Vice-Rector Carl Christian Thodesen and Managing Director Siri Berggreen look forward to establishing the OsloMet House, together with Professor Marit Haldar, Head of Department Einar Stoltenberg, Special Advisor Marianne Aasen, Professor Marit Kirkevold, and Community Relations Manager Ståle Grøtte.
The new OsloMet House in Lillestrøm will open its doors this year. A collaboration with Romerike Sparebank has made this initiative possible.
The bank and the university have entered into a cooperation agreement to establish the OsloMet House in Lillestrøm, with Romerike Sparebank allocating up to 17 million NOK until 2030.
The house will serve as an arena for regional collaboration on recruitment, research, and competence development until OsloMet's new Campus Romerike is ready.
Awaiting the new campus
Vice-Rector for Societal Improvement and Collaboration, Carl Thodesen, extends a big thank you to Romerike Sparebank for enabling OsloMet to conduct academic activities in Lillestrøm city center until the new Campus Romerike is established.
The university is already actively searching for suitable premises. The requirement is approximately 400 square meters, which will include a mingling area, two larger meeting rooms, some offices, and group rooms.
"We will invite municipalities, the labor and business community, schools, and youth environments in Romerike for dialogue and collaboration, with a particular focus on recruitment, research, innovation, and competence development," says Thodesen.
He points out that the university has good experience with an OsloMet House in Holmlia, which will be beneficial for the establishment in Lillestrøm.
Historic commitment from the bank
This is the largest single cooperation agreement Romerike Sparebank has ever entered into. The bank views the establishment of the OsloMet House and the activities it will entail as a benefit for the region's population.
"This establishment hits right at the core of our social mission," says CEO Siri Berggreen.
She points out that this contributes to long-term competence building in the region and secures future workforce in health, technology, and management
Initiative structured around three axes
A working group at OsloMet is currently planning the launch of the OsloMet House, and
Professor Marit Haldar at the Faculty of Social Sciences is the academic lead for the activity program at the OsloMet House, which will follow three main tracks:
- Recruitment to higher education to increase social mobility and counter social exclusion, especially among population groups that are currently underrepresented in higher education. The initiative draws inspiration from Holmlia, where the university operates in close connection with services in health, childhood development, and business, including students serving as active role models.
- Research and innovation projects that address key challenges in the region, particularly related to demographic changes and pressure on health and care services.
- Provision of continuing education opportunities for the region’s workforce.
"We see many opportunities for projects and activities that address the needs of the region, and I'm glad that so many people I speak with are positive and want to contribute," says Haldar.
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