Science advice in Norway

Sir Peter Gluckman, Professor and Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister will give the Keynote lecture at this seminar about science advice and science for policy in Norway.

The seminar is open for everyone, but registration is required.

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In Norway there is no Science Advisor to the government and the parliament or a single office that has this task. Instead research institutes, universities, and other institutions report directly to the ministry that is responsible for the policy in the field of interest. Also, this sector principle is the main mechanism for funding research in various areas. Each ministry has a research portfolio and therefore not only the science advice structure, but also research policy might vary from field to field. In many cases the ministries use The Research Council of Norway to establish research programs and distribute money, but the Research Council has no specific role as regards science for policy. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters was recently host to the council meeting of EASAC (European Academies Science Advisory Council) where important issues of Science Advice on the European level were discussed.
The Academy wants to follow up and engage in a debate about science advice and science for policy in Norway. Does the government have access to the information and the scientific basis for the policy that will have to be established to meet the challenges that face us? Does the information from international sources (e.g. EASAC reports) reach the policymakers? Are Norwegian research institutions sufficiently engaged in the task of science advice?

Programme:

1100 Introduction
Ole Mathias Sejersted, President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
1110 Keynote lecture
Sir Peter Gluckman, Professor and Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister
1200  Lunch
1245  "The Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM)"
Jeremy Bray, Deputy Head of Unit, Scientific Advice Mechanism, European Commission
1315  "Science Advice experiences from Norway"
Lars Walløe, Professor emeritus, University of Oslo
1345  "Do we need a Science Advisor in Norway"
Nils Christian Stenseth, Professor and Head of Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo
1415  "Experiences from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety"
Jan Alexander, Professor and Deputy Director-General at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health
1445  Coffee break
1515  "Science Advice in Norway -- Points of View from the Research Council of Norway"
Arvid Hallén, Director-General of the Research Council of Norway
1545  "In Science We Trust?"
Frank Bakke-Jensen, Member of Parliament, The Conservative Party

1615  Discussion

Biography on Sir Peter Gluckman: http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/a-short-biography-of-peter-gluckman/