Creating a competitive edge through diversity – leadership for Nordic research excellence towards 2030

(Illustrasjon: Auris/Adobe Stock)

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Nordic research summit for leadership, diversity and equality. Take part in dialogue on how diversity and gender equality is key to creating a competitive edge in Nordic research. The summit will highlight the Nordic paradox where equal access to employment and politics coexists with inequality for women in academia. This challenges the goal of excellence in Nordic research.

Academic leaders consider promoting excellence a central priority. This can only be achieved through targeted strategic actions. How can equality and diversity become part of leading for excellence towards 2030? This summit gives leaders an opportunity to talk to peers and major experts on how to use diversity and equality as a force for excellence. Participants will co-create Nordic solutions during the summit. This summit is for leaders in higher education, politicians, business leaders, research funders and practitioners. It is arranged under the banner of Norway’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2017 and is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and NordForsk.

The summit is a “lunch-to-lunch”event in the stunning surroundings of Oslo. You will have the opportunity to hear renowned Nordic and international speakers and to share your ideas with others. The summit has a highly interactive format; round table discussions, panels and networking opportunities with international experts in an informal setting. It will create many opportunities for your active participation.

Get live updates from the conference by following the hashtag #NordicSolutions on Twitter. Follow Kifinfo on Twitter for news about the conference.

Day 1

11.00 Registration opens
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 Session 1: Creating a competitive edge through diversity and equality – leadership for Nordic research excellence towards 2030
14.30-15.00 Break
15.00-16.30 Session 2: The Nordic paradox
16.30-17.00 Break
17.00-18.30 Session 3: Nordic experiences
19.30 Dinner

Day 2

09.00-10.30 Session 4: Nordic solutions
10.30-11.00 Break
11.00-12.30 Session 5: Nordic leadership
12.30-13.00 Concluding remarks
13.00-14.00 Lunch

See the full list of speakers here.

Sessions

Host: Asta Busingye

1. Creating a competitive edge through diversity and equality
– leadership for Nordic research excellence towards 2030

The research sector strives for excellence, but has so far not succeeded in using the whole pool of talent. Given the right conditions, diversity and equality allow research organisations to achieve a scientific excellence and innovation advantage.

Speakers:
Curt Rice – Chair of the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF) and rector at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA)
John-Arne Røttingen – Chief Executive, Norwegian Research Council  
Riitta Maijala  Vice President, Finnish Research Council - Academy of Finland
Gunnel Gustafsson – Director, Nordforsk

Panel:
Curt Rice, John-Arne Røttingen, Riitta Maijala, Gunnel Gustafsson.
Round table discussions.

2. The Nordic paradox
In this session, we will explore the Nordic paradox. What challenges does this represent for research in the Nordic countries? Do internationalisation and migration have an impact on this paradox?

Speakers:
Mari Teigen – Research professor, Director CORE – Centre for Research on Gender Equality - The Nordic paradox, Institute for Social Research (ISF)
Paula Mählck – Researcher, Department of Education, Stockholm University
David M. Hoffman – Senior researcher, Finnish Institute for Educational Research

Panel:
Mari Teigen, Paula Mählck, David Hoffman, Warsame Ali.
Round table discussions.


3. Nordic experiences
The Nordic countries have taken different initiatives to promote equality and diversity. In this session we will explore the experiences gained from the various initiatives. How do they contribute to change in the academic sector? What can we learn from the private sector?

Speakers:
Anna-Lena Bohm – Chair, The SME Committee at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise,  
Uniguide AB
Ingrid Guldvik – Dean, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, co-chair Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (Kif)
Fredrik Bondestam – Research coordinator, Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research University of Gothenborg
Marja Makarow – Director of Biocenter Finland and Chair of Technology Academy Finland

Panel:
Anna-Lena Bohm, Fredrik Bondestam, Ingrid Guldvik, Marja Makarow, Eva Sophia Myers.
Round table discussions.


4. Nordic solutions
How can we find the most effective solutions to our common Nordic challenges? What do we know about what works and what doesn’t? Can new technology-driven research and innovation create new Nordic solutions?

Speakers:
Frank Dobbin – Professor, Department of Sociology, Harvard University
Dyveke Hamza – HR Director, Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS
Gabriele Griffin – Professor, Centre for Gender Research, Uppsala University, Head of the research project Beyond the Gender Paradox

Panel: 
Frank Dobbin, Gabriele Griffin, Dyveke Hamza, Arnfinn Midtbøen.
Round table discussions.


5. Nordic leadership
This session will explore leadership in research towards 2030. Academic leaders consider promoting excellence as a central priority. This can only be achieved through targeted strategic actions. How can equality and diversity become part of leading for excellence towards 2030? What does it take for Nordic academic leaders to become champions of equality and diversity?

Speakers:
Henrik Asheim – Minister of Education and Research
Sigbritt Karlsson – Rector, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH
Per Holten-Andersen – Rector, Copenhagen Business School
Svein Stølen – Rector, University of Oslo
Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdottir – Prorector of science, University of Iceland

A dialogue on stage between:
Sigbritt Karlsson, Per Holten-Andersen, Svein Stølen, Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdottir.
Chair: Mari Sundli Tveit – Rector, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Concluding remarks: Jan-Paul Brekke

 

Where: Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel, Oslo

When: 8-9 November 2017.

