Professor Arild Vatn receives Thor Heyerdahl professorship at UMB
WebmasterOn 21 May 2008 The Noragric Board decided to appoint Prof. Arild Vatn to the new Thor Heyerdahl Professorship at UMB’s Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Noragric.
By Joanna Boddens-Hosang
The position will strengthen UMB’s programmes on environment, development and health. The Thor Heyerdahl professor is expected to build an academic platform in these areas through interdisciplinary and problem-oriented approaches and scientific collaboration between different departments at UMB and national and international institutions. The empirical focus of the Professorship is the interface of environment and development processes. One function for the Thor Heyerdahl professor will be to engage with the UMB’s “Health and Development” programme, which was launched in 2006. This programme seeks to integrate the social, technological and institutional dimensions of problems and alternative solutions from perspectives of development and environmental change. The Thor Heyerdahl Professor will conduct research, as well as teach, develop new courses and publish.
Prof. Arild Vatn, who received his PhD in Agricultural Economics at the former Agricultural University of Norway (NLH) in 1983, is internationally recognized through various publications. He recently received the Thorstein Veblen prize from the Association for Evolutionary Economics (AFEE) and the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy' (EAEPE) for the book “Institutions and the Environment”. Vatn is also chair of the Norwegian Research Council’s programme “Environment 2015” and president of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) (2006-2009). He is currently coordinator of Noragric's Master programme in ‘International Environmental Studies’.
The 4-year professorship is funded equally by Noragric and the Thor Heyerdahl Institute and is housed at Noragric which coordinates UMB’s “Health and Development” programme. The objective of the Heyerdahl Institute is to promote and develop the research and development ideals that were central to Thor Heyerdahl’s life and work. Heyerdahl is one of Norway's most famous explorers who captivated much of the world with his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 and other expeditions later. The establishment of a professorship in his name contributes to research methodology based on interdisciplinary expertise. The department head at Noragric, Professor Ruth Haug says that on behalf of Noragric, she is indeed proud to have the privilege to house a professor in the name and honour of Thor Heyerdahl: “Thor Heyerdahls’ interdisciplinary, exploratory and holistic approach fits very well with the spirit at Noragric and Arild Vatn is a very worthy candidate for the title Thor Heyerdahl professor.”
For further information contact Prof. Ruth Haug or Dr Cassandra Bergstrøm, Noragric/UMB.
Updated: 21.05.08
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Del med en venn:
Department of International Environment and Development Studies
- Noragric
Phone: +47 64 96 52 00
Fax: +47 64 96 52 01
E-mail: noragric@umb.no
Postal address:
Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
P.O. Box 5003
NO-1432 Aas
Norway
Visiting/delivery address:
Universitetstunet 1 (Tivoli)
NO-1432 Ås
Phone: +47 64 96 52 00
Fax: +47 64 96 52 01
E-mail: noragric@umb.no
Postal address:
Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
P.O. Box 5003
NO-1432 Aas
Norway
Visiting/delivery address:
Universitetstunet 1 (Tivoli)
NO-1432 Ås