STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
2019-2022
DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARYSTUDIES OF CULTURE (KULT)
Guidelines provided by HF (each of KULT’s objectives is followed by numbers indicating which criteria issupported)1.

An innovative and exploratory learning environment2.

A robust research community

3.

More applied humanities

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ABOUT KULT
The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture is composed of 55-60 employees 2/3 of which areresearchers/post-docs or Ph.D. students. The Department offers two Master’s programs and two one-year
programmess in Equality and Diversity (LIMA) and Science and Technology Studies (STS) respectively,
several other subject areas, and a Ph.D. program in Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture. Our study
programmes are highly relevant to current societal issues and debates, and we have established a sustained
collaboration with stakeholders outside the university such as Trondheim kommune, Trøndelag
fylkeskommune, Husbanken, and more.
One of the Department’s numerous strengths is its substantial portfolio of externally-funded projects, both
stemming from the EU and from various programmes of The Research Council of Norway (RCN). We are
actively involved in two Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) and lead extensive
interdisciplinary collaboration both internally within NTNU and externally in the Norwegian andinternational research communities.
This strategic development plan stipulates that KULT should maintain its current efforts in research andteaching through measures that will support and strengthen both groups and individuals.
The specific areas upon which we seek to improve during this period are linked to study/research mobility
opportunities for students and researchers through the establishment of formal agreements with targetedinstitutions abroad, research administration and information/dissemination through the Department’s
website.

2ORGANISATION:

Centre forTechnologyand Society

Centre for
GenderResearch(CGR)(STSManagement: Head of Department,Deputy Head of Department (Headof Teaching–LIMA programme) andHead of Office
Extended leadership team:
Leadership team + two reps
(permanent scientific staff), onerep (temporary staff), one rep(administrative employees),
two student reps

Leadership team: Management + Headof Research/Centre Leader CGR, Headof Research/Centre Leader STS, Head ofTeaching STS and Ph.D. Program
Coordinator

Research Committee: Head ofResearch/Centre Leader STS,
Head of Research/CentreLeader CGR, two permanentscneitific employees, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator, Headof Department and researchadvisor.

Teaching Committee:
Heads of Teaching for
LIMA and STS, Academic
advisor, academic
consultant, Head of Officeand Head of Department

Study Programme
Council ÅSTS and MSTS

Study Programme
Council ÅLIMA andMLIMA

3Ph.D. programme

AIMS AND VALUES:TO ENSURE A PRODUCTIVE ACADEMIC CULTURE WITH MULTIPLE
IDENTITIES IN WHICH WE:
VALUE AND ENCOURAGE COOPERATION BETWEEN RESEARCH ANDTEACHING

ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKFACILITATE ENGAGEMENT WITH SOCIETY IN RESEARCH, TEACHINGAND DISSEMINATION (LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AS WELL AS
INTERNATIONALLY).

TO CULTIVATE A SERVICE-MINDED ADMINISTRATION AND SATISFACTORYINFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR ACTIVITIES

4TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (1+3):
MASTER’S AND ONE-YEAR PROGRAMMES: TO OFFER STIMULATING, RELEVANT ANDATTRACTIVE EDUCATION IN GENDER EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY (LIMA) AND SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES (STS)Continue to offer engaging and relevant high-quality teachingStrengthen the workplace relevance of academic programmes through M.A. in collaboration withpublic and private sectors and Humanister i Praksis (HiP).



Strengthen the internationalisation of education by facilitating short-term student exchanges,
developing international research projects and guest lecturers in teaching, and encouraging
students to write M.A. theses related to the department's research projects.

Continue ongoing work on the development of an EVU (continuing education) course.

Work to establish teaching collaboration with other faculties in fields where we have strong expertise.

PH.D. PROGRAMME: CONTINUE TO OFFER A HIGH-QUALITY PH.D. PROGRAMME IN
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES OF CULTURE
Continue to offer courses on Theories of Science and Methods to Ph.D. students in otherdepartments.

RECRUITMENT:Fill the admissions quota for M.A. and one-year programmes.

Establish a steady recruitment of Ph.D. fellows of approximately five fellows per year
(approximately 15-20 fellows in total)

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:Prioritise forms of teaching that make use of student active learning.

Contribute to the enhancement of teaching competence.
o

Increase the number of ‘qualified teachers’ from one to four.

Increase the number of students writing theses based on department projects.

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RESEARCH (2+3):
FURTHER DEVELOP A ROBUST RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT BOTH NATIONALLY AND
INTERNATIONALLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT’S AREAS OF EXPERTISE: 1) CULTURE AND
GENDER STUDIES AND 2 ) TECHNOLOGY AND SCI ENCE STUDIESCreate an environment in which all academic staff participate in the Department’s researchgroups.

Work toward the establishment of at least two internationally renowned research groups.

Increase the amount of publications through concrete adjustments, structurally as well asindividually.

Contribute to the strengthening of research leadership through competence enhancement andconcrete adjustments to individual work plans.

Submit at least two research applications to the ERC.

Maintain external research funding at the 2018 level.

Strengthen research collaboration with local authorities through local, national and international
projects.

Collaborate with the Humanities Faculty on the further development of a more flexible
administrative structure for externally-funded projects.

Continue to build upon NTNU’s strategic research areas.

Continue active participation in national research centers.

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INTERNATIONALISATION (1+2)

TO SERVE AS AN ATTRA CTIVE AND ACTIVE RESEARCH PARTNER IN INTERNATIONALCOLLABORATIONS, TO OFFER RELEVANT EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEESAND STUDENTS.

Consolidate efforts with respect to international research.



Publicize open academic positions internationally.

Develop a guest researcher program.

Offer at least two English-language courses for international students.

Establish a permanent collaboration with some (4-5) universities in order to offer studentexchanges and research stays within a quality-assured framework.

Facilitate opportunities for co-authorship between employees from different institutions.

Maintain the current arrangement of at least one professor 2 from a foreign university.

Develop a travel policy in which climatic/environmental factors are taken into consideration.

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OUTREACH (3)VISIBILITY AND RENOWN: LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL

Provide high-quality, informative and updated content on all departmental websites.

Develop an English-language newsletter that can be circulated once per semester.

Ensure that all publications are made available in open-access.

Strengthen cooperation with local actors in the public and private sectors.

Contribute to public debate through lectures, chronicles, and other activities targeting amainstream audience.

Encourage our students to serve as ambassadors.

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CAREER (2+3):
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF ACADEMIA

Ensure the competitiveness of Ph.D. students on an international level.

Develop a professional environment conducive to individual career development both within andoutside the university and college.

Develop a career path from researcher to post-doc.

Encourage employees to take research leave on a regular basis with aims to connect theseexperiences to the development of teaching as well as research.

Facilitate international mobility both through seminar participation and research stays ofvariable duration.

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WORK ENVIRONMENT (1+2+3)
AN INCLUSIVE, SUPPORTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Encourage collaboration both within and between research and teaching.

Establish a mentoring programme for young researchers.

Develop a new employee welcome system.

Offer satisfactory work spaces.

Initiate and support professional and social activities.

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