The Research Days: why it is important and what it has to do with the ocean
Foto: Pixabay
The Research Days is a research festival that starts at the end of September each year. This year’s dates are 21 September – 2 October 2022. Our university has its own program and everyone can partake in the events.
Following the 2021-2030 Decade of UN Ocean Science, the theme of this year’s Research Days can provide a major boost to the efforts and interest towards the goals that the UN is trying to achieve. This year’s theme is the ocean.
Why is it so important?
Throughout the history of Norway, the ocean has been an important asset for Norway, so it continues to be nowadays and will continue to be in the future. Norway has more marine scientists per capita than any other country in the world, and the country is one of the largest contributors to the Decade of Ocean Science. But most importantly, the ocean is the source that allows people and animals to live. The Decade of Ocean Science will help to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One of those goals is number 14 which is about life below water: protecting and using the ocean and marine resources in a way that promotes sustainable development.
Foto: Wikimedia Commons
University program
As a part of this theme, Østfold University College takes part also in the annual Strømtangen Lighthouse workshop. The main discussion focuses on sustainable tourism in Ytre Hvaler National Park. 96% of the national park is underwater. Plunging cliffs, kelp forests, eelgrass beds, and coral are just a few examples of the environments that hide below the sea surface of the national park. The symposium takes place from Wednesday 21 September to Friday 23 September and is made possible with support from the Interreg Greenbizz project.
A topic of the Oslo Fjord will also be brought up. It was once the richest fjord in Norway, with large habitats for whales, tuna, cod, herring, and sprat. However, the Oslofjord’s ecosystem has been through a collapse and is now a shadow of itself.
What is the Greenbizz project?
The project’s main objective is to help small and medium-sized companies to become more environmentally friendly, by helping them increase the use of renewable energy in order to become more sustainable in the future. Østfold University College is part of the project, providing researchers and knowledge in finding new green business models that companies can incorporate. The Greenbizz project is coming to an end on the 30th of September 2022 and has been running since the 1st of March 2020.
Check the university website for more information about upcoming events: https://www.hiof.no/iio/ing/forskning/aktuelt/arrangementer/
