Forum for Research School Administrators
On Friday 2 June 2023, HySchool co-hosted the annual seminar for the national Forum for Research School Administrators in Bergen, together with the research schools NutriNOR and NSRGH (both from the University of Bergen). The seminar brought together administrative coordinators from research schools across the country.
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At the seminar, participants shared best practices and engaged in discussions about the offers, challenges and opportunities of the different research schools. The topics included work relevancy, courses, grants and applications.
Professor Inger Beate Pettersen from the Mohn Centre for Innovation and Regional Development delivered a presentation on the importance of the “Third Mission,” i.e. the targeted use and transfer of knowledge from research, teaching and academic milieu to facilitate social, cultural and economic development, and explored the question on how to motivate PhD-students to engage in innovation activities, and hence reduce the gap between the academic and industrial cultures.
The topic was further explored by her colleague, PhD-student Frida Engedahl Olsen, who shared insights of her action-based PhD-project on responsible student innovation and entrepreneurship in HEI (higher education institutions). Frida also works as an innovation advisor as part of her PhD duty work, and her engagement in innovation activities contributes to keeping the innovation ecosystem alive, and helps her in building networks and preparing for the future career transition—whether that will be as a researcher or a change agent outside academia.
Lastly, Post.Doc Justas Zalieckas from UiB presented his work on innovative diamond coating and gave the perspective on what has helped him in his PhD-journey, what encouraged him to pursue innovation, and how his engagement and competence in innovation and entrepreneurship has benefitted his career.