– It has been a tough day for Anne, for NTNU and for me personally. This is according to the new acting rector at NTNU, Tor Grande. Acting rector at NTNU Tor Grande has been pro-rector for research and communication at NTNU. He applied for the job as rector at NTNU in 2019 when Anne Borg got the job. Photo: Morten Andersen / news – I recognize a sense of pride in being employed at NTNU, says Grande. Anne Borg resigns as rector at NTNU immediately. – For me, it is NTNU’s best that counts, says Borg. Extraordinary board meeting The board at NTNU met for an extraordinary board meeting to discuss Anne Borg’s handling of the nuclear energy debate in Norwegian media. – I look forward to working together with Tor on how to manage NTNU further until a new rector is appointed. That’s what chairman of NTNU Remi Eriksen said about the new acting rector. Researchers Jonas Kristian Nøland and Martin N. Hjelmeland were publicly criticized by NTNU rector Anne Borg in a reader’s article she wrote in DN. – I experience it as a stab in the back. That’s what Nøland told news earlier this week. Acting rector at NTNU, Tor Grande, in the rector’s office. Anne Borg’s desk is empty. Photo: Morten Andersen / news – NTNU has a job to do – Loyalty to employers should not normally come into conflict with freedom of expression, says Eriksen. Board member Ingrid Bouwer Utne says what has emerged in the case is important to address. – The whole case has also been a wake-up call to the importance of academic freedom of expression. Freedom of expression and ties to business are something Bouwer Utne believes the university must continue to work on. – NTNU has a job to do, she adds. Board member Aksel Tjora also points out that the case is an important wake-up call for the university. – I hope the attention surrounding this case and the conclusion it has reached can help NTNU, says Tjora. Research and Higher Education Minister Sandra Borch (SP) believes that academic freedom of expression is an absolutely necessary prerequisite. Minister for Research and Higher Education Sandra Borch (SP) thanks Anne Borg for her very good efforts as rector at NTNU. The picture was taken when the minister visited NTNU in August. Photo: Morten Andersen / news – I have followed this case closely, and understand well that it has caused reactions. Anne Borg has now chosen to retire. It was a wise decision, says Borch. The minister adds that it is important that academics can speak freely so that we can trust science. – That is why we are strengthening the protection of academic freedom of expression in the proposal for a new university and college act, says Borch. The board now enters a closed meeting to appoint a new rector at NTNU. – I want the new headmaster to complete the work going forward, says Borg in the end. The extraordinary board meeting will take place digitally. The press follows the meeting from a meeting room at NTNU. Photo: Morten Andersen / news Criticized own employees in reader’s post Borg wrote in his reader’s post that the researchers Nøland and Hjelmeland have a rhetoric and form of discussion that she could not vouch for. They had called a report, made for NHO, about nuclear power for a commissioned work and that it had been “bought and paid for”. The report concluded that nuclear power was not a good alternative in Norway. The researchers at NTNU believe that the analysis work is not commensurate with the conclusions in the report. Almost at the same time, Nøland and Hjelmeland published their own report on nuclear power, which has been peer-reviewed. They came to the opposite conclusion. And then they were publicly criticized by their own principal. The rector at NTNU, Anne Borg, sent a text message to Anniken Hauglie in NHO the day before she sent the reader’s entry to DN. Photo: NTNU Following her reader post, Anne Borg has been criticized for setting limits on freedom of expression. She has also apologized for criticizing the way her staff expressed themselves. At the board meeting on Friday 15 December, Anne Borg resigned as rector at NTNU. Cooperation agreement between NTNU and NHO On 20 November, NTNU and NHO entered into a cooperation agreement with a duration of two years. – The board requests that existing relevant agreements be reviewed to ensure academic freedom and NTNU’s independence, says the chairman of the board. At the same time, Eriksen will not comment on specific agreements. – I have no specific comment on this agreement. I have not read the agreement. Acting rector Grande will not comment on the agreement with NHO either. – I will have to come back to that after the board has reviewed the agreement. The purpose of the letter of intent is to build good relationships and structures between the university and the trade organisation. – NTNU has a long tradition of strong collaboration with business, says Grande. – It is part of NTNU’s DNA. He adds that it is wise for the university to have such agreements that regulate cooperation with business. The board at NTNU will review agreements the university has with players in the business world. Photo: Morten Andersen / news – Now I expect the minister to go thoroughly into the agreements that have been entered into. The one that has come forward now is not amusing in any way. This is according to education policy spokesperson from SV Grete Wold. – I wonder what other agreements threaten the credibility of the research community in Norway. – We cannot just talk about free and independent research, it must be followed up in practice, adds Wold. The agreement between NTNU and NHO will provide strategic dialogue on education and knowledge policy with an emphasis on lifelong learning and relevance to working life. There is a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence.
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Extraordinary board meeting on NTNU’s rector’s handling of the nuclear energy debate in Norwegian media – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