Speakers

Henrik Asheim (Photo: Hans Kristian Thorbjørnsen/Flickr)

Henrik Asheim
Minister of Education and Research (Conservative Party)
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Anna-Lena Bohm. (Photo: private)

Anna-Lena Bohm  

Chair
The SME Committee at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise   
Uniguide AB
Read more

Fredrik Bondestam. (Photo: Ida Irene Bergstrøm)

Fredrik Bondestam

Research coordinator, University of Gothenborg
Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research
Owner and founder of Opoponax Gender Consulting
Read more

Frank Dobbin. (Photo: Thornton Tomasetti/Bess Adler

Frank Dobbin

Professor of Sociology
Department of Sociology, Harvard University
Author of the article "Why Diversity Programs Fail",  winner of the HBR McKinsey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article of the year.
Read more

Gabriele Griffin. (Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt)

Gabriele Griffin

Professor
Centre for Gender Research, Uppsala University
Head of the research project Beyond the Gender Paradox: Women’s Careers in Technology-driven Research and Innovation In and Outside of Academe
Leader of Nordic Centre of Excellence
Read more

Ingrid Guldvik. (Photo: Gro Vasbotten)

Ingrid Guldvik

Dean
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Co-chair, Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (Kif)
Read more

Gunnel Gustafsson. (Photo: T. Heiestad)

Gunnel Gustafsson

Director, Nordforsk
Professor of Political Science
Former Deputy Director General of the Swedish Research Council
Read more

Dyveke Hamza. (Photo: Haavind)

Dyveke Hamza

HR Director
Haavind Law Firm
Read more

David Hoffman. (Photo: Martti Minkkinen)

David Hoffman

Senior Researcher, Ph.D. (Social Sciences) - Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Docent, Higher Education and Educational Leadership - Faculty of Education and Psychology
Co-Team Leader: Migration, Mobilities and Internationalization Research Group
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Read more

Per Holten-Andersen. (Photo: CBS)

Per Holten-Andersen

President, Copenhagen Business School (CBS)
Former Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Former Rector of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University
Read more

Sigbritt Karlsson. (Photo: Tobias Ohls)

Sigbritt Karlsson

President, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Former President of the University of Skövde
Former Vice Dean and Director of Studies, KTH
Read more

Riitta Maijala. (Photo: Academy of Finland)

Riitta Maijala

Vice President, Finnish Research Council - Academy of Finland
Former Executive Director, Academy of Finland
Former Head of Science Policy Section, Ministry of Education and Culture
Read more

Marja Makarow. (Photo: Academy of Europe)

Marja Makarow

Professor
Director of Biocenter Finland and Chair of Technology Academy Finland
Former Vice President of the Finnish Research Council – Academy of Finland 
Former Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation
Read more

Paula Mählck. (Photo: Stockholm University)

Paula Mählck

PhD in Sociology
Senior Lecturer and Researcher Department of Education Stockholm University & University of Gävle
Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies
Read more

Eva Sophia Myers. (Photo:SDU)

Eva Sophia Myers

Teamleader of Gender Equality Team, HR Development, University of Southern Denmark (SDU) 
Head of Strategic Organizational Development, Faculty of Science, SDU
Former Head of Dean’s Office, Faculty of Science
Former Project Leader of the Danish team in the EU gender implementation project FESTA - Female Empowerment in Science and Technology Academia
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Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir. (Photo: Silla Páls)

Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir   

Professor of Sociology
Pro-Rector of Science
University of Iceland
Read more

Curt Rice. (Photo: Benjamin A. Ward / HiOA)

Curt Rice

Professor
Rector at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences
Chair of the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF)
Read more

John-Arne Røttingen. (Photo: Ida Irene Bergstrøm)

John-Arne Røttingen

Chief Executive
The Research Council of Norway
Read more

Svein Stølen. (Photo: UiO)

Svein Stølen

Professor of Chemistry
Rector-elect
University of Oslo
Former Chairman of Digital Life Norway and UiO: Life Science
Read more

Mari Teigen. (Photo: ISF)

Mari Teigen

Research Professor
Head of CORE – Centre for Research on Gender Equality and the research project NORDICORE – Centre for Research on Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
Leader of Nordic Centre of Excellence
Read more

​ ​Mari Sundli Tveit. (Photo: Gisle Bjørneby)

Mari Sundli Tveit

Rector, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Chair of the Board, Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions
Read more

Warsame Ali. (Photo: NAKMI)

Warsame Ali

Research Fellow
The Norwegian Centre for Migration and Minority Health (NAKMI)
Read more (Norwegian only)

Jan-Paul Brekke. (Photo: ISF)

Jan-Paul Brekke

Senior Research Fellow
Institute for Social Research, Oslo
Read more

Arnfinn Midtbøen. (Photo: Institute for Social Research)

Arnfinn Midtbøen

Senior Research Fellow
Institute for Social Research, Oslo
Read more

Practical information

 

Time: 8-9 November 2017
Place: Scandic Holmenkollen park hotel, Oslo
Organiser: KIF committee

 

Supported by

Policy brief

Download the new publication about the KIF committee's work:

reader-friendly version and printer-friendly version.

Time and place

The Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF committee) hosts the conference Creating a competitive edge through diversity – leadership for Nordic research excellence towards 2030

Where: Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel, Oslo

When: 8-9 November 2017

What is the KIF Committee?

The fourth Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF Committee) was appointed to serve from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2017. Professor Curt Rice is the chair of the committee.

Members in KIF

Mandate for the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF)

Publications in English