Academic readings 2025; most read authors

Over the last year I have logged academic readings amounting to 5.357,5 pages. This is somewhat less than in 2024, but somewhat more than what I read in 2023. Altogether I logged texts written by 350 different authors. On the 40 most read authors, 27 were duty-related (related to teaching, supervision, committee work etc (including 12 of the 20 most read authors). Among the most read authors were Martin Bech Holthe, Krystof Kasprzak and Thomas Hylland Eriksen.

Master thesis in child welfare graded, supervised

Today I have taken part in the grading of a master thesis in child welfare at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies, which I also supervised.

4 bachelor theses in social work graded

Today, along with an external examiner, I have graded four bachelor theses in social work for University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies. I was appointed supervisor for all four and met three of them for supervision.

Bachelor thesis supervision finished

Yesterday I finished my bachelor thesis supervision in this round, with three supervision sessions ahead of the submission deadline next week. I have been supervising 4 bachelor students in social work this semester (one more was assigned but never got in contact with me).

2024: Shortest work year in living memory, at "only" 138% of normal work year

I have just summed up my work year in 2024 based on my log of working hours. 2024 stands out as the shortest work year in living memory (with my work log going back to 2009), with an average work week of 44,7 hours all weeks in the year included. This amounts to 2335,5 work hours, which compares to 138% of an ordinary work year. I worked 180 hours less than in 2023, which was at that point my shortest work year in living memory. This has contributed to a better work/life balance, with more time for karate training and relaxation; since the summer of 2024 I have also taken up daily meditation. And I still got quite a bit done in my working hours - though I got to attend fewer international scientific conferences in person than I´ve been used to, due to budget cuts at University of Stavanger.

Even though it went down from 2023, the share of my work time I spent on research in 2024 was the second-highest in living memory (after 2023). Similarly, the share of my work time I spent on research plus book projects was the second-highest ever, after 2023. Research was the largest category in terms of work hours in 30 weeks, vs. 17 for teaching, supervision and grading etc., and 6 for book projects. Book projects was the category whose share of all work hours increased the most from 2023, in result of my prioritisation of getting Captured: CCS and the fight for the soul of the environmental movement finished by Summer 2025.

Done as Head of department

Yesterday I had my final day as Head of department at Department of social studies, University of Stavanger (at Faculty of social sciences). I have hold the post since January 1st 2021, and was originally supposed to stay in the post until the end of 2024. However, on October 5th, 2022, I resigned (see the post "Quitting as head of department at UIS"), after increasing sleep problems (for a first sign, see the post "All appointments cancelled due to work-/stress-related sleep deprivation" from May 2022). Spread out over October - November - December I had about one month of sick leave altogether due to stress-related sleep deprivation issues.

Among the things I got done yesterday was deciding the action plan (handlingsplan) for the department for the period 2023-2026 (in effect a revision of the plan for 2022-2025). I also made a decision about not using supervisors for bachelor theses and master theses as internal examiner starting next academic year.

From today onwards, I am back in my ordinary position as Professor of philosophy.

Ph.d. supervision session

Today I have taken part in a ph.d. supervision session - the first for a while.

2 employee appraisals, a meeting and a webinar

Today I have had 2 employee appraisals (total to date: 46), chaired the third department council meeting this Spring, and attended part of a webinar for prospective MSCA PF supervisors.

Two meetings and supervision

Today I have attended the rector meeting, which had the form of a EU funding seminar. I also attended a meeting related to Network for welfare research, and had a supervision session.