Conference looks to strengthen scientific ties between North America, Norway

Some of the world’s brightest minds will be discussing the world’s biggest problems at the University of Minnesota during Transatlantic Science Week 2009, a conference on world issues surrounding sustainability.
Put on by Norway and hosted at the University of Minnesota, the conference will take place Sept. 27 to Sept. 30 at McNamara Alumni Center, with events taking place primarily Monday and Tuesday.
This year’s theme “Discover, Innovate, Collaborate” seeks to find sustainable solutions to issues revolving around energy, ecology and health. Speakers include the University’s David Tilman, Canada’s David Schindler, and Norway’s Nils Stenseth, three of the world’s foremost ecologists.
Top scientists from Canada, Norway and the U.S. are coming together to share their ideas and their research. But conference attendees will not only include scientists, there will also be business-people and policy-makers.
“A large number of Norwegians are coming over from Norway to attend this conference, high-level people, too,” said Ellen Ewald, director of education and research at the Honorary Norwegian Consulate General in Minneapolis . “They’re looking for ways to get connected to the Midwest again.”
The conference is, in part, meant to put Norway on the map as a modern society in the area of research, science and education, said Judson Sheridan, a professor at the University and the Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair.
The conference also aims to foster relationships between Norway and North America.
“It’s one of the mechanisms they used to bring together people from those three countries,” Sheridan said.
Transatlantic Science Week was thought up by University alumnus Jostein Mykletun while he was working at the Norwegian embassy in Washington D.C. The first conference was held by the Norwegian government in Washington D.C. in 2001.
“There are generations of [U.S. and Norwegian] bonds, the idea came up at the embassy to try to revitalize this and we did that on a number of scores but in particular working with a number of universities where there would be good traditions that could be revitalized,” Mykletun said. “Minnesota came up very early as an obvious institution to focus on.”
The decision to hold the conference in Minneapolis was a high-level decision, involving the Minister of Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland, Ewald said.
Two years ago controversy flared over the closing of the Norwegian Royal General Consulate in Minneapolis, Ewald said.
The consulate was converted to “honorary” status, allowing Norway to reallocate resources to open consulates in Spain and China.
The move to “honorary” status lead to staff cuts at the consulate, something many described as a “downgrade.”
Former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale, became Minneapolis’ honorary consulate general on August 1, 2008, according to the consulate’s website.
Now Mondale is playing an important role in organizing the science week.
“As North Atlantic neighbors, Norway, Canada and the United States of America must continue to work in close cooperation for the mutual benefit of our scientific communities,” Mondale wrote in an address to conference attendees.