New deans at UiA focus on green technology and interdisciplinary collaboration

Seven deans are already well underway with a new four-year term at UiA's faculty.

One of them is Vikas Thakur. He will now be dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, the largest faculty at UiA.

"I like working with people to inspire and motivate them," says Vikas Thakur.

His main priority? Making technology greener.

He has researched sustainable solutions for the construction industry as a professor of geotechnical engineering (natural hazards and landslides).

Hidden gem

“It is clear that UiA wants to focus more on interdisciplinary work and co-creation, which I am passionate about. We need to invest in interdisciplinary collaboration to solve the major societal challenges we face. We must constantly think about sustainability, regardless of what we are working on,” says Thakur.

He sees UiA as a hidden gem and is therefore clear that he has big ambitions. Thakur wants to work towards raising the profile of UiA outside the region and aims for the university to become an important national player.

“Many good initiatives at the faculty are unknown outside the region. Now that the job market is undergoing major changes, we are forced to adapt to meet the need for expertise and strengthen research-based education,” he says.

Empowering employees to flourish

"The faculty will become an important national player during my tenure as dean," says Vikas Thakur. Photo: Damares Stenbakk

Ever since Thakur completed his doctorate in geotechnical engineering, he has also held leadership positions in large companies and sectors.

He held the position of chief engineer at the Public Roads Administration from 2009 to 2014. At NTNU, he was the head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2019 to 2023. From August 2023 until now, he has been vice-dean at the Faculty of Engineering at the same university.

Thakur emphasises that he does not have a specific leadership style but believes in giving employees freedom and trust to flourish in their job. As a leader, he does not believe in micro-management.

“My leadership is situation-dependent, and my focus is on fellow human beings. I also like to work strategically and with a long-term perspective,” he says.

20 years in Norway

After moving from India almost 20 years ago, he has seen how diversity strengthens the Norwegian employment sector. He believes it goes hand in hand with quality and sustainability.

Thakur believes that gender balance in the university sector, especially in certain fields of study, can be improved. He intends to address this issue. 

“Engineering, in general, has a poor gender balance, and everyone knows that. There is no quick fix, but we will work on it. When we gather people from different backgrounds and cultures, it contributes to strengthen and develop us in the right direction,” he says.

Vikas Thakur is ready for four years as dean and to work towards more diversity and more women in the technological fields. He looks forward to working alongside Faculty Director Jorunn Gislefoss.

Well-established and brand-new deans

Gunn Bjørnsen (60), Teacher Education Unit

“Job number one for the teacher education now is to ensure recruitment to the profession. This work is well underway in collaboration with the region. I will also promote more interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen diversity competencies in both kindergartens and schools. I am grateful to have been given this fulfilling job and I am delighted with the positive developments occurring in the teacher educations at UiA through collaborations with kindergartens and schools,” says Bjørnsen.

Since 2021, she has been head of studies for research and development in the teacher education programmes at UiA.

Bjørnsen is also a former head of the Department of International Studies and Interpreting at the Faculty of Education and International Studies at OsloMet. She was also an associate professor in journalism at the same university.

Ingunn Breistein (60), Faculty of Humanities and Education

“I look forward to collaborating with my skilled colleagues for the benefit of the faculty and UiA in line with our strategy. I want to enhance and communicate the essential and broad general competence that the subjects of humanities and education offer, and which society needs,” says Breistein.

She has previously served as the department head of Religion, Philosophy and History at UiA and is a professor of church history.

From 2016 until now, she has worked as rector at Ansgar University College.

Marit Wergeland (48), Faculty of Arts

“I have been so lucky to have the opportunity to lead a forward-thinking, enthusiastic, and strong art community. Going forward, the faculty has ambitions to contribute to understanding societal challenges. We will explore how we can help solve them, with the unique potential inherent in the nature of the arts. The goal is to develop educational programmes that make our students relevant and capable of influencing the future job market,” says Wergeland.

Wergeland has served as the dean of the same faculty since 2016 and holds a master’s degree in drama and theatre from NTNU. She also has experience working as a dramaturge and director's assistant in Denmark.

Leif Skiftenes Flak (49), Faculty of Social Sciences

“We are entering a time when social sciences are becoming more important than ever. This is a time when we depend on new technologies to handle the major societal challenges. At the same time, the new technologies will affect our society in fundamental ways. Here, social sciences have a very important role - both when it comes to understanding complex connections and contributing to changing us towards a good and sustainable society,” says Skiftenes Flak.

He has previously been head of the Department of Information Systems for five years and is a professor of information systems at UiA.

He has a doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Aalborg and has built up and been the leader of CeDiT, an interdisciplinary research centre at UiA.

Anders Johan W. Andersen (58), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences

“I look forward to embarking on a new term as dean and have the ambition of launching a professional degree programme in psychology at UiA. This will be a major undertaking that will require extensive effort. It is also high time that we focus attention on the conditions of women in terms of development and performance in sport. I hope we can make strides in this area during this term. There are also major societal challenges that UiA must contribute to finding good solutions for. I am looking forward to working on this as well,” he says.

Andersen is a professor of mental health care and has served as dean of the same faculty since 2016.

Before that, he headed the Department of Psychosocial Health for three years.

Kristin Wallevik (58), School of Business and Law at UiA

“I look forward to collaborating with a group of clever and amicable individuals who share a common goal of solidifying and enhancing the reputation of the School of Business and Law at UiA. We will work to clearly define our profile and establish a prominent position in the national and international education market. Furthermore, we will ensure that our course offerings are relevant and that we maintain the positive trend in research activity,” says Wallevik.

She has previously served as the dean of this same faculty and has also been managing director of Agderforskning and CEO of the research institute Norce.