Programme for the 2024 Holberg Week
Join us in celebration of outstanding research in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. The Holberg Week 2024 will take place 4 –7 June in Bergen and Oslo. Save the dates!
The annual Holberg Week takes place in the beginning of June as a celebration of the Holberg Prize Laureate, the Nils Klim Prize Laureate, and the Holberg School Programme finalists. The Holberg Week includes a number of events that features the Laureates as well as other prominent guests from Norway and abroad.
Below is the preliminary programme for the 2024 Holberg Week. More information about each event, including titles, participants and livestream links, will be added as the details are finalised.
In addition to the open programme we have several events by invitation only. Please see the overview below.
All times are UTC +2 / CEST, unless otherwise stated.
All events require registration and will be filmed and/or photographed.
Registration for the 2024 Holberg Week.
Open programme - The 2024 Holberg Week
PROGRAMME DAY 1 — TUESDAY, 4 JUNE
The Holberg Symposium: "Democracy as a Community of Life"
Date: Tuesday, 4 June
Time: 9:00 – 12:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Academic symposium held in honour of the 2024 Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe. The Laureate introduces the topic, followed by presentations by invited guests, a panel discussion and in the end an open Q&A session.
Speakers:
- Achile Mbembe, recipient of the 2024 Holberg Prize; research professor at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research.
- Ato Quayson, professor at Stanford University.
- Nasrin Olla, assistant professor at the University of Virginia.
- Paul Gilroy, Founding Director, Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Race and Racism, University College London.
- Moderator: Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, professor at the Universitetet i Bergen and Academic Director of the Holberg Prize.
The Nils Klim Symposium: "Reflect and Act: Energy, Social Science and Impact!"
Date: Tuesday, 4 June
Time: 13:00 – 15:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
This event is held in honour of the Nils Klim Laureate Siddharth Sareen. The Laureate's lecture is followed by presentations by invited guests, a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
Speakers:
- Siddharth Sareen, professor, University of Stavanger; professor II, Universitetet i Bergen.
- Harald Rohracher, professor, Linköping University.
- Andy Stirling, professor, University of Sussex.
- Mariel Agiular-Støen, professor, University of Oslo.
- Moderator: Kjetil Rommetveit, professor, University of Bergen.
An Evening with the Holberg Prize
Date: Tuesday, 4 June
Time: 18:00 – 19:15
Venue: House of Literature in Bergen
This event will feature the Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe and the Nils Klim Laureate Siddharth Sareen in conversation about their background, their research and their experiences from academia.
Speakers:
- Achile Mbembe, recipient of the 2024 Holberg Prize; research professor at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research.
- Siddharth Sareen, professor, University of Stavanger; professor II, Universitetet i Bergen.
- Moderator: Kari Jegerstedt, associate professor, University of Bergen.
PROGRAMME DAY 2 — WEDNESDAY, 5 JUNE
The Holberg Masterclass: "Thoughts on the Planetary"
Date: Wednesday, 5 June
Time: 10:00 – 12:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
The Holberg Prize offers scholarships for five PhD candidates in the Nordic countries to participate in a masterclass with Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe. Each participant will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation related to the theme chosen by the Laureate. After the presentations there will be a panel discussion.
The Holberg Lecture
Date: Wednesday, 5 June
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Lecture by Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe. This is the Laureate's academic statement during the Holberg Week. Topic TBA.
PROGRAMME DAY 3 — THURSDAY, 6 JUNE
Award Ceremony for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Thursday, 6 June
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Venue: Bergen Cathedral School
20 upper secondary schools and around 1000 students from all over Norway participate in the Holberg School Programme each year. During the ceremony, Norwegian Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun announces the first, second and third Student Prize as well as the Teacher's Prize. The Award Ceremony is open to anyone who is interested. Please note that most of the event will be conducted in Norwegian.
Award Ceremony for the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize
Date: Thursday, 6 June
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Venue: University Aula in Bergen
The Official Award Ceremony for the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize. The ceremony will be followed by a short reception. This event is open to all but requires registration, and it will be livestreamed.
PROGRAMME DAY 4 — FRIDAY, 7 JUNE
The Holberg Laureate LIVE (Oslo): "Apartheid after South Africa"
Date: Friday, 7 June
Time: 18:00 –19.15
Venue: House of Literature in Oslo
The day after receiving the Holberg Prize in Bergen, Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe will join Sindre Bangstad in conversation at the House of Literature in Oslo.
