The Annual studytrip - "Departementsmasteren"
Before easter, "Departementsmasteren" was on a studytrip to Brussels!
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This year’s study trip to Brussels was conducted with the third cohort of students taking the course on “Wicked problems, Collaboration and Coordination in the Public Sector”. In total, 36 students participated in two full seminar days at the University of Bergen Brussels Office and at Norway’s House in Brussels.
The first day began with teaching sessions at the University of Bergen’s Brussels Office, including lectures on multilevel governance by Arild Farsund (GOV) and on AI by Regine Paul (GOV). After lunch, the student group continued to Norway’s House (Norway’s delegation to the EU), where they attended three presentations:
1. The Housing Crisis in Europe. Olav Mydland, Special Envoy for Municipal and Regional Affairs, Norway’s Delegation to the EU
2. Health Preparedness. Anne Camilla Hilton, Special Envoy for Health (health preparedness, pharmaceuticals, and digitalization)
3. ESA’s Role, Mandate and Procedures, and Practical Examples. Kyrre Isaksen, Legal Adviser, Legal and Executive Affairs, EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA)
Afterwards, the students participated in a reception hosted by the embassy, which also included invited guests from the Norwegian community in Brussels. The guests represented the EFTA system, Norway’s delegation to the EU, national experts in the Commission, and other Norwegians working in Brussels. The reception lasted for several hours and featured engaging meetings and conversations among colleagues “across levels of governance,” which was also the academic theme of this gathering in Brussels. The evening concluded with a joint dinner in Brussels’ old town.
Day two started early with lectures at the University of Bergen’s Brussels Office by Arild Farsund, Lise Rykkja, Jill M. Loga, as well as two guest speakers: Jarle Trondal (UIA) and George Riekeles from the European Policy Centre.
