This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
In 2025, the Norwegian Parliament will allocate nearly 50 billion kroner to research and development work. Measured by government allocations per capita, Norway ranks third internationally, only surpassed by Switzerland and Iceland. How can we ensure that the institutions and stakeholders responsible for managing this investment are best equipped to convert the funds into new knowledge, development and innovation for the future as the world knocks at the door? On Friday, 21st March, the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Aasland, presented the parliamentary report Sikker kunnskap i en usikker verden (Certain knowledge in an uncertain world). This report is specifically about the research system. In this system report, the government outlines a changing research landscape and charts a direction to enhance the system's ability to tackle challenges and maximise benefits. The report provides an overview of the Norwegian research landscape in light of evolving geopolitical realities and rapid technological development. It highlights several areas where the government believes the Norwegian research system can be improved:
- Geopolitical tensions and new types of threats require the research system to manage increasingly complex ethical and security challenges.
- Technological development, particularly within AI, impacts all parts of society. Therefore, the digital research infrastructure must be adapted and further developed to ensure preparedness for the digital transformation.
- The business sector is purchasing increasingly less research from local institutions. Perhaps the collaboration between research institutions and the business sector isn't as tight as it should be.
- Implementing research can be complicated and time-consuming. Promoting collaboration and a culture of sharing knowledge and innovation is necessary for the research to be used as effectively as possible in society.
- The number of doctoral graduates has increased, but it is uncertain whether production adequately meets the need for research expertise. The government expects us as an institution to actively evaluate the academic orientation and dimensioning of researcher education, considering both our recruitment needs and the labour market's need for research expertise. The government also expects us to strengthen efforts to identify the reasons why many candidates do not complete their doctoral education and better facilitate timely completion for more candidates.
Although the report addresses the entire academic system, several points can be read as particularly relevant to the social sciences. The report challenges the intersection between security policy and knowledge production, emphasising that this tension can negatively impact social science research. While the issues may also be relevant to other fields, it might be the case that social sciences face unique challenges concerning academic freedom and ethical dilemmas in international cooperation, especially in particularly vulnerable countries. This might concern self-censorship when researching politically sensitive topics and areas. Such concerns threaten the foundation of open research, which is crucial for the trust and legitimacy of research in society. Our staff and students must navigate a complex landscape where academic freedom, integrity, and openness may directly conflict with national and political interests. Several research environments within the faculty have dealt with such issues for many years, but the situation has been highlighted and brought closer to our own doorstep by recent absurd and frightening developments in the USA.
Security and responsibility in international research cooperation have so far been dominated by export legislation and the protection of knowledge and technology that can be used for the development and spread of weapons of mass destruction. Such concerns have often been associated with technological environments and have received less attention within our faculty. However, with changes in the global geopolitical situation, there has been increased focus on other issues as well. For social sciences, the report particularly mentions areas that focus on Norwegian foreign and security policy and the northern regions, providing decision support for Norwegian foreign, security, and defence policy. According to the report, the government is calling for more knowledge about the challenges our researchers face in international cooperation. Through the establishment of a forum for security within research cooperation, UiO has initiated work to improve information and support functions. The Faculty of Social Sciences is well-represented in this forum, and it will be important to map and draw on the experiences of our staff and students to develop a system adapted to our needs. Here, many of our environments possess unique competence and experience that will also benefit the rest of UiO.
The report also addresses the spread and misuse of disinformation, which can contribute to undermining trust and fundamental democratic processes. The World Economic Forum lists the spread of AI-generated misinformation and disinformation among the most serious global threats in today's global society, alongside natural disasters, for example. A recently concluded expert group (in Norwegian) commissioned by the government points out that these challenges are also relevant for electoral processes in Norway. We must expect that such issues will be highlighted in the context of the upcoming parliamentary election. There is a strong need for more knowledge about how modern technology can be used to spread misinformation and influence public opinion, but also about how this can be avoided. Is it possible to protect ourselves against such influence, and what characterises societies and institutions that demonstrate resilience in the face of such forces? Researchers at the Faculty of Social Sciences are well-positioned to contribute to increased knowledge about the dynamics and societal effects of disinformation and fake news.
Although the report paints a grim picture and highlights the need for increased security, it also emphasises the value of an open and internationally oriented research system. As a small research nation, Norway is entirely dependent on an open and internationally focused system. We are simply too small to isolate ourselves, and it would not align with our principles either. Therefore, the need for security and risk management must be balanced with fundamental principles of academic freedom, open research and global cooperation. For our researchers, increased awareness and knowledge about what can be shared and with whom are crucial to successfully manage this balance. Security and ethical challenges must be met with targeted measures that enable Norwegian institutions and researchers to participate in responsible collaboration with the best academic environments, even in cultures and regimes where academic freedom and institutional autonomy are not as strong as in Norway.
To achieve this balance, our researchers and students should be provided with sufficient knowledge to make sound assessments and offered research infrastructure that meets security needs while allowing for sharing and openness. The report therefore points out the importance of developing and strengthening existing infrastructure for the secure handling of sensitive research data. Along with NTNU and the University of Bergen, UiO is working to establish a national infrastructure for personal sensitive data under the name NorTRE (Norwegian Trusted Research Environments). This planned solution builds on existing infrastructure (including TSD at UiO) and can have direct implications for social scientists working with such data. It is important that our needs are highlighted and addressed in this process.
It is also crucial that our leaders are provided with sufficient support and competence to make well-founded decisions, and that we manage to place responsibility in the right parts of the organisation. The principle that discipline-specific assessments often provide a good basis is sound, but a large organisation like UiO cannot assume that every leader has sufficient insight to make relevant security policy assessments in areas such as recruitment or hosting guest researchers.
The report Sikker kunnskap i en usikker verden not only sets a direction for the Norwegian research system but should also be read as a valuable insight into the complex international political climate in which our researchers operate. By highlighting challenges and experiences that are relevant to our fields, the report underscores our responsibility to navigate a changing geopolitical landscape while preserving and protecting academic freedom for ourselves and our colleagues in other countries.