Annual Report 2017 2 | Annual Report 2017
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2 | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 FROM THE DIRECTOR 4 EXCERPT FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ REPORT 2017 5 EDUCATIONAL QUALITY 10 STATISTICS 11 PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT 2017 12 BALANCE SHEET 31.12.2017 13 ARCTIC BIOLOGY 14 ARCTIC GEOLOGY 20 ARCTIC GEOPHYSICS 26 ARCTIC TECHNOLOGY 32 STUDENT COUNCIL 38 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 2017 42 GUEST LECTURERS 2017 50 Front page | May 2017: AT-331/831 Arctic Environmental Pollution fieldwork in Mohnbukta, on the east coast of Spitsbergen. Photo: Richard Hann/UNIS. Editor | Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 | 3 NY-ÅLESUND LONGYEARBYEN BARENTSBURG SVEA HORNSUND SVALBARD Front page | May 2017: AT-331/831 Arctic Environmental Pollution fieldwork in Mohnbukta, on the east coast of Spitsbergen. Photo: Richard Hann/UNIS. Photo: Aleksey Shestov/UNIS. Editor | Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS. 4 | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 FROM THE DIRECTOR UNIS continued to experience growth in 2017. In all, 794 students from 45 nations attended courses and 59 master’s students worked on their theses. This equates During the year, UNIS was very involved in the process to 222.5 student-labour years, which is a new record. of preparing the basis for the government’s strategy Consequently, publicfor research in the andspring higher of 2 018.education Furthermore, in Svalbard. the Board The of 50% of the Directorsgovernment at UNISis expected has initiated to make a newthe new strategic strategy process students came 2017from wasprogrammes the first year of study we achieved at Norwegian the for the institution. The background for this decision are target of 220 student-labour years. Moreover, publicuniversities defences (Norwegian were held. degree In 2017, students). UNIS registered There were 153 picture.the major The transformations strategic work taking will be place concluded in and in around 2018. publications31 post docs inand authorized PhD candidates publication at UNIS channels in 2017 and and peer- five Longyearbyen and what role UNIS shall have in this UNIS shall be a resource for the local communities reviewed journals. toin Svalbard.young people As an from education many countries institution, and, UNIS in so offers doing, It was a demanding year from a financial perspective, contributesresearch-based to securing and field-based the recruitment teaching of at competent a high level but we managed to turn a negative trend from the labour for research, administration and business previous two years of significant deficits into a small qualitysurplus ofin the2017. academic This was production. achieved through strict cost ledsaving to lagging measures behind without when having it comes a negative to maintenance effect on and the development in and for Arctic regions. Staff at UNIS are However, this has important resources when it comes to evaluating the avalanche risk in and around Longyearbyen, as well theinvestment foreseeable in construction future. The measuresand working implemented capital, which were Marathon,as making aetc. major UNIS contribution will continue to tolocal take events such taskssuch as followedmeans the loyally demanding by the financialentire organisation. situation will continue in seriouslyPolarjazz, in the the Svalbard years ahead. Seminars and the Svalbard Ski An increasing number of students combined with a limited capacity of student housing has created major challenges for the organisation. However, it is extremely positive that the Arctic Student WelfareA Organisation coordinated has gained access to land for a major new student housing buildingconstruction application. project inThe Longyearbyen. goal is that UNIS will no longer effort is underway concerning the subdivisionNybyen. work and have students living in avalanche prone There was a high level of activity on the research front in independent2017. Svalbard organisation, Integrated Arcticand the Earth Arctic Observing Safety Centre System (SIOS) was by year-end in the process of becoming an has developed in accordance with the milestone plan in terms of both costs and progress. Moreover, UNIS is Researchinvolved in Council The Nansen of Norway Legacy, in 2017. which The underwent panel agreed an on evaluation by a scientific panel under the auspices of the Photo: Eirik Berger a very strong overall assessment. Managing director Harald Ellingsen ANNUAL REPORT 2017 | 5 EXCERPT FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ REPORT 2017 February 2017: UNIS and the Svalbard Science Centre. Photo: Hanne H. Christiansen/UNIS. The annual accounts for 2015 and 2016 showed established as a state-owned limited corporation on 29 The University Centre in Svalbard AS (UNIS) was foundation established in 1994 