On 20 January, all leaders in the university and higher education sector met with Minister Sigrun Aasland. Principal Astrid Kvalbein raised the issue of artistic research and the role of culture in emergency preparedness.
The Contact Conference 2026 was marked by themes of preparedness, security, and the role of educational institutions.
Minister Aasland gave an introduction on how the ministry views the current situation in the sector.
Preparedness, sanctions, and challenges were addressed in several presentations on Tuesday, including a talk by NRK’s Tove Bjørgaas on the grim experiences of several universities in the United States.
Both the Parliament, a united sector represented by the Universities and Colleges Council, and the Research Council itself say that the best course of action now would be to integrate artistic research under the Research Council.
to the Minister of higher education and research
During one of the Q&A sessions, NMH’s Rector raised the question of how the minister reflects on the role of art and culture in emergency preparedness (see video clip).
As an extension of this, Astrid Kvalbein also asked to hear more about how the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture view the management of a national competitive arena for artistic research.
