The UiS researcher moves elegantly between equal opportunities and gender diversity, welfare and caring sciences research and artificial intelligence and science fiction.
The University Fund’s prize for dissemination and societal engagement 2022. The prize was presented by managing director of the university fund Cecilie Claviez. (Foto: Line Hausken)
“She presents more marginalised research fields to a broad audience in a dynamic and non-traditional way”, the jury writes.
The University Fund’s prize for dissemination and societal engagement was awarded during the opening ceremony to mark the start of the semester at the University of Stavanger on 14 August 2023.
Encounters between technology and humans
This year’s award winner participates in the public debate locally, nationally and internationally, engaging in highly relevant topics and issues.
Hellstrand is interested in the encounters between technology and humans, that show the possibilities the future has to offer. This became particularly clear in 2022 through the Caring Futures art exhibition, which received positive attention from both museumgoers and the media.
Hellstrand is an Associate Professor at the Department of Caring and Ethics at the Faculty of Health Sciences, UiS.
“It is great that this type of work is taken seriously and recognised, not only for me, but for all those academics out there involved in knowledge dissemination. Institutional conditions in academia mean that dissemination and social participation are given low priority, in addition to the fact that being involved in the public debate can be challenging”, says Hellstrand.
Citizen Science Experiment
She finds it especially encouraging that the Caring Futures art exhibition was highlighted by the jury.
“It was an experiment in so-called citizen science – where everyone in the audience had the opportunity to share their critical reflections, thereby contributing to research and knowledge production”, she says.
The University Fund is committed to further developing UiS, ensuring excellent provision of teaching and research within key subject areas, with the aim of meeting expertise and knowledge needs regionally and nationally.
The University Fund’s 2022 Award for Dissemination and Societal Engagement is an honorary award, awarded to employees and students who have exhibited excellence in in research dissemination, research communication, artistic dissemination and societal engagement.
The award consists of a diploma and a grant of NOK 50,000 from the University Fund.
The jury consisted of:
- Rector Klaus Mohn
- Former Pro-Rector for Innovation and Society Rune Dahl Fitjar
- Former leader of the Student Organisation at UiS Sara Beitz
- Professor Janne Stigen Drangsholt
- Editor-in-chief of Dagsavisen Rogalands Avis Bjørn Sæbø
- Managing director of the University Fund Cecilie Claviez
Text: Benedicte Pentz
The jury’s award statement
Here you can read the full statement given by the jury
«This year’s award goes to a very active and resourceful person who carries out dissemination in both scientific and popular science fields. The award winner participates in the public debate locally, nationally and internationally, engaging in highly relevant topics and issues. The jury particularly noted how the candidate presents more marginalised research fields to a broad audience in a dynamic and non-traditional way..
The award winner has been active in the press, on radio and television, at literature festivals, seminars and conferences throughout 2022. She is accessible and comfortable presenting in different media and arenas. The jury would like to place particular focus on the award winner’s use of art to disseminate research and highlight issues of current social relevance.
The award winner demonstrates great commitment to what she does, and also manages to engage and activate her audience. She has distinguished herself as a prime example of interdisciplinarity, moving elegantly between equal opportunities and gender diversity andwelfare and caring sciencesresearch, to artificial intelligence and science fiction. Both here and in the Caring Futures art exhibition, she is interested in the encounters between technology and humans, that show the possibilities the future has to offer.
Universitetsfondets pris for formidling og samfunnsengasjement 2022 går til førsteamanuensis på Avdeling for The University Fund’s 2022 Award for Dissemination and Societal Engagement goes to Associate Professor at the Department of Caring and Ethics at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ingvil Førland Hellstrand.»