Speakers:
- Achile Mbembe, recipient of the 2024 Holberg Prize; research professor at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research.
- Sindre Bangstad, research professor at KIFO (Institute For Church, Religion And Worldview Research).
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CLOSED PROGRAMME (BY INVITATION ONLY)
In addition to the main Holberg Week programme, the Holberg Prize has the pleasure of presenting a variety of activities for our invited guests.
Please register via the link in your personal invitation (email sent from Holbergprisen / The Holberg Prize). Please note that the invitation to the Government Banquet is sent separately.
If you have not received a personal invitation or are missing some of the options in the registration form, please contact the Holberg Prize Secretariat at info@holbergprisen.no, and we will add you if capacity.
Historical City Walk
Date: Monday, 3 June
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Venue: Fløibanen funicular, Vertlidsallmenningen 23A
Join us for a historical city walk in Bergen with Morten Hammerborg, Professor in History. We recommend comfortable walking shoes and weatherproof clothes.
The historical city walk begins at the city station of the Fløibanen funicular. From there the group will be guided to Skansen to enjoy a view over the historical centre of Bergen. The tour continues through narrow streets and lanes, past the Latin School and via the Lepra Museum, before Hammerborg guides us up to the Christie monument and ends the tour at Fastings Minde.
By invitation only.
The Holberg Board’s Garden Party
Date: Monday, 3 June
Time: 16:15 – 17:45
Venue: Fastings Minde, Haakon Sheteligs plass 11
The Board of the Holberg Prize invites guests to a garden party at the Holberg Prizes premises at Fastings Minde. We will serve food fresh from the grill and refreshments.
By invitation only.
Concert: In the Footsteps of Nono – Luigi Nono 100
Date: Monday, 3 June
Time: 18:00 – 19:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
The Holberg Prize has the pleasure of inviting our guests to a concert in collaboration with Bergen International Festival and The Grieg Academy at University of Bergen.
Italian composer Luigi Nono (1924–1990), referred to as one of the most central composers of the last century, is celebrated with a concert featuring musicians from the chamber ensemble Cikada, SWR Experimentalstudio, tubaist Max Murray and mezzo soprano Zsuza Zseni from the vocal ensemble Tabula Rasa. The Conductor is Dániel Péter Biró, Professor of Composition at the Grieg Academy.
Please note that we have a limited number of tickets for our invited guests. However, the concert is part of Bergen International Festival, and it is possible to purchase tickets even if you are not on the Holberg Prize’s guest list. More information about tickets can be found on the festival website.
Dinner at the House of Literature
Date: Tuesday, 4 June
Time: 19:30
Venue: The House of Literature in Bergen
Rector at the University of Bergen, Margareth Hagen, hosts a dinner for the Holberg Prize at the House of Literature, room Fossestova.
The Holberg School Programme participants will enjoy an informal dinner at restaurant Colonialen in the House of Literature.
By invitation only.
Seminar for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Wednesday, 5 June
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Tårnsalen, Bergen University Museum - Natural History.
A closed seminar where the Holberg School Programme finalists and the Teacher Prize recipient discuss their respective projects. The students' teachers and research advisers also participate. The Nils Klim Laureate traditionally also visit the students and discusses the research process.
By invitation only.
Tour at the Museum
Date: Wednesday, 5 June
Time: 12:45 – 13:45
Venue: The University Museum in Bergen
Holberg Week guests can join a guided tour at the University Museum on Wednesday 5 June. Please show your Holberg Week name tag at the entrance for free admittance. (Same building as the University Aula.)
By invitation only.
Celebratory Dinner for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Wednesday, 5 June
Time: 18:00
Venue: Grand selskapslokaler, Bergen
A celebratory dinner hosted by the Municipality of Bergen where the Holberg School Programme finalists and winner of the Teacher Prize will present their research projects.
By invitation only.
The Government Banquet
Date: Thursday, 6 June
Time: 18:15–22:30
Venue: Haakon's Hall, Bergen
Banquet in honour of the Holberg Laureate and Nils Klim Laureate, hosted by the Norwegian Government. Please note that there will be sent a separate invitation to this event.
By invitation only.