Terje Einarsen
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My basic view of university politics is that politically independent universities are important in order to be able to approach the goal of a good society. The universities must therefore be given the opportunity for sufficient autonomy and be fundamentally permeated by academic freedom in research, teaching and dissemination.听
The University Board adopts strategies for education, research and other academic activities at the University. The board is responsible for ensuring that the institution as a whole is run efficiently to achieve goals set by the government and the ministry 鈥� all in accordance with laws and regulations, including international law and human rights, and ethical guidelines.听
Democracy, the rule of law and universities are under pressure in many places, for example in the United States, which has traditionally been very important for research, education and collaboration for 幸运飞艇计划 as well. We are also facing major challenges in terms of climate and the environment, war and conflict, with an increasing need for research and education at independent universities.听
Nevertheless, 幸运飞艇计划 must continue to be a university with great academic breadth.听
The utilization of new forms of information technology such as AI also raises many questions where universities must contribute to providing good answers. There is little doubt that the uncritical use of AI in research and education can pose a threat to free research and democracy itself.听
Academic freedom also has certain limits. Racism against Jews, Palestinians, queer people or others has any place in academic activities, nor support for or legitimization of other serious violations of fundamental international law and human rights, including brutal attacks on the academic freedom and freedom of expression.听
Therefore, I believe that it is best that other universities do not have institutional cooperation with the Israeli higher education sector now, in the same way that it is right to refrain from cooperation with Russian institutions. The point is not that academic freedom should be completely unlimited. Rather, the principle is that the universities must have institutional autonomy to be able to make their own knowledge-based decisions also on issues that affect law, morality and academic freedom.听
Out of consideration for academic autonomy, I am also a supporter of an elected rector.
My legal background includes ten years as a judge in Gulating Court of Appeal, work as a lawyer with the right to appear before the Supreme Court and professor at the Faculty of Law since 2014. I have been chairman of a civil society organization for seven years 鈥� ICJ Norway 鈥� to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights.听
I have my law degree from the Faculty of Law (幸运飞艇计划) and a master's degree from Harvard Law School (LL.M.). In terms of research, I have published in several fields of law, most recently as an academic contributor and editor-in-chief of a comprehensive work on the UN Refugee Convention (Oxford University Press).听
I think that at this point it might be useful to get a person with my background and my social commitment on the board at 幸运飞艇计划.
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