About the Pandemic Centre
Based on the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pandemic Centre will be a catalyst for further learning in order to be prepared for new health crises.
About us
The Center was etablished in 2020. We work interdisciplinary with Researchers from all faculties at UiB, as well as national and international collaborations. It is particularly important for us to work with education, to emphasize interdisciplinarity and to collaborate with non-academic environments on socially relevant topics.
The Pandemic Centre is led on a daily basis by Director and Professor Esperanza Diaz, ensuring strong academic leadership and coordination. But the Centre’s strength lies in its collaborative structure: every faculty at the University of Bergen is represented in the Strategic Working Group, which meets at least twice a year for dynamic discussions, knowledge sharing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Above this group sits the Steering Committee, composed of all UiB’s deans, providing strategic guidance and institutional alignment.
Director:
Professor Esperanza Diaz
Adm.leader:
Senior adviser Gøril Vikøren Nøkleby
Steering Committee - UiB Deans
The Steering Committee is composed of all UiB’s Deans, providing strategic guidance and institutional alignment. THey also appoint their reprasentative to the Strategic Working Group.
The Steering Committee's commitment has been a vital factor for the Pandemic Centre's development and success since 2020.
Strategic working group
The Strategic Working Group sets the direction for The Pandemic Centre and are represented by all faculties at The University of Bergen. The members of the Working Group are appointed by each Dean individually.
- Faculty of Law: professor Eirik Holmøyvik
- Faculty of Medicine: professor Kristin Greve-Isdahl Mohn
- Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design: professor Ashley Booth
- Faculty of Humanities: professor Svein Atle Skålevåg
- Faculty of Psychology: professor Bjørn Sætrevik
- Faculty of Social Sciences: professor Julie Riise (substitute for professor Lise Rakner)
- Faculty of Science and Technology: professor Guttorm Alendal
- Global Challenges: professor Simon Øverland
- Youth Council-Bergen muncipality: Anna Karia Sørhaug
Our vision
Based on the experiences from the corona pandemic, the Pandemic Centre will be a catalyst for further learning in order to be prepared for new health crises. Such crises will be complex and overlapping, and must be met in a coordinated, knowledge-based, targeted and sustainable manner. Our work are long-term and socially relevant.
The Pandemic Centre is particularly concerned with the following topics:
- Cultural and societal conditions related to public health preparedness
- Development of sustainable, long-term and resilient ways of conducting dialogue that will reduce misinformation and improve public health preparedness
- Multicrises and syndemics
In addition, the Pandemic Centre aims to build internal infrastructures that facilitate research institutions to respond appropriately to health crises, including urgent updates of areas of knowledge, urgent counseling in the event of crises and administrative preparedness across disciplines.
It is particularly important for us to work with education, to emphasize interdisciplinarity and to collaborate with non-academic environments on socially relevant topics.
Staff and PhD candidates
Director: Esperanza Diaz
Researchers:
Professor Oddvar Kaarbøe, 10%
Professor II Preben Aavitsland, 20%
Assistant professor Marit Voltersvik, 5%
Post doc Prabhjot Kour
PhD.candidates:
Pierina Benavente
Anders Herting
Ingrid Azevedo
Kim A. Haugland
Senior adviser/head of administration:
Gøril Vikøren Nøkleby
Contact us
Pandemic Centre is situated in Alrek Health Cluster, Overlege Danielssens Hus, Årstadveien 21, Bergen.
E-mail: pandemisenter@uib.no
Director Pandemic Centre: Professor Esperanza Diaz
Administrative leader Pandemic Centre: Senior adviser Gøril Vikøren Nøkleby