Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society (PANSOC)
An OsloMet Centre of Research Excellence studying the societal aspects of pandemics
Last month, Carla Louise Hughes, Nan Zou Bakkeli, and Jessica Dimka talked about PANSOC research related to mental health and pandemics, as part of OsloMet’s marking of World Mental Health Day. The lunch seminar (lunsjpåfyll) was organized by the University Library, and a video is available here: https://filmet.no/lunsjpafyll-mental-health-and
The three PANSOC-affiliated masters students, Carla Hughes, Lara Steinmetz and Christina Torjussen, all presented their projects at a pandemic research student conference in Bergen 27. October. We at PANSOC are super-proud of the all and Christina even won a prize for her work and presentation.
What can we learn from the history of pandemics and the Covid-19 situation? Three short panel talks from 3 PANSOC researchers will be given followed by a panel conversation. Organizer is OsloMet University library. You can read more about the event here: Mental health and pandemics – OsloMet
The influenza pandemics of 1918 and 2009, as well as the ongoing COVID-19, show that Indigenous people have extremely high risk of severe disease outcomes, but the reasons for this vulnerability are unclear. This week, the head of PANSOC, Svenn-Erik Mamelund, will hold a talk on Indigenous people & Pandemics for the “Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch, Division for Inclusive Social Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, at the United Nations in New York”
The influenza pandemic hit the native communities in Alaska hard. These children in an orphanage in Nushagak, Alaska, lost their parents. Summer of 1919. Source: Alaska Historical Library
In August 2022 to June 2023, Mamelund will also lead a CAS-project on this topic. You can read more here:
Social science meets biology: indigenous people and severe influenza outcomes – CAS
Why do Indigenous people have high risk of severe influenza? – CAS,
Announcing the CAS projects 2022/23: from influenza to peace-and-conflict, and algebra – CAS
In this key-note titled “Social Disparities & Pandemics, Mamelund will 1) present results showing that social inequality was a forgotten factor in pandemic preparedness before the COVID-19 pandemic, and speculate why this was the case; 2) present results on the social inequalities in COVID-19 pandemic disease burden and call for more research on the distal and proximal causes of these disparities; and 3) discuss how we can take both medical and social vulnerability into account in pandemic preparedness to be better prepared for the next pandemic.
To register for the conference, see here: Annual Posthumus Conference 2021 ‘Epidemics and Social Inequality’, 20-21 May – N.W. Posthumus Institute (ru.nl)
In a call for expression of interest for writing MSCA proposals on pandemic studies this Spring, we got 20 applications and offered three candidates the opportunity to work on their applications with us. Today the candidates presented their drafts at an internal PANSOC webinar. We all believe that they have high chances of success when they submit their proposals in September.
On the day of the one-year anniversary of the national lockdown, The Winter Seminar for Human Geographers in Norway commemorate the pandemic by inviting you to this engaging panel, where Svenn-Erik Mamelund invites two historians and two geographers to discuss the role of borders in historical and present pandemics.
Friday 12 March, 13:00-14:00 on Zoom
Register for free here, for updates and information: https://nettskjema.no/a/179877
Join Zoom Meeting: Launch Meeting – Zoom
Our Centre leader, Svenn-Erik Mamelund is chairing a plenary at the Winter Seminar in Human Geography Friday 12 March 1300-1400 (CET).
For the ZOOM-link to this webinar e-mail masv@oslomet.no or register here: Winter Seminar in Human Geography 2021 – Session registration – Nettskjema
This panel brings together two historians and two geographers to discuss the role of borders in historical and present pandemics. The speakers will present for 7-10 minutes before the panel opens for questions from the chair, the audience and speakers.
Speakers:
1. Ulrikke Bryn Wethal (University of Oslo) discusses how social practices compete, interact and are negotiated in the ‘home-as-office’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. May-Brith Ohman Nielsen (University of Agder) thematizes microbes, borders and historians, and points out how the relationship between epidemics and borders has been characterized by a two-sided dynamic within the history of science and medical history.
3. Ole Georg Moseng (University of South-Eastern Norway) will problematize connections between pandemics and borders through globalization, expert advice, pandemic control without vaccines, and global inequality in health.
4. Marta Bivand Erdal (Peace Research Institute Oslo) will address issues and concerns related with seasonal labor migration and the spread of COVID-19.
Samenes nasjonaldag er 6. februar, men OsloMet tyvstarter markeringen dagen før dagen med temaene: urfolk og pandemier, og urfolk og minoriteter i skole og utdanning.
11:30: Curt Rice, rektor ved OsloMet
11.40: Hilsen fra Sametinget Inger Marit Eira-Åhrén, direktør for Sametinget
11.50: Urfolk og pandemier Svenn-Erik Mamelund, forsker 1 ved OsloMet
12.15: Urfolk og nasjonale minoriteter i skole og lærerutdanning