This article is translated by UiOGPT Version 4
After just over four years as research dean, Tore Nilssen can look back on a rich and industrious period.
“Something I have appreciated has been the meetings. Unlike many in academia, I enjoy sitting in meetings as long as they serve a purpose. It’s here that we formulate our thoughts well and think through why we do what we do. Thoughts that turn into strategies, and strategies that yield results,” he says.
Nevertheless – he’s now looking forward to controlling his days more and having fewer early morning meetings. The time ahead he plans to spend working on what he himself describes as “half-finished research ideas in the drawer.”
Joint Effort for Common Goals
When asking the research dean to summarize the last four years, he makes it clear that the results achieved are the outcome of a collective effort. He has also become known as a research dean who has collaborated well with the administration and has accomplished much by seeking out people and knocking on doors.
“I find it difficult to promote my own effort. This is about teamwork,” says Nilssen. He particularly highlights the cooperation with Johannes Elgvin, the recently departed head of the research section. “I had a good partnership with Johannes. We had different roles but complemented each other well. I particularly valued the many long conversations we had about strategic priorities and initiatives,” he continues.
Infrastructure Work for Success
One thing that surprised Tore was how much time he would spend working on research infrastructure. “I had not anticipated that, but the result has been a strategy for research infrastructure for the faculty. I experienced the process as very fine and inclusive; where strategy drafts were thoroughly discussed in many forums,” says Nilssen.
The commitment to research infrastructure has led to several successes and applications, both nationally and internally at UiO. “We needed to raise awareness of what our needs for research infrastructure are at the Faculty of Social Sciences, and I would contend that we now have a much better understanding of it.”
Nilssen highlights the two hub-node allocations to ISV and PSI as concrete results of this work, in addition to a total of over NOK 10 million to PSI in the internal infrastructure calls at UiO.
“My role has been to create good frameworks for the applications sent from the academic communities, and I have enjoyed a role as both a strategic and tactical advisor. This also shows how much one can actually achieve by knocking on people's doors and having a chat,” says Nilssen.
His prediction is that developments within research infrastructure will continue at a rapid pace. “The social sciences must understand and view this as a collective operation for the benefit of all,” he says. He points to the fact that UiO is now to establish its own Council for Infrastructure for the humanities and social sciences, and the work with data handling and data curation at the faculty as clear signs of recognition for the work done in recent years.
“In addition, the faculty's cooperation with the IT department at UiO is very important to us and to the researchers at the faculty. The work they do to establish a national network to ensure proper handling of sensitive data is of great significance,” believes Nilssen.
“Research infrastructure has also become the word with the most syllables in my vocabulary,” he chuckles.
Commitment to Researcher Education
While the amount of work with research infrastructure came as a surprise to Tore, he was more prepared for the significant work with researcher education. “The faculty has more than 300 PhD candidates at any given time, and they collectively constitute a large and fine research operation. The combined research effort from PhD candidates, for example, is more than double that of all our postdocs,” he points out.
“For me, it has been important to work well with the facilitation and support for PhD candidates, and especially to ensure that the work we do on research ethics and privacy also benefits these candidates. The research from PhD candidates is systematically quality-assessed through assessment committees, and it’s important to have an overview of the quality of these committees and their reports,” says Nilssen. “It is a shared responsibility to maintain the high quality of this research, and here I have put in an effort together with the administration,” he continues.
“This was a job I was motivated for and have spent time on. I am also particularly pleased that we have established a career counseling service for this group of employees. Most postdocs will continue their professional careers somewhere other than at UiO, and it is our responsibility to prepare them as well as possible to do just that,” says Nilssen.
The Social Sciences’ Potential for Innovation
Tore has also used his time as research dean to promote social innovation at UiO. Through his role in the Innovation Council, the rector's body for discussing innovation, he was well-positioned to highlight and raise awareness of how the social sciences contribute to innovation.
“Research from the social sciences is utilized in a different way than through patents and finding investors. But the social sciences still have great potential and value for society. It was nice to be a spokesperson for this and to promote the opportunities of the social sciences in the Innovation Council. Now we have to ensure that this awareness remains strong,” he says.
Tore also speculates on whether the faculty should organize itself more strongly in this field, to ensure continuity and impact.
“For example, the Faculty of Education has its own vice-dean for innovation. Perhaps we should also consider this,” he thinks aloud.
Open Data and Interdisciplinary Initiatives
The role of the research dean is wide-ranging, and in addition to the major processes he has already mentioned, Tore discusses the work towards a policy for open access to research results. “I really appreciated being on the working group that presented advice to the rectorate on how UiO should work with open access to publications. There was strong consensus in the group, and it was a fun process to be involved in,” he says.
"The next step is open access to research data. This work is slow, but it is progressing. We must ensure that this is done the right way, which upholds the FAIR principles and ensures that researchers get access to the data they need," Nilssen continues.
As research dean, Tore has also been on the boards of the interdisciplinary initiatives UiO:Norden, UiO:Energy and Environment, and UiO:Life Science. “It has been interesting to be on the inside of these initiatives, witnessing the practical management of the very idea of interdisciplinarity. I think we still have a long way to go to achieve true interdisciplinarity,” says Nilssen.
One initiative Tore has high expectations for is Oslo Science City. “Especially within OSC's focus on democracy and inclusion, the Faculty of Social Sciences has a responsibility and an opportunity to be involved from the start. This has been an interesting effort to work on, and I see that we have a real chance to influence the work in a positive direction. It will be exciting to see OSC's development in the coming years!”
New item for the CV: Conference Organizer
“These years have brought many interesting challenges, and some surprises. The fact that I also got to try my hand as a conference organizer really tested my ability to get people engaged and on board with a collective project,” reflects Nilssen.
It was when the government's Council for Fair Transition in the Labor Market needed scholarly input that Tore took on the job as conference organizer, with some good pats on the back from Oslo Science City. In a relatively short time, he put together a very strong academic program. “I must say that I understand why the university has its own people who work with holding conferences and large events. There were many details to settle, and a lot to keep in mind. But it was a fun experience - and a lot of work,” he smiles.
Melancholy and Pride
It is an active and engaged research dean who now returns to research, and he honestly admits that it is not with a light heart that he ends his tenure as vice-dean. “It is a bit sad and odd to leave many ongoing processes.
One little hobbyhorse Tore carries with him as he returns to research at the Department of Economics.
"Many see the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities as representing the 'breadth' of UiO when they claim that UiO is a comprehensive university. But it really isn't the Faculty of Social Sciences that represent the 'breadth' of our university! We account for 26 ERC grants to date, and we score very high on many internationally recognized rankings. The Faculty of Social Sciences is unquestionably a pinnacle at UiO, and I think we should be acknowledged for that," he concludes.