Programme October 26th, 2026
09:00 - 16:00 (registration and refreshments from 08:30) Scandic Hotel Ørnen, Bergen city center
09:00 Opening remarks
Welcome to Norway and the University of Bergen
- Vise-Rector Kjell-Morten Myhr
Director Esperanza Diaz, Pandemic Centre
09:20 Three Tales on Preparedness
- Health - Siv Elisabeth Svendsen, leading physician, Health and working environment, Equinor ASA
- Climate - Flood disaster in Valencia 2024 (known as DANA)
- Conflict - Irene Kinunda Afriyie
09:40 Keynote: Katrín Jakobsdóttír - former Prime Minister of Iceland
Pan-European Commission an Climate and Health: A call to action
Katrín Jakobsdóttír
- Katrín Jakobsdóttir is an Icelandic politician, author, and former Prime Minister of Iceland. She served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2024 and is widely recognized for her leadership on social equality, climate issues, and public welfare. A member and former leader of the Left-Green Movement, she previously served as Iceland’s Minister of Education, Science and Culture.
Born in Reykjavík in 1976, Katrín holds degrees in Icelandic language and literature from the University of Iceland.
10:15 Break
Mingle and coffee
10:35 Keynote: Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary for the Norwegian Minister of International Development
Geopolitical Change and Health: A legal perspective
Stine Renate Håheim is Norway's State Secretary for International Development. A former Member of Parliament with over a decade of political experience, she works on issues related to international cooperation, development policy, and global partnerships.
11:15 Abstract presentations
Order to be announced
12:00 Lunch
Lunch served at the 2nd Floor
13:00 Abstract presentations
Order to be announced
13:50 Fishbowl Discussion, moderator Joost van Wijchen
Preparing Together- What does shared readiness look like
Reflections upon three tales and the keynotes
- Claudia Vivas Torrealba, Norwegian Red Cross
- Irene Kinunda Afriyie, Author and The Fargespill Foundation (Stiftelsen Fargespill)
- Haavard Stensvand, Head of Emergency Preparedness, Vestland County
About the moderator Joost van Wijchen
- Joost van Wijchen is a physiotherapist, educator, and researcher specializing in health education, sustainability, and global health.
- He is Assistant Head of Department and programme lead for Physiotherapy at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) in Bergen.
- His work focuses on migration health, social justice, environmental sustainability, and innovative approaches to health professional education.
14:40 Break
Mingle and coffee
15:00 Final Challenge, moderator Esperanza Diaz
Preparing for the Unknown:
How can knowledge help society navigate intersecting crises?
In conversation with reserachers and politicians
- Kikki Flesche Kleiven, Director at Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
- Kenneth Ruud, Director general at FFI Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
(bio in Norwegian only) - Maria- Carme Torras-Calvo, Head of Department, The University Library, UiB
- Ingrid Nergaard Fjeldstad, Member of the Bergen City Council (Venstre), Former City Commissioner for Urban Development, Bergen kommune
About the moderator Esperanza Diaz
- Esperanza Diaz is Director of the Pandemic Centre at the University of Bergen and professor at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care.
- Her work focuses on public health, migration health, and strengthening preparedness for future health crises through interdisciplinary collaboration and international engagement.
- She is educated as a medical doctor in Spain and became a specialist in general practice in Norway in 2003.
- Diaz is an internationally recognized researcher in migration health, with research activities in this field since 2008.
15:45 Final remarks
Take home message