Strategy for the Faculty of Humanities
Strategy 2026 - 2035
Humanistic knowledge has an inherent value as a field of knowledge, but it is also essential for formation (‘Bildung’), democracy, inclusion, citizenship, and a sustainable societal development.
The Faculty of Humanities (HF) at NTNU contributes with understanding of culture, and the humanistic disciplines’ orientation towards meaning, creativity and critical inquiry is important for individuals and for the community.
Our subjects increase the understanding of society, nature, technology and science in interdisciplinary interaction, in addition to shedding light on ethical and normative issues.
HF has some of Norway’s foremost academic environments within the humanities. Our profile stands out in that it contains a diversity of strong disciplinary subjects, interdisciplinary study programmes, professional education and artistic research. Parts of these are society-oriented and important for societal development. In this way, we contribute to making NTNU a unique comprehensive university.
Collective culture with sharing of experience is an important part of HF’s working environment, and staff in all categories work together on the core activities.
The faculty strategy supports NTNU’s strategy NTNU 2035, including NTNU’s vision “knowledge for a better world” and the values creative, constructive, critical and respectful.
NTNU shall be a leading international university
HF shall be an international humanistic environment. Our staff shall participate in relevant networks nationally and internationally and cooperate with the best communities. We shall make our results visible and contribute to setting the agenda in academic fields and in society.
Our subjects shall shape and add value to the main profile in science and technology at NTNU, and the main profile shall shape the development of our study portfolio. Our study programmes shall recruit well, be attractive and maintain high quality. The programmes shall educate candidates that society needs and demands.
Our candidates shall have the ability for value-based, normative and critical reflection, as well as an understanding of the significance of history, culture, languages, texts, art, surroundings, technology and science for our lives.
The study programmes shall be anchored in strong disciplinary and professional environments and collaborate with other academic environments when this strengthens the programme. We shall have flexible administrative solutions for cooperation across programmes and departments. We shall work to support academic breadth and seek to safeguard small and vulnerable academic areas.
Research and artistic research at HF shall maintain high quality. We shall work to ensure uninterrupted time for research and artistic research and prioritise the development of externally funded applications. Publishing and dissemination of artistic works shall be in the best and academically most relevant channels. Publishing regularly and seeking external funding is expected of all faculty members at the associate professor level and beyond.
Each year, HF shall obtain several major and minor externally funded projects, and we shall lead at least one national research centre. Each department shall have several excellent research groups and at least one internationally leading environment. We shall prioritise recruitment of strong candidates to the PhD programmes and strengthen the development of transferable skills.
NTNU shall be a driving force for knowledge-based and sustainable societal development
HF is essential for NTNU’s profile. Our studies extend beyond the individual programme to shape and add value to the overall profile. The move to Gløshaugen shall make our subjects even more relevant by allowing them to become part of new interdisciplinary study programmes while maintaining their disciplinary identity. We shall recruit students from diverse backgrounds and work for more international students.
Study programmes at HF shall provide broad competence, including critical thinking, interpretive competence and ethical perspectives. Our programmes and courses shall be important and attractive. Sustainability competence and digital competence shall be integrated into the programmes in a natural academic manner. We shall use our humanistic expertise to bring new knowledge about and discuss topics that are preconditions for sustainable development and transition, for example social, cultural and economic conditions, democracy, welfare, diversity and discrimination, as well as the impact of digital development on society.
Our academic staff shall develop their educational competence individually and through collaboration with colleagues. Academic environments shall continuously develop learning, teaching and assessment forms in line with the knowledge frontier.
HF shall be a driving force for knowledge-based development and collaborate with actors outside the university in ways that strengthen the core activities. We shall be an integrated part of interdisciplinary centre schemes and educate PhD candidates in cooperation with working life. Our provision for lifelong learning shall be developed in close interaction with relevant societal actors, and we shall work actively to ensure that humanistic competence is emphasised and valued.
The academic environments at HF shall contribute to NTNU’s broad understanding of the concept of innovation and ensure external funding for projects within innovation.
HF shall contribute humanistic perspectives in NTNU’s common course structure, with special responsibility for Examen philosophicum. Examen philosophicum shall develop formation (‘Bildung’) and democratic preparedness through critical thinking for all NTNU students.
HF’s academic staff shall be key contributors to a knowledge-based public discourse. They shall make use of a wide range of dissemination arenas, from textbooks to artistic practice. HF’s students shall also be well prepared to take an active part in public debates.
NTNU shall be an attractive academic community
HF shall be an attractive faculty of humanities for ambitious students and staff, and we shall make use of being part of NTNU. We shall facilitate research and artistic research both in breadth and depth. Students and staff shall be encouraged and given opportunities for international mobility, because new experiences and perspectives make us better, and we shall have strong international recruitment at all levels.
The Faculty of Humanities shall be a good place to study and work, with suitable facilities on the new campus. Leaders at HF shall ensure that staff have sufficient authority and trust to perform their work. The working and learning environment shall be characterised by inclusion, diversity and a high tolerance for different opinions. Student government is a strength and shall be well supported. Staff in all categories shall have good career paths and development opportunities. Our current and former students and staff shall experience joy and benefit from their time at HF.
HF shall have an attractive and tailored Norwegian language training for foreign staff across NTNU, so they have good conditions for being included and participating in the university community. We shall develop Norwegian academic language in our fields and contribute to safeguarding Norwegian as a societal language. At the same time, we shall ensure that information is available to those who do not understand Norwegian.