I just signed a petition calling for Norwegian universities to use research expertise on AI when deciding how to implement it, rather than having decisions be made mostly administratively. , If you are a researcher in Norway, please read it and sign it if you agree – and share with anyone else who might be interested. The petition was written by three researchers at UiT: Maria Danielsen (a philosopher who completed her PhD in 2025 on AI and ethics, including discussions of art and working life), Knut Ørke (Norwegian as a second language), and Holger Pötzsch (a professor of media studies with many years of research on digital media, video games, disruption, and working life, among other topics). This is not about preventing researchers from exploring AI methods in their research. It is about not uncritically accepting the hype that everyone must use AI everywhere without critical reflection. It is about not introducing Copilot as the default option in word processors, or training PhD candidates to believe they will fall behind if they do not use AI when writing articles, without proper academic discussion. Changes like these should be knowledge-based and discussed academically, not merely decided administratively, because they alter the epistemological foundations of research. Maria wrote to me a couple of months ago because she had read my opinion piece in Aftenposten in which I called for a strong brake on the use of language models in knowledge work. She was part of a committee tasked with developing UiT’s AI strategy and was concerned because there was so much hype and so few members of the committee with actual expertise in AI. I fully support the petition. There are probably some good uses for AI in research, but the uncritical, hype-driven insistence that we must simply adopt it everywhere is highly risky. There are many researchers in Norway with strong expertise in AI, language, ethics, working life, and culture. We must make use of this expertise. This is also partly about respect for research in the humanities, social sciences, psychology, and law. Introducing AI at universities and university colleges is not merely a technical issue, and perhaps not even primarily a technical one. It concerns much more: philosophy of science, methodological reflection, epistemology, writing, publishing, the working environment, and more. […]
vika
I haven’t been bored yet. I’ve thought that perhaps after you’ve settled into the admin position, administrative work will come in spurts — but mostly be quite manageable. That’s been my experience, anyway, with the current job.
If you really feel like spicing it up, perhaps you could write about pitfalls to watch out for, when administering an academic group?
EDR
Keep up the time-management accounting. From a U.S. perspective, your figures provide rich fantasy material. I’m afraid that here the 40-hour-work week is pretty much an imaginary construct for many Americans. I don’t have figures, but I think 50-60 hrs/wk. is a typical work week for most Americans, who either hold multiple jobs to make ends meet or work ‘extra’ hours at their professional jobs to make sure that they don’t lose their positions. Academics, of course, are no exception. Personally, I think America could learn from Scandinavia, which seems to stress quality of life over quantity of work (productivity).
Sending this via Chicago (‘the city that works’)
Best,
Eric
P.S. I got my Tinderbox issue resolved.
mark bernstein
not bored
Jill
Fantasy? Yes, I see Lisbeth works 10-12 hour days… I’m in awe of that – and also I wonder why my first impulse is to apologise for not working that much. But I just refuse to. Maybe I would if I were single and childless, but I’ve spent the last eight and a half years caring for a little girl, and it’s just not possible. I don’t want to, either – though I’ll admit that in research periods I’ve often loved just lounging in it all, reading more and more and living it entirely, oh and of course sometimes the vaulting ambition of working insanely and trying to become an academic superstar who’s flown business class around the world weekly. Haven’t we all? (Well, uh, ok, maybe not!) But when I retire, I don’t want them to say “She gave everything to her job.”
Actually, although Americans reportedly work for weeks more a year than anyone else, it seems the average work day is only a tiny bit longer than the standard Norwegian 7 1/2 hour (not including lunch) workday: “Employed persons worked 7.6 hours on average on the days that they worked.” (America Time-Use Survey) Do you think we like to exaggerate how much we work?
Our grandparents and great-grandparents and unions and the labour and feminist movements fought hard to get the workday down from 12 hours to something more humane. I am so grateful to them!
Diane
Not boring! But don’t go by me, I actually enjoy diet blogs. 🙂
William Wend
I love reading about this stuff!!
Scott
Totally bored! But I think you’re hot.
Elin
Hmm! You need a ….research assistant!! You know, one of those you can yell at when something goes wrong etc. At MIT, we the “research” assistants actually made our department head’s (and other presenters) powerpoint presentations for their talks…
Think of all the time you could save:-)
Not to mention how spicey your blog would be, when you blog’em~!
Clancy
As much as the “Bridget Jones, Department Head” idea appeals to me — and I am enjoying these posts — I feel I must remind you of something you wrote earlier…
“Such a dry list of words I use. Note to self: write more about tears, joy, strawberries, blood and laughter.”
🙂
Jill
I had some lovely strawberries the other night. Thing is though, between the living it and the writing it….?
Hm…