Working in academia, whether as scholars or administrative staff, we are used to movement. Not only between cities or countries as we seek new opportunities and milieus in which to explore our fields of interest and go deeper in the quests we have identified as our mission in life, and which make us feel alive. The movement of the mind, too, is intertwined with the very identity we embody as a university, both in organisational development and in research and teaching; the former making the latter possible.
Close collaboration among and between academic and administrative staff
We are in the midst of a number of processes, which will remodel the way we work as a Faculty, including the current reform of our teaching programs, to be launched in 2025, and how we identify and connect with partners to achieve our goals – within the university and in society, nationally and internationally. All of this require close collaboration among and between academic and administrative staff, basing our work in the shared point of departure outlined in Strategy2030. I am confident, based on experience, that TF has the expertise and collaborative spirit needed not only to make these reforms and developments work, but also to make the faculty thrive as we move forward.
‘Thinking takes time’
I’m also convinced, however, that ‘thinking takes time,’ as Bodil J?nsson, the Lundensian Professor of Chemistry, summarised her praxis-oriented theories about the academy and life more generally. Movement, to be favourable and productive, should preferably be paired with serenity, tranquillity.
We need to be able, I believe, to find time to ‘step out’ every now and then, in order to find the rest, active or passive, that’s energising; a place where inspiration can grow. But it is also important that the organisation within which we work includes enough space for thinking thoughts concerned not only with the most urgent business we happen to be involved in, but also with the longer trajectories, which are equally necessary for innovation and stability; scholarly as well as administratively. Such longer trajectories of thought, often categorised as Important but Not Urgent, are key, especially in moments of transition such as those we work to realise over the next few years.
Pilgrimage from Oslo to Trondheim
This past summer, my wife and I went on a pilgrimage from St. Hallvard's Cathedral in Oslo to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, following in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have walked the 643 kilometres of Norwegian landscapes, mountains, and valleys since the medieval period in order to reach beyond the present; beyond the known. I made some notes along the way on theology and the interconnectedness of religions, among other things,which got posted on TF’s Facebook page.
It was a trek through landscapes of profound beauty. But among the many discoveries we made that made a deep impression on the soul, one of the most important was the hidden culture of remarkable generosity, kindness, and trust we found everywhere along the trail – with the locals as well as with fellow pilgrims from around the world, regardless of their confessional or non-confessional backgrounds. A sense of belonging in the world together; of seeing one another, in all our differences – indeed, to no small degree thanks to our differences – as creating a shared story that’s bigger than ourselves; one in which we all matter.
How we can shape the TF story together
It seems to me that within our Faculty, we are given the opportunity to create such a shared story, precisely because of our different interests in research, teaching, and administration. As we embark on the journey that is the academic year of 2024/2025, let’s try to find time, by ourselves and together, to think more and deeply on how we can shape the TF story together: as colleagues, as a faculty, as a faculty within the university, and as a university in the Norwegian society and beyond. As with the moment we live, this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed: it is here, and it is now.
I look forward to working with you all in the year ahead!
Anders