB Vice-Rector Kristoffer Chelsom Vogt highlighted UiB’s strong international outlook and its commitment to young researchers:

“Young scholars tend to question what’s taken for granted, bring fresh perspectives, and ask questions that more established researchers may no longer think to ask.”

He also underlined that BSRS is not just about the present, but about long-term collaboration.

“The professional partnerships, friendships and networks that you develop here will very likely last for decades.”

Networking (or just talking to people)

Scientific Director for Global Challenges, Simon Øverland, offered a different perspective on a familiar concept, gently pushing back on the idea of “networking”

“It’s really about connecting people, not about building networks,” he said, noting that buliding networks require skills and some kind of plan that do not come naturally to some people.

He reassured participants that even awkward beginnings can lead to lasting collaborations, sharing a personal story from his own time as a somewhat shy PhD student. 

“My longest-lasting professional friendship started with me saying: ‘Nice presentation, dude.’”

Two weeks of ideas and encounters

Over the next two weeks, participants will engage in sessions on sustainability, systems thinking, artificial intelligence and food security, offering both academic depth and interdisciplinary breadth.

Equally important, however, are the informal moments over coffee, waiting for the bus in the Bergen rain, or in conversations just outside the lecture hall. These are often where future collaborations begin.

As Øverland reminded participants, sometimes all it takes is a simple opening line.