HORIZON EUROPE

Policy event on Democracy

At this event in Brussels on 23 January 2024, researchers from the University of Bergen and NORCE presented and discussed new and pressing democracy issues with policy makers and experts from the European Commission and stakeholder organizations.

Photo:

Nora Nordvik, UiB 2023

Main content

By Åshild NylundUpdated: 01.02.2024 (First published: 20.11.2023)

How can research and innovation contribute to a future robust society?

At this event, we discussed what we mean by democracy today and how R&I can contribute to robust knowledge-based democracies. In parallell sessions we addressed democracy in the contexts of artificial intelligence, climate change, and democratic participation platforms.  Researchers, policy makers, and experts from the European Commission and stakeholder organizations will highlight these issues together.

The goal was to present challenges, perspectives and solutions, raise awareness of democracy as a crucial research topic for Europe, and discuss how to enhance future research on democracy.

We emphasized the importance of democracy in the upcoming 10th framework programme for research and innovation, placing it at the center alongside sustainable development, climate-friendly growth, and digitalization.

The event was hosted by the University of Bergen (UiB) and NORCE - Norwegian Research Centre.

Programme

Download programme in pdf

New Challenges to Democracy
How can R&I contribute to a future robust society?

12:30	Networking lunch
13:30	Welcoming keynote	Margareth HAGEN, Rector, University of Bergen (UiB) Camilla STOLTENBERG, CEO, Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE)
13:50	Keynote speech	Signe RATSO, Deputy Director General, DG RTD, European Commission

	PLENARY SESSION I: Setting the Scene - Democracy in Europe in 2024
14:00	Panel debate: Democracy in Europe in 2024 Moderator Maryline FIASCHI, CEO, Science\|Business	Panelists: Francisco DE LA TORRE FRANCIA, Deputy Head of Unit, DG RTD D.4, Democracy & European Values, European Commission Assya KAVRAKOVA, Executive Director, European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) Silvia KOTANIDIS, Policy Analyst, Citizens' Policies, DG for Parliamentary Research Services, European Parliament Karl Harald SØVIG, Dean, Professor, The Faculty of Law, UiB Sveinung ARNESEN, Research Professor, NORCE
14:55	Transitional coffee break

	PARALLEL SESSIONS
15:10	Parallel 1: Democratic Tensions in Climate Politics Moderator Håvard HAARSTAD, Professor, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), UiB	Panelists: Thea GREGERSEN, Senior Researcher, NORCE Fay FARSTAD, Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Politics, UiB Richard YOUNGS, Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, Carnegie Europe Lina STRANDVÅG NAGELL, Topic Lead, Sustainable Finance & Economy, Bellona
15:10	Parallel 2: AI + Society + ? = Smart Society Moderator Marija SLAVKOVIK, Head of Department, Department of Information Science and Media Studies, UiB	Panelists: Sveinung ARNESEN, Research Professor, NORCE Malgorzata CYNDECKA, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, UiB Nicolas MOËS, Executive Director, The Future Society Thomas MYHR, Director of European Affairs, Nordvision
15:10	Parallel 3: Engaging Society and Good Democratic Deliberation Moderator Anne Lise FIMREITE, Professor, Department of Government, UiB	Panelists: Andreas N. UHRE, Senior Researcher, NORCE Adriana BUNEA, Professor, Department of Comparative Politics, UiB Francisca COSTA REIS, Scientific Officer, European Research Council Executive Agency Adam NYMAN, Director, Citizen Outreach and Engagement, Debating Europe
16:00	Transitional coffee break

	PLENARY SESSION II: Looking ahead – Research for Innovative Democracy
16:20	Summing up the parallel sessions Moderator Maryline FIASCHI, CEO, Science\|Business	Moderator parallel 1: Håvard HAARSTAD, Professor, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), UiB Moderator parallel 2: Marija SLAVKOVIK, Head of Department, Professor, Department of Information Science and Media Studies, UiB Moderator parallel 3: Anne Lise FIMREITE, Professor, Department of Government, UiB
16:35	Panel debate: Looking ahead: Research for Innovative Democracy Moderator Maryline FIASCHI, CEO, Science\|Business	Panelists: David MAIR, Head of Unit, Science for Democracy and Evidence-Informed Policymaking, Joint Research Centre, European Commission Gabi LOMBARDO, Director, European Alliance of Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH) Elisabeth IVARSFLATEN, Professor, Department of Government, UiB Ida Vikøren ANDERSEN, Senior Researcher, NORCE Martin PAULSEN, Head of Department, Department of Foreign Languages, UiB
17:20	Summing up the day	Margareth HAGEN, Rector, UiB Camilla STOLTENBERG, CEO, NORCE
17:30 - 20:00: Networking reception

New Challenges to Democracy

The event

23 January, 2024 in Sofitel, Brussels, with 180 participants.

About the University of Bergen

The University of Bergen (UiB) is a comprehensive research-intensive university in the city of Bergen, Norway, with 7 faculties covering research and education within a wide range of traditional disciplines and cross-disciplinary subjects.

The UiB is one of Norway’s largest universities with 4 200 faculty and staff and over 20 000 students, and has for several years been ranked as the most cited university in Norway. UiB’s researchers participate widely in international collaborations and in national and international research programs.

About NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS

NORCE was founded in 2017 to create a powerhouse for research that will lead the way in innovation, value creation, and research.
NORCE is one of Norway's largest independent research institutes, with around 1000 employees from around the world.

NORCE delivers research and innovation in the fields of climate change, sustainable energy transition, environmental challenges, health care, and social sciences, and addresses key societal challenges while contributing to value creation on the local, national and global levels.

Documents

Digital Programme and Speakers (pdf)

policy_briefs_digital_uib-norce.pdf

Policy briefs: New Challenges to Democracy

How can research and innovation contribute to a future robust society? These policy briefs are recommendations from researchers from NORCE and UiB.

Defence of Democracy, public consultation illustration

UiB gives input to the EU's Defence of Democracy Package

UiB strongly advocates for increased protection of academic freedom and urges the provision of more funding to research in the arts and humanities, as they are essential to a thriving democracy.