The Faculty of Law aims to be an internationally leading faculty while fulfilling our national responsibilities for research, education, and dissemination. The faculty should maintain high academic quality and educate highly qualified candidates. The best environment for this is a good working and learning atmosphere that upholds academic freedom.
We believe that the development of the faculty is best achieved in collaboration with staff and students. The departments are vital within the Faculty of Law, and the department leadership group will be involved in all important decisions. Our team wishes to continue the steady and dialogue-based development of the faculty and does not aim for major upheavals. We will therefore build upon the platform established for the current deanery period. In certain areas, plans and initiatives are more concrete.
Research
- We will protect and further develop our position as a leading research faculty and facilitate that the faculty's research maintains high international quality.
- We will safeguard free research and the individual's right to choose their research topic and publication channel.
- We will promote curiosity-driven and innovative research that contributes to addressing central societal challenges, ensuring a good balance between fundamental legal research and applied research related to current societal issues.
- We will strive to preserve and strengthen the international profile of our research while ensuring the development of national law and the use of Norwegian as the language of the profession.
- We will work to ensure that research activities at the faculty support research-based teaching.
- We will ensure that all research at the faculty adheres to national and international standards for ethics and research integrity.
- We will enhance and strengthen the dialogue with The Research Council of Norway and other significant funding sources regarding external research funding for legal studies and explore opportunities for cooperation with various actors in business and society on external research projects.
- We will work to ensure that the faculty has a professional administration that provides good support for grant applications and the operation of research projects.
- We believe that it should be the researchers' own choice whether to apply for or participate in external research projects.
- We will maintain the system of subject and research groups, and changes to this will occur in dialogue with the staff.
- We will work to strengthen and further develop the PhD programme in light of the recent external evaluation, and clarify and raise awareness of the common requirements for PhD dissertations, particularly in light of the increase in article-based dissertations.
- We will work towards developing knowledge and necessary measures to address the challenges and opportunities related to the use of artificial intelligence in legal research.
Studies
- We will work to ensure that the high quality of teaching at the faculty is maintained and strengthened, and we will uphold teaching competency in central legal subjects.
- We will strive to strengthen research-based teaching.
- We will ensure that the curriculum and subject portfolio are continuously updated, so that the subjects and their content remain relevant and reflect developments in society (for example, regarding technology).
- We will work on implementing skills ladders in all faculty study programmes to ensure a pedagogical plan and progression in skills throughout the studies.
- We will support the development of varied teaching and evaluation methods.
- We will ensure that students learn appropriate and ethical use of artificial intelligence in both teaching and assessment, while also ensuring that they achieve the required knowledge, skills, and general competencies in the faculty's courses.
- We will ensure that the studies offered by the faculty are relevant for the job market that our graduates will encounter. We will hold regular meetings with various representatives from the labour market to discuss their expectations of our graduates.
- We will facilitate a learning environment that encourages collaboration and sharing, and ensure academic and social meeting places for students.
- We will work actively to secure funding to continue the work of CELL as a pedagogical support unit at the faculty, and continue to maintain a distinguished educational environment within the faculty.
Dissemination
- We will safeguard academic freedom of expression and maintain a high degree of openness at the faculty. We will cultivate an environment that can withstand debate and academic disagreement and promote a healthy debate culture and respect for others' expressions.
- We will facilitate active dissemination and support the many staff members who contribute to dissemination and public debate. The faculty will support staff who find participation in public debate to be burdensome.
- We will strive to hold open events and maintain a visible presence in central Oslo through open debate arenas. We wish to continue the series on ‘Dilemmas in the Rule of Law’ (‘Dilemmaer i rettsstaten’).
- We will work for students to receive training in various types of dissemination through their studies so that they can effectively communicate knowledge to different groups in society.
Working and Learning Environment
- We will protect university democracy and maintain open processes that allow for input from staff and students.
- We will support student organisations and promote collaboration with them to maintain a good learning environment where academic and social activities are inclusive and wide-ranging.
- We will engage in good dialogue with the representatives and protection line to ensure staff have a good and safe working environment.
- We will maintain academic and social meeting places across departments for both academic and administrative staff.
- We will actively work to meet UiO's climate and environmental goals.