Professor Amir Sasson is now appointed Director of externally funded research and innovation. The role is a four-year academic fixed-term, reporting to Pro-Rector for research and professional resources.
- External funding beyond tuition fees will become more important for BI's overall economy in the years ahead, President Inge Jan Henjesand says.
Sasson will work with research and education activities that can establish BI as an even more relevant and important expert on competence towards the various target areas. This applies to business, government business policy initiatives, and modernisation of the public sector. To achieve this he will work closely with the respective academic environments.
- The government has clear expectations that we, as a research institution, will increase our revenues from the EU programs and from the Research Council and that we will cooperate more closely with business and society. We will do this in such a way that it helps develop our academic environment, and we will demonstrate how BI's business subjects are key in meeting industry- and society's challenges. I'm glad to have Amir Sasson on board to help realise these aspirations, President Henjesand continues.
Broad and international experience
Professor Amir Sasson has a PhD from BI. After he completed his doctorate, he was hired by University College Dublin in Ireland, where he worked from 2006 to 2008. Amir returned to BI as Associate Professor at the Department of Strategy in 2008 and became a professor in 2015.
- I look forward to working with Amir Sasson to bring greater awareness to externally funded research in the near future, Pro-Rector Ulf Henning Olsson said. - This is of great strategic importance for BI.
Amir has experience from both Norwegian and international academic environments, through research visits and teaching at institutions such as Stanford University, Israel Institution of Technology, AMPLI Kaplan UCD in Singapore and Hong Kong. He has been supervisor for both MSC and PhD students. He also has a long list of publications in reputable journals.
- I am honoured to be given the opportunity to work on projects which are very close to my heart but are for the benefit of our BI community. The relationship between BI and the business community has always been a vital element of our competitive position. Over the years, we have been involved in numerous applied projects that enhanced our reputation and the quality of our teaching. In addition, BI's goal of increasing our impact requires that we participate in externally financed research to a larger degree than we have seen until now. My aim is to ensure that WE, through increased level of participation in the above mentioned activities, will be the essential competent partner in discussions of contemporary business and public policy challenges, says Amir Sasson.