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 - TBA
- Conflict - Irene Kinunda Afriyie
09:40 Keynote: Katrín Jakobsdóttír - former Prime Minister of Iceland TBC
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: Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, State Secretary for the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs TBC
Geopolitical Change and Health: A legal perspective
Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik
- Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik is State Secretary to Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide. Appointed in 2023, he has extensive experience in international law, diplomacy, and foreign affairs.
- Kravik (born in 1979) is a lawyer by training and has also worked with human rights, international justice, and legal affairs in both national and international institutions.
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)
- Kristian Tonby, Norwegian Institute for Public Health (FHI)
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
- Stian Kogler, Political Adviser, Norwegian Labour Party
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