by the Norwegian hassignificant characterized deficits. operations This has necessitated in 2017. The more measures November 2002. This company replaced the original implementedstringent budgeting were followed and financial loyally management, by the entire which organisation, which resulted in an operating surplus in University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the 2017. hadUniversity an identical of Bergen collaboration (UiB), University agreement of Oslo with (UiO) the eight and University of Tromsø (UiT). Since 2011, UNIS AS has In 2017, the target of 220 student-labour years was universities on the Norwegian mainland. The enterprise’s There is a positive trend in student production at UNIS. objective is to provide tuition and engage in research of high international quality based on Svalbard’s geographic internationalachieved for the programmes first time. Atof study.the same time, a balance location in the High Arctic and the special advantages was achieved between students from Norwegian and andthis formoffers. part The of educational the ordinary provision programmes shall actof study as a supplement to the tuition offered at the universities longerThe provision meets the of studentrequirements accommodation, during the whichmost intense is culminating in degrees at Bachelor, Master and PhD level. managed by the Arctic Student Welfare Organisation, no shallThe educational be a balance provision between shall Norwegian have an and international international students.profile, and all tuition shall be given in English. There seasons. Furthermore, the avalanche hazard report by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) in December 2016 raises concern that the student housing in Nybyen is in an area prone to avalanches. The The University Centre in Svalbard AS (UNIS) is wholly Arctic Student Welfare Organisation is now working on owned by the Ministry of Education and Research. building new student housing in Longyearbyen and it is important for UNIS that this project is not delayed. 6 | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 is based on collaboration agreements from 2011 and produced in 2017, of which 199 student-labour years appurtenantCollaboration plans with ofthe action, Norwegian remains universities, a high priority. which As labour years”. A total of 222.5 student-labour years was and 23.5 student-labour years linked to presence by guestwere linkedmaster’s to creditsstudents. (ECTS) from completed courses semesterpart of this to collaboration, enable students UNIS to spendis working a full to semester develop or yearthe teaching at the institution. into educational The Board provisions of Directors that last has a high full In 2017, 794 students from 45 nations spent shorter or longer periods at UNIS. This included both course win-win situation for all parties. students and guest master’s students. 50% of the expectations for this process and believes it will be a students came from programmes of study at Norwegian All teaching at UNIS should be research-based, and UNIS wishes to strengthen its position as a strong increase of 5% from 2016. The remaining 50% came from international actor within in Arctic research. UNIS will universities (Norwegian degree students), which was an group which has increased most is foreign citizens admittedinternational to ordinary universities. programmes This indicates of study that at theNorwegian student continue its efforts in the research centres and major UNISresearch wishes projects to strengthen in which itthe participates externally andfunded seek to of the students were women, which is an increase of 5% componentparticipate inof itsnew research. research centres/projects. Moreover, universities. The gender distribution shows that 55% UNIS.since 2016. UiT – The Arctic University of Norway is the and education in the Arctic, the institution is considering Norwegian university which sends the most students to While UNIS will maintain focus on high-quality research UNIS also wishes to take on a greater role in supporting developing new areas such as “Safety in the High Arctic”. The results from the final assessment of the courses has been above average, with B as the average grade. The ofthe 2018. local community. A pilot course on “Risk Assessment stable,failure UNISpercentage has experienced has been low an (1%).increase The in overall student- results of Arctic Natural Hazards” will be tested in the summer show that although the course provision has remained on courses and increased presence by guest master’s student.labour years; The number both higher of applicants percentages has ofincreased, places filled and the Work on the further development of UNIS is an ongoing process, which will continue in 2018. Work is underway organisation’sto strengthen thepotential administrative in Arctic research.apparatus for initiating RESEARCHresults of the AND final ACADEMIC assessment INITIATIVES