The election is spanning from May 20 and lasts until May 27 at 2 pm. If you haven’t voted yet, please use your right to vote: https://www.uia.no/en/about-uia/election .
Last Thursday, at the General Assembly of UiAdoc, PhDs and Postdocs from the two campuses of UiA had the chance to meet Ingrid and talk to her about her plans as temporary employees’ representative in the UiA board. Surely enough, she managed to convince the people present to give her their vote of confidence to be UiAdoc’s official candidate to the UiA board. We asked Ingrid a couple of questions, so that the people who did not manage to meet her so far can understand why we trust her to represent the voices of PhDs and Postdocs at the highest decision level of our University.
Why do you stand for election?
Temporary employees represent a significant percent of the staff at UiA. I am one of them myself, and in the past two years I had the chance to experience first hand the pros and cons of a temporary employee position. This is why I want to be a representative for temporary employees in the university board, and contribute to a positive change in our work environment and in the university itself, as they are interdependent. So far I feel like there is little force in making the voice of temporary employees heard. This is why I want to give our group a clear voice in the university board.
What are the important issues you will be working on for the next year?
Our group is facing many challenges that are rarely on the agenda (for example language barrier is one of them, as this is the most culturally diverse employee group). This needs to be changed. I am motivated to work for a better working environment and opportunities for temporary employees, considering:
· Opportunities for career and competence development
· Increased quality in the PhD education
· Increased participation and integration
How are you planning to represent the voice of temporary employees?
Right now, the only group of temporary employees that is organized in an association is formed by PhDs and Postdocs through UiAdoc. They are the ones that gave me their vote of confidence to run for this position. This is why I will start with working in close connection with UiAdoc and raise the issues of the whole group in the university board. I would also work hard on consulting the members of UiAdoc on important plans and decisions that will be presented in the UiA board meetings. It is important that communication between the University board and our group is transparent, and we are well informed about decisions which may affect our work environment.
Why should people vote for you?
I will do my best to make sure that the voice of all PhDs, Postdocs and other temporary employees are heard. I believe that there is a huge difference between the impact of one person sitting on the university board compared to the voice we have when we stand united. By voting for me, I vouch to listen to you and make sure to raise the challenges our group is facing to the rest of the University board and push for the necessary changes.
What recommends you for the position?
I am a committed person who enjoys teamwork. I know UiA well, over the many years I spent here both as a student and an employee. So far I tried my best to bring a positive change to the situation of temporary employees' rights through my union work, and I represent the university in several industrial networks and other boards. That being said, I am highly motivated to work in making the voices of temporary employees heard as their representative in the University board and will give it my all to achieve the objectives I stated above.
A last message to the UiAdoc members?
I want to say that I am thankful for having the vote of confidence from the UiAdoc. I strongly believe that together we can contribute to a positive development for the university and for all temporary employees, and I hope I will have the opportunity to represent our group in the University board.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Ingrid: ingrid.larsen@uia.no
Ingrid's short CV
Educational background:
2016-: PhD.-programme at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Agder
2015-2017: Master's Programme in Civil and Constructional Engineering, University of Agder
2012-2015: Bachelor’s Programme in Civil Engineering, University of Agder
2011: Preliminary Course for Engineers, University of Agder
2011: 30 ECTS, Business administration, University of Agder
2010-2011: Physical Education and Sport, 1-year Programme, University of Agder
Working experience:
2016-: PhD Research Fellow, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Agder
2015- 2017: Research Assistant, University of Agder
2015/2016: Research active student, University of Agder
Board experience:
2018-: Leader of the regions Young concrete members group
2018-: Board member of the Norwegian Concrete Association in Agder
2017-: Representative board member of the Tekna Association at UiA i Agder