“By appointing three provosts, we are introducing a model that will strengthen the interaction between outstanding research, attractive study programmes and businesses,” says Inge Jan Henjesand, President at BI Norwegian Business School.
The recruitment process has been substantial with many highly qualified candidates. Inge Jan Henjesand underlines the importance of recruiting Provosts that transcends the distinction between research, study programmes and business units.
“I am very pleased that Hilde, Bendik and Amir will be a part of the management team. After many years in leading positions at the school, they possess valuable experience and competence which I would like BI to benefit from in the years to come. If BI shall succeed in a world where competition for the best faculty, the best students and the best corporate relations will only increase, we need to develop clear and improved leadership roles throughout the organization,” says Henjesand.
Hilde C. Bjørnland
Hilde C. Bjørnland is a Professor of Economics at BI Norwegian Business School. She holds a Master of Science in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from London School of Economics, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Oslo. She was awarded His Majesty, The King of Norway’s Gold medal for the PhD thesis in social Sciences.
“I look forward to using my experience and commitment to strengthening BI’s impact on the international research arena, as well as reinforcing research based teaching to the benefit of students’ learning. The prerequisites are very good with one of Europe's most exciting academic environments at BI,” says Hilde Bjørnland.
Bjørnland is the Director of Centre for Applied Macro- and Petroleum economics (CAMP) at BI Norwegian Business School. She holds a position as a scientific advisor to Norges Bank and she is President of the Society of Nonlinear Dynamics and Econometrics. Bjørnland has previously held positions as staff economist at the International Monetary Fund and Associate Professor at the University of Oslo. She has been a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside, a member of the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council, and she has been a board member of the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway and the Petroleum Price Board.
As new Provost for Research and Academic Resources, Bjørnland will further develop and strengthen the academic resources at BI to secure impact on the international research agenda, impact on student learning and impact on practice. Bjørnland will lead BI’s eight research departments, more than 350 faculty members, PhD programmes, library and learning resources.
Bendik M. Samuelsen
Bendik Meling Samuelsen is Professor and Head of the Department of Marketing at BI Norwegian Business School. He received his MSc at USN and holds a PhD from Norwegian School of Economics (2004).
“I am proud that I have been allowed to take part in BI’s academic development over the years. I now look forward to leading the work and initiatives to strengthen and improve internationally attractive programs at all levels based on outstanding faculty and professional administration,” says Bendik Meling Samuelsen.
Samuelsen started as Assistant Professor at BI in 2000, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004, and became a full Professor of marketing in 2013. In January 2015, he assumed the role as Head of Department, at The Department of Marketing. From 2003 to 2011 he was Associate Dean for the bachelor program in Marketing Communication, and Associate Dean for the bachelor program in Marketing Managment from 2013 to 2015.
As new Provost for Academic Programmes, Samuelsen will further develop and strengthen the academic program portfolio at BI combining internationally recognized research with relevance to secure attractive programs at all levels. Samuelsen will be responsible for programme Deans, programme quality, accreditations, rankings and international academic relations.
Amir Sasson
Amir Sasson is a Professor of Strategy and the Director of The Research Management Office at BI Norwegian Business School. He holds a Master of Science in Strategy and a PhD, both from BI.
“I am honored to be a part of a rejuvenated, strong and promising management team that together will work on establishing BI as a leading European business school. I look forward to working with the organization to enhance students' learning, business development and sound public policy,” says Amir Sasson.
Sasson has held various academic positions at the Department of Strategy at BI between 2005-2015 and has led several major high profiled research projects. From 2006-2008 he worked as Lecturer at University College Dublin (UCD). Sasson was Project Manager for the research project Knowledge Based Norway (2009-2012), Associate Dean for the Doctoral Programme in Strategic Management (2012) and portfolio coordinator for the Civil Economics Study (2015-2016).
As Provost for Innovation and Outreach, Sasson will work to enhance the value of BI’s institutional relations through strategic and coordinated interaction with external partners and networks. Sasson will have responsibility for outreach activities that bridge and combine internal and external resources to strengthen relevance and stimulate co-creation in research and programme development and delivery.