– Disclaimer – NRK Vestland

In a reading post in Bergens Tidende, Lise Rakner, professor of comparative politics at UiB, strongly opposes the implementation of sponsorship week in educational institutions in Bergen.

Rakner believes it was irresponsible for the study sites to keep the sponsor a week after the big outbreak of infection in the student community.

At least 182 students have had a confirmed coronary disease after starting their studies in Bergen. The vast majority of cases of infection are found in NHH.

“This is not about private parties. It is not about the sponsoring leaders doing their best. The educational institutions of the city cannot abdicate this responsibility. [ …] We are now doing Olympic exercises in disclaimer and explanations, ”Rakner writes in the post.

Criticize the effect of the signal

– I do this with deep frustration. I experience that leaders of educational institutions explain this and say that it has nothing to do with the sponsorship week, Rakner tells NRK.

Rakner believes that both the UiB rector and the other study sites overlook what she describes as “the elephant in the room.”

– By organizing Sponsor Week in a pandemic, we sent a signal that things were now normal. The students kept partying and gathered in small dormitories with bags of Vinmonopolet, says Rakner.

The professor has received support from various sectors after the publication of the article. Among other things from UiB professor Anne Lise Fimreite, who has shown her support for Rakner in a post on Facebook.

“The fact that the sponsor week was okay did enough for many people to perceive that it was okay with other parties and gatherings as well,” he writes.

NRK has been in contact with Fimreite, who does not want to comment beyond what he writes in the post.

– We must take responsibility

Rakner believes the university should cancel the sponsorship week and work towards getting as much physical education as possible.

As previously reported by NRK, all physical education on campuses has been canceled until September 18 as a result of the outbreak of infection among students.

In Høgskulen på Vestlandet, they have extended the closure in line with the continuation of the measures in Bergen.

The city has had an average of more than 30 new cases of infection per day in the last week.

I will not blame the sponsor week

UiB Chancellor Dag Rune Olsen believes that the increase in infection in Bergen recently cannot be seen in direct connection with the show in sponsor week.

– After two days, UiB held all the social events in the evening. So I think it’s hard to attribute the outbreak we’re seeing now in Bergen to sponsor week, says Olsen.

However, he acknowledges that the university contributed to an unfortunate signal effect by failing to crack down on private parties and social gatherings within the extension of the study’s initiation.

– Obviously we have not been clear enough that this type of social gatherings we cannot have in the same way in these times.

– At the same time, it was important for me to advocate for the students and sponsors who made the plan during sponsorship week. Several of them received very threatening and outrageous emails, Olsen recalls.

– I should have done more

NHH Chancellor Øystein Thøgersen says they regret the outbreak in Bergen.

He emphasizes that the start week for new students was drastically shortened and had a strong focus on infection control.

As BT has previously written, many of the infection cases likely originate from a party in NHH’s basement on Monday, August 24, where agreed guidelines were broken.

– We should have done more to maintain infection control discipline in relation to social events, even as the returning students returned to NHH for the start of the semester the following week, says Thøgersen.

– Can’t control

Rector Berit Rokne from Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) does not regret that they organized the sponsorship week, despite the result.

– Basically, each of us is responsible for complying with the infection control rules. “We have been clear and facilitated the events and teaching within the rules that were applied,” he says.

Rokne emphasizes that Høgskolen canceled any alcoholic events in the middle of the sponsorship week.

– No one can monitor student activities 24 hours a day. It’s easy to be wise later. None of us saw how this was going to end. We as an institution must think about how we solve it and take it with us to the next start of studies, says Rokne.