On May 7th, Tekna and DION co-hosted a seminar in Trondheim to introduce temporary scientific staff at NTNU to the Norwegian Model and the role of unions in Norway.

Thanks to Tekna representatives Alexander Iversen, Eirin Marie Skjøndal Bar, and Rune Sætre for your advice and answers to our members’ questions! That was a great help for our members in understanding their situations, rights, and the resources available to them when they need support. Also, thanks to Lisebeth Hulmann for coordinating food services for the events across all three campuses.

DION is committed to supporting temporary scientific staff by connecting them with relevant resources and fostering an informed and inclusive academic community. Thanks to everyone who joined the event and all the discussions!

Last weekend, we had the chance to explore Trondheim’s shoreline through two hands-on seaweed foraging sessions with guide Patrick Bösch.

We learned how to identify edible seaweeds, harvest them responsibly, and got inspired to try them in the kitchen. Despite the wind and rain, the energy and curiosity everyone brought made it a great experience. This event was one of several initiatives for temporary scientific employees at NTNU, aimed at fostering community connections and encouraging engagement with sustainability through hands-on, local experiences.

Thanks to all who joined, and to Patrick for sharing his knowledge with us!

From April 25–27, DION teamed up with Startup Migrants for a 3-day crash course in entrepreneurship. Huge thanks to Startup Migrants for the collaboration, to our amazing speakers, and to everyone who joined us. It was an energizing and empowering experience, especially for early-career researchers and temporary employees looking to grow and thrive.

Over the course of the program, participants:
Heard real stories from founders about the ups and downs of starting a business.
Got a crash course on the legal side of launching a company in Norway.
Learned how to take an idea and start building it into something real
Picked up practical advice on how (and where!) to get started.

We’re excited to see where these new ideas and connections will lead!

DION’s Career Day Seminar wrapped up with an excellent turnout, with more than 60 participants across all of NTNU’s campuses joining us today.

A big thank you to Dr. Martin Bjerke from Equinor and Dr. Yaolin Ge from Sandvik Coromant for sharing their inspiring transitions from academia to industry after their PhD. Their insights led to lively discussions on navigating job opportunities in Norway, company values, hiring practices, and advice for international researchers.

We are happy to see such strong engagement from attendees in Trondheim, Gjøvik, and Ålesund, and DION looks forward to hosting additional events about career development for our temporary scientific employees at NTNU in the future!

At the Trondheim campus, DION collaborated with Forskerforbundet ved NTNU in early April to host two engaging events:

A movie screening of Sulis 1907

A pizza seminar for temporary scientific employees


These events aimed to raise awareness about the rights and regulations that apply to temporary scientific staff – from national and NTNU-specific laws and regulations to employment contracts, workplace conditions, and support systems. The seminar also highlighted the importance of establishing a positive supervisory relationship early and knowing where to turn when facing challenges such as conflict or breaches of rights.

Empowering researchers through knowledge is key to improving work environments and strengthening the research community.