Of the 37 postdocs in the SEAS program, 7 have now completed their SEAS projects. The program continues until 2027. The acronym SEAS stands for "Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability".
The SEAS program is a career and mobility program where 37 postdocs from around the world have 3 years to develop and run their own research project within the broad field of marine sustainability. The varied academic backgrounds and scientific methodologies of the postdocs are precisely what make the interdisciplinary focus of the program possible. The academic fields of the SEAS fellows include social scientists, biologists, oceanographers, mathematicians, computer scientists, archaeologists and legal experts.
Read about the participants here!
Many of the SEAS fellows have expressed that both the city of Bergen and the University of Bergen have contributed to the success of the program. Evolutionary archaeologist Jeremy A. Beller even found parallels from his project on historical sea level variations to possible future scenarios for Bergen.
If the sea level rose or fell in a coastal city such as Bergen, what would that mean for where people wanted to shop, establish industry or raise children?
This is one of the lines of thought that SEAS Fellow Jeremy A. Beller follows as he tries to understand the techno-economies of past societies through archaeological findings and then look at implications for modern society.
Other SEAS fellows simply appreciate the location in Bergen for all its variety.
Bergen is a great city to live and work in. It's a dynamic city with lots of opportunities in biology and aquaculture, but at the same time it's also a culturally vibrant city, which makes it very enjoyable. Bergen has a nice balance between the tranquillity of small towns and the offerings and infrastructure found in larger cities, which protects us from stress and allows us to feel comfortable in the city," says SEAS Fellow Virginie Comorge.
In early 2025, the SEAS program at the University of Bergen was approved as a "UN Ocean Decade Action".
This is a great honor and fits perfectly into the work we are doing with our local partners, with Havbyen Bergen, our European partners to establish a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on water, and our global position as SDG14 Hub Chair for United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), said Rector Margareth Hagen.
