PhD programme seminar 2022
A two-day seminar for all PhD candidates enrolled in the Faculty's PhD programme throughout 2021 and 2022.

Sundvolden hotel
The aim of the PhD programme seminar is to welcome our new PhD candidates. You will get to know the faculty, network and acquire important knowledge for your future PhD life and career.
Registration
Register within 19 August 2022
We have a limited number of places, and will distribute them on a first-come, first-served basis.
PhD candidates who started during 2020, and did not have a chance to attend before, are also welcome to sign up. You will be put on the waiting list.
When and where?
Monday-Tuesday, October 10-11, 2022.
At Sundvolden hotel, about 45 minutes outside Oslo. Transportation to and from Blindern is free.
All participants are encouraged to spend the night. There will be free, single rooms for everyone.
Program
Day 1, Monday 10 October
Departure from Blindern at 9:00
10:20 Welcome and introduction | Bjørn Jamtveit, Vice Dean of Research at the MN Faculty |
Self-awareness and collective reflection with Diversity Icebreaker | Ilan Dehli Villanger & Linda Therese Sørensen Westgaard, ForVei, MN Faculty |
12:00 Lunch | |
13:00 MN’s strategy and action plan for climate, environment and sustainability | Bjørn Jamtveit, Vice Dean of Research at the MN Faculty |
How can I make my research more climate, environment and sustainability friendly? How can a researcher's activity be “sustainable”, and how do we integrate sustainable practices into research projects? Where do we start? |
Anja Røyne, Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics |
Plan your career: What does the faculty offer PhD candidates? As an early career researcher, it is your responsibility to consider and to plan your career. As your institution, we consider it our responsibility to support you in this process. |
Natasa Nikolic, Adviser, Section for Research, MN Faculty |
Generic skills and why do I need them? During your PhD, in addition to gaining academic knowledge, you attain generic skills that can help you in your future career. |
Jørgen Trømborg, Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company |
PhD representatives: What we do and what MN offers | Julie J. Uv, Anders Isaksen, Edvard Aksnes |
Cross-cultural communication | Pellegrino Riccardi, edutainer and communication expert |
17:30 Personal time, dinner and entertainment |
Day 2, Tuesday 11 October
09:00 Workshops – parallel sessions – round one How to deal with feedback in academia During your PhD, you will get feedback from peers, supervisors and reviewers. Feedback can feel like a rebuke. Academics are never taught properly how to give feedback. As a PhD candidate, you might not know how to receive feedback either. You will excel if you know a way to receive feedback that is constructive for you. |
Ilan Dehli Villanger, Senior Adviser and Coordinator of ForVei, MN Faculty |
Improving your mental strength Some people quickly bounce back from personal setbacks, while others find it much more difficult. There are many practical strategies for building mental strength and resilience; it is a quality that can be learned and honed through practice, discipline and hard work. |
Linda Westgaard, Adviser, ForVei, MN Faculty |
Project management and supervisor relationships Having good tools to manage your project will help you during your PhD studies. As a PhD candidate, you also rely on your supervisors and how they manage their projects and time. We will discuss good strategies for managing both your relationship to your supervisors and your project. |
Petter Nielsen, Professor, Department of Informatics |
Group activities and networking | |
12:00 Lunch | |
13:00 Workshops – parallel sessions – round two |
|
Summary and quick evaluation of the seminar |
Departure for Blindern at 15:00
Speakers

Bjørn Jamtveit
Vice Dean of Research at the MN Faculty
Bjørn facilitates the Faculty's employees to deliver research at a high international level. It is also his responsibility to lead the development of the researcher education. He focuses on career development for younger researchers, both towards academic top positions and other career paths.

Anja Røyne
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Physics
Anja is a physicist, writer, lecturer, researcher and science communicator. She studies the coupling between mechanics and chemistry on the micro- and nanoscale, applied to geological processes, materials and biotechnology. But she is also deeply committed to sustainability, on both a more personal and a bigger scale.

Natasa Nikolic
Adviser, Section for Research, MN Faculty
Natasa coordinates career support programs for early career researchers at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. She has a PhD from the Department of Pharmacy, where she also works as a senior lecturer in pharmacology.

Jørgen Kjoshagen Trømborg
Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company
Jørgen has a PhD from the Department of Physics at the MN Faculty. He received the King's Gold Medal for the best doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at UiO in 2015. Now he works at McKinsey & Company. The job requires physics knowledge in addition to a range of skills he acquired during his PhD.

Pellegrino Riccardi
Edutainer and communication expert
Pellegrino gives fun and engaging lectures on motivation, communication and work culture. He describes the Norwegian way of working life, and contributes insight into how the typical Norwegian communicates.

Petter Nielsen
Professor at the Department of Informatics
Petter works on large-scale and complex information systems (such as information infrastructures, digital platforms and digital global public goods). He is the Head of the Information System research group and the Head of the PhD Committee at the Department of Informatics. He has also extensive experience supervising PhD candidates.

Ilan Dehli Villanger and Linda Westgaard
ForVei (MN Faculty)
Ilan and Linda are skilled counsellors specialising in talking to students and PhD candidates. Ilan coordinates ForVei, a personal counselling programme for all students admitted to a study programme at the MN Faculty. ForVei's main goal is for students and PhD candidates to enjoy their learning experience and to acquire a sense of achievement. Linda also leads discussion groups and gives courses to PhD candidates on important topics like stress management and mental health.