Category: Past events

The “green” vs the “blue” lens on nature and sustainability

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We’re soon going to be 10 billion people on this planet and economic growth is causing additional pressure on nature and Earth’s resources. Christian Jørgensen is professor in marine ecology at UiB. He will discuss how our footprint is affecting our planet, on land and at sea.

The lecture is open to all, and starts at 16.30, November 14th,  in Auditorium 2 in Realfagbygget, Allegaten 41.

A myriad of data on global resource use and potential impacts exists, but how can one piece together a holistic view of the state of our planet? A particular challenge is that the consequences of our choices may take place much later and far away. This talk will present key data on the state of humanity and our planet.

It is likely that you will be surprised by some of the comparisons between what happens at land and in the oceans. Having a broad view is essential if we, as individuals or societies, are to make the choices that secure a good future for everyone on Earth.

Organisers: NTVA and Academia Europaea Bergen.

GoNorth – Exploring the Arctic Ocean

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The high North is Norway’s most important strategic foreign policy area. The GoNorth project has completed two expeditions into the Arctic Ocean, and will present discoveries from this summer’s expedition along the mid sea ridge northwest of Svalbard, including hydrothermal vent fields that have never previously been explored.

The event at Egget, Studentsenteret, University of Bergen October 17th, is organized jointly by the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (NTVA) and the Norwegian Scientific Academy of Polar Research (NVP).

About the event
The Norwegian Government has defined the high North as its most important strategic foreign policy area. Presence and knowledge are key elements. GoNorth has completed two expeditions into the Arctic Ocean, using the research icebreaker Kronprins Haakon and the University of Bergen ROV Ægir as main platforms. The seminar will concentrate on this summer’s expedition along the mid sea ridge northwest of Svalbard, where the scientists discovered hydrothermal vent fields that have never previously been explored.

  • Presentation of GoNorth – background and mission, by Gunnar Sand, Vice president of SINTEF and project manager of GoNorth
  • GoNorth’s scientific plan – what we want to explore, by Rolf Mjelde, professor at UiB and member of the GoNorth management team
  • The 2023 expedition – covering the mid sea ridge and the hydrothermal vent fields, by Rolf Birger Pedersen, professor at UiB and 2023 cruise leader
  • GoNorth into the future – where do we go from here, by Øyvind Paasche and Margit Simon, research manager and senior researcher at NORCE, and future GoNorth managers

Hanne Sagen will co-chair the event on behalf of NVP.

More information at the UiB website.

Practical information

  • The event will be held in English
  • The event is free and open to all
  • There will be refreshments served outside the auditorium Egget from 16.00
  • The event starts at 16.30, and is estimated to last for two hours
  • Egget is in the Studentsenter, Parkveien 1.

Celebrating 30 years of European Review

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In 1993, the scientific journal of the Academia Europaea, European Review, was launched to reflect the Academy’s mission to foster discourse and cooperation between the disciplines. Initially published by Wiley, European Review is now published by Cambridge University Press.

A celebratory event marking 30 years of the European Review (1993-2023) will take place on Monday 3rd July 2023, at Wolfson College, Lee Hall, University of Cambridge.

This is a hybrid event, with zoom attendance possible. Read more here.  

Seabed Mining and Biodiversity Conservation in the Deep Sea

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Seabed Mining and Biodiversity Conservation in the Deep Sea: Where Science meets Policy

Deep seabed mining is coming closer to a reality, presumably motivated by the need for rare metals. In this lecture Lisa A. Levin, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will highlight the deep-sea ecosystems being targeted for seabed mining, their biodiversity and why it matters, potential threats and management challenges.

A lecture in the Horizon Series on Thursday 20th 16.00–17.45

Deep seabed mining is of rising interest and coming closer to a reality, presumably motivated by the need for rare metals to electrify transport systems.  This presentation will highlight the deep-sea ecosystems being targeted for seabed mining, their biodiversity and why it matters, and the potential threats from seabed mining. Alongside the science, the complex management challenges posed by this nascent industry under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will be discussed.

For more details, see the event page at University of Bergen.

 

Can we forecast the next crisis and be ready to manage it?

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Webinar Monday 17th April, 14.00 CEST:

Crises like the war in Ukraine, the recent pandemic and climate change have a profound effect on all of us. We are all vulnerable – the impacts of crises can extend to all parts of society, the economy and environment.

Yet at the same time, we have unprecedented capabilities for anticipating crises and managing risk. We live in a digital age, where knowledge, information and data can be shared instantaneously, 24/7.

What are the ways to foresee, prepare for and even prevent future crises? How do we understand the nature of the risks we face, and how they can be managed?

When a crisis does strike, what do we need to know in deciding on effective action? How do we make sense of incoming information and data? Is it possible to build trust across our communities, and establish effective communications?

Panel of experts:

  • Professor Maarja Kruusmaa, Professor of Biorobotics and Vice-Rector for Research, Tallinn University of Technology; Member of the European Group of Chief Scientific Advisors
  • Professor Virginia Murray, Head of Global Disaster Risk Reduction, UK Health Security Agency
  • Professor Enrico Zio, Centre for Research on Risk and Crises (CRC), Ecole de Mines, ParisTech, PSL University and Politecnico di Milano; Member of the SAPEA Working Group on Strategic Crisis Management in the EU
  • Professor Ortwin Renn, Member of the SAPEA Working Group on Strategic Crisis Management in the EU

Webinar  chaired by Nils-Eric Sahlin MAE, Professor and Chair of Medical Ethics at Lund University, and Vice-Chair of the European Group on Ethics.

 

 

Science Education Can Build Bridges

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The upcoming workshop from our sister hub in Budapest is titled “Science Education Can Build Bridges”, and takes place on 20. February, 14:00-16:30 hrs (CET) .

You can attend digitally, via a link from the website of the Budapest hub.

Among the topics: “Engaging secondary students in physics learning through project-based learning” and “New possibilities in teaching methodologies of science education”.

Darwindag og Horisontforelesning: Making Sense of Cancer

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Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. So what is the evolutionary meaning of cancer? What will it take to get rid of it? In this lecture, professor in medicine Jarle Breivik explores the evolutionary logic of cancer.

Illustration of cell division

February 13th – 16.00–18.00 Studentsenteret, Egget, Bergen

The lecture
Cancer development is an evolutionary process driven by natural selection within a multicellular organism. This multicellular organism has evolved from a single cell, which itself is the result of billions of years of evolution. Concurrently, human organisms have evolved brains, which have enabled the evolution of cultural information. Some cultural phenomena, like smoking cigarettes, cause cancer. Others, like the evolution of biotechnology, aim to eliminate the disease.

Cancer causes disease, shapes our lives, and drives technological development. Like life in general, it involves natural selection of memes, genes, and epigenes. It is all about evolution, and Charles Darwin’s fundamental theory provides an integrated scientific framework for understanding the problem. Yet, it can be hard to see the meaning of this painful phenomenon that eventually kills so many of us. We are facing a fundamental paradox: Cancer is an inevitable consequence of aging. The better we get at treating cancer and other diseases, the longer we live, and the more cancer there will be in the population. The cancer epidemic is the result of our own success, and the solution is not the wonderful medicine many people imagine. We are in the midst of a major evolutionary transition, and The cure for cancer will be a technological revolution that will fundamentally change life on earth and what it means to be human.

In this lecture, Jarle Breivik explores the evolutionary logic of cancer. He draws lines from the evolution of the species, through embryologic development, to aging and malignant transformation. What will it take to get rid of cancer? Should society rather learn to live with it?

Practical information
Coffee and refreshments will be served from 15.45, and the lecture starts 16.15 in Egget, Studentsenteret (Parkveien 1).

Everyone is welcome! The lecture is intended for a wide audience, will be held in English, and is part of the Horizons seminar series of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences dedicated to big questions. Coffee and refreshments will be served from 15:45.

About the lecturer
Jarle Breivik is Professor and Head of Department of Behavioural Medicine at the Institute for Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. He is an M.D. and has a Ph.D. in the field of immunotherapy. His theory on the evolutionary dynamics of cancer development has received international recognition. He later turned to science communication and medical education and received an Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. Breivik has challenged the basic premise of cancer research about “finding a cure” and wrote an op-ed in the New York Times that spurred international debate (the op-ed is behind a paywall, but a related Science and Society article in EMBO Report is open access). His recent book Løsningen på kreftgåten has received excellent reviews (in Dagbladet, Apollon, and Michael) and will be available in English later this year.