Research Days at AHO – a new tradition

Text: Thea Dehlie

Showcasing the breadth of research
The first Research Days at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, the first of a new tradition, took place on 31 March and 1 April at the school premises. The Vice-Rector of Research, Lise Amy Hansen, welcomed the attendees and started by saying that it was a venue for showcasing the breadth of the research the school is involved with and not least for learning about the different research communities at the school. Variety became a key word for the two-day event and the attendees caught a glimpse of this through fascinating lectures and talks on how to get started when writing a book, juggling theory and practice in research projects, experiences from working on and developing a research concept, research and research data (with the counting of wild flowers as an unexpected but lovely example), to name but a few.

In the afternoon, attendees had the opportunity to listen to presentations from the Oslo Centre for Critical Architectural Studies (OCCAS), the Centre for Design Research, the Oslo Centre for Urban and Landscape Studies (OCULS) and the Ocean Industries Concept Lab (OICL). Extensive activities are carried out at these centres and there is substantial involvement in various research partnerships, networks and projects.

During the breaks, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the breadth of research activities through a photo presentation in the gallery showing ongoing research projects that receive external funding, publications and other activities that the Oslo School of Architecture and Design has been involved in over the past two years.  

Pictures from AHO research days:
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design has an active PhD programme, but how do you actually undertake a PhD project? Three parallel sessions at which attendees were able to talk to PhD candidates about their experiences, as well as with the PhD Coordinator and Head of the PhD programme, provided an opportunity to learn about the possibilities and challenges associated with the programme during the second day of the event. 

Vidar Enebakk, Head of the Secretariat of the National Research Ethics Committee for Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH), delivered a talk on ethics and responsibility in research and practice today. For a school that has the aim of creating and enabling changes to the ways in which we build, work and live, these are highly relevant issues. There were high levels of engagement and plenty of questions during the summary.

The 2023 Research Days have been provisionally scheduled for 23 and 24 March – keep an eye out for details!