Understanding belonging through slow research

Sociologist Erika Gubrium visited the podcast to talk about her research into how people who have moved to Norway make meaning of their experiences in a new country.

In this conversation, Gubrium describes her research methods and some of her early findings.

This episode builds on an article about Gubrium’s research that was published on the OsloMet website last fall, and which was one of the most widely read and commented articles published all year. Gubrium has also published an academic article on the subject.

Gubrium has twice before appeared on the podcast, both to discuss the state of the so-called American dream and the protest movement that erupted following the murder of George Floyd.

Part 2: Reflections on a pandemic

Svenn-Erik Mamelund and Lisa Sattenspiel are social scientists who study pandemics. In this episode, the second in a two-part series, our guests make a case for why it is vital that social science perspectives be considered when we seek to understand the impact of a pandemic like COVID-19.

The two researchers are especially interested in the ways in which pandemics affect some groups of people more than others. Drawing on research they have conducted on the 1918 flu pandemic, they talk about what we know and what we are still learning about how the COVID-19 pandemic afflicted indigenous communities in particular.

We close our conversation by assessing the role research-based knowledge played in shaping public health responses in Norway and the United States.

Svenn-Erik is trained as a demographer, while Lisa is a biological anthropologist. The two researchers are currently leading a project at the Centre for Advanced Study.  

Part I: Reflections on a pandemic

Jeff Taubenberger and John Oxford have spent their careers studying the 1918 flu pandemic. In this conversation, our guests explain how lessons from the 20th century’s deadliest pandemic informed how public health officials responded to COVID-19. The two researchers deliver their verdict on the state pandemic preparedness, both ahead of COVID-19 and in its aftermath.

Want to take an even deeper dive into this topic? Jeff and John recently delivered a lecture at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters entitled The hunt for the virus causing the 1918 influenza pandemic.

The two researchers were in Oslo as guests of OsloMet professor Svenn-Erik Mamelund. Listeners will hear from Svenn-Erik and his colleague Lisa in the next episode of the podcast.

På hvilke måter er krigen i ferd med å forandre det ukrainske samfunnet?

Oleksandra Deineko er sosiolog og førsteamenuensis ved V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. I februar ble livet hennes snudd på hodet da Russland gikk til angrep på Ukraina og i mars kom hun som flyktning til Norge. Deineko jobber i dag som gjesteforsker ved NIBR, By- og regionsforskningsinstituttet, samtidig som hun tilbyr studentene sine i Kharkiv fjernundervisning.

I denne samtalen på engelsk med programleder Jeff Lugowe, tar Deineko på seg sosiolog-hatten og deler sin analyse av de viktigste samsfunnsområder som har blitt forvandlet av krigen. Analysen hennes bygger til dels på en stor undersøkelse hun har vært med på å gjennomføre sammen med kolleger fra NIBR, hvor ukrainske borgere har blitt spurt om livene sine siden krigens start.

Det var en fryd å ha Deineko i studioet og OsloMet er heldig som har fått henne som kollega. Samtidig håper vi at hun veldig snart kan dra hjem til sin egen hjemby.

Les mer:

  • NIBR inviterer til seminarrekke om ulike aspekter ved krigen i Ukraina og det ukrainske samfunnet. De planlegger tre nye seminarer etter sommerferien.
  • Deineko har sammen med kollegaene Marthe Hånda Myhre og Aadne Aasland gjennomført en unik undersøkelse i samarbeid med det ukrainske meningsmålingsinstituttet Operatyvna Sotsiologija
  • Deineko har blitt intervjuet i både Dagbladet og Khrono om erfaringene sine med å flykte fra Kharkiv til Oslo.

What happens when volcanoes erupt?

Returning to the podcast is Associate Professor and head of the Mathematical Modeling academic group, André Brodtkorb. Occasional podcast host Carla Hughes welcomed André back to the pod to talk about his exciting work on ash detection and eruption altitudes of volcanoes. In this episode, Carla and André discuss the recent Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami as well as André’s personal experiences during the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption.

To learn more about André’s work, you can visit his website.

You can read a pre-print of a paper André co-authored with Håvard Heitlo Holm on this subject: Real-World Oceanographic Simulations on the GPU
using a Two-Dimensional Finite-Volume Scheme
.

Further reading

Source code: https://github.com/babrodtk/VolcanicAshInversion

Mathematical modeling webpage: https://uni.oslomet.no/matmod/

Jenter og Teknologi

On 15th February, it is the jenter og teknologi (girls and technology) inspiration day. So, today we are joined by two students who have been selected as role models for the Jenter og teknologi Oslo 2022 – OsloMet event.

Firstly we have, Sunniva Marie Grotnes is currently studying Dataingeniør – OsloMet (Software Engineering) and has a background in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering. In this episode she also discusses her work as the Deputy Chairman of Oslo Tekniker Samfund (OTS) Jentegruppa, and her previous work on the board of the Environmental Committee and her role as the Sponsor Responsible for the OTS buddy board. This is also in addition to her exchange through European Project Semester (EPS).

We are also joined by Hava who studies Anvendt datateknologi – OsloMet (Applied Computer science) and works as a mentor at OsloMet Makerspace. Makerspace is an open workshop where you can get help with everything from 3D printing, sewing, laser cutting, electronics, t-shirt printing and woodworking. Hava truly demonstrates what opportunities you can find by just engaging yourself.

In today’s episode, we talked about what it means to be a girl in technology, what career paths can be found after education and share words of inspiration to aspiring students.

Is there a relationship between obesity and COVID-19?

In this episode, we are joined by Geographer, Margarida Pereira. Margarida has a masters in Public Health, a PhD in Human Geography and is now working as a Postdoctoral fellow with the Centre for Research on Pandemics and Society (PANSOC) at OsloMet. 

We discuss her current research regarding the links between obesity and COVID-19 and Margarida reflects upon her educational background, as well as her experience of living in Angola during the Ebola outbreak.

Other episodes about pandemics

What predicts choice behaviours and decision-making?

Returning to the Viten og Snakkis podcast is Marco Tagliabue. Since Marco visited us in 2017, he has defended his PHD, and now works as førsteamanuensis/associate professor with the Department of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, at OsloMet.

In this episode, we discussed advances in his “nudging” research, as well as the psychology behind decision-making. What encourages us to make different decisions? What catalyses specific choices that we make? Listen to hear Marco explain his thoughts and findings on this topic. 

To learn more about Marco, please visit his website at https://www.marcotagliabue.com/

Listen:

Can nudging change your habits?

Norway’s first ever quantum computer

Before OsloMet unveiled Norway’s first ever quantum computer, we talked with Gustavo Mello, head of Artificial intelligence group at the department of Computer science, and CEO of the AI lab and Andre Brodtkorb, head of mathematical modelling group at the department of Computer science. Both Gustavo and Andre is from the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design.

At this historical moment in time, both Gustavo and Andre explain how OsloMet selected the quantum computer in the first place, what this means for OsloMet and Norway as a whole – as well as how quantum computers can change the world!

Other podcast episodes:

OsloMet’s New Ocean Lab

After the opening of OsloMet’s new Ocean Lab, Professor Alex Alcocer and The Dean for the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design Carl Thodesen sit down and discuss how the Ocean Lab came to be, and what it will become in the future.

In this episode, Alex and Carl talk about OsloMet’s current ocean research and technology, as well as how ocean research and fjord access has changed at OsloMet since the opening in September.

Read more:

Oceanlab – havlaboratoriet – https://www.oslomet.no/om/tkd/oceanlab