Vigdis Broch-Due

I am deeply honored by my appointment to serve on the DNRF board starting in January 2020. My enthusiasm for this chance to participate in the excellent work the foundation is doing in shaping frontline research also comes with a deep sense of responsibility to both the scholarly community and the surrounding society in Denmark.

The DNRF has long proven to be a pioneer in stimulating groundbreaking research and interdisciplinary engagements. As we all know, novel ideas and scientific breakthroughs are often born at the interface between scholarly traditions and different modes of thinking. In order to tackle the complexity of the world we all share, we need to build bridges between disciplinary islands and work together across the humanities and the natural and social sciences. I have been so impressed by the powerful initiatives developed to these ends by the DNRF in the form of Centers of Excellence and the Niels Bohr Professorships.

I also find it laudable that, through its visionary leadership, the foundation is pushing for diversity in academic recruitment and supporting talented young scholars who will pursue the scientific endeavors of the future.  In our current climate with the growing distrust of scientists and factual evidence, cultivating the voice of academics for communicating with larger audiences seems absolutely vital for the formation of vibrant publics and viable democracies. So, it is also impressive that the DNRF is taking up the challenge by developing new ways of sharing fascinating research with the wider public and inviting it to participate in some of the foundation’s activities. I am very much looking forward to playing a role in furthering all of these important goals.

I have recently returned to my position as professor of social anthropology at the University of Bergen, Norway, after having had the privilege of serving as the scientific director/CEO of the Center for Advanced Study (CAS) in Oslo. My academic and research trajectory spans several countries and continents, and I hope that my diverse experience can be useful in my work and in cooperation with my colleagues on the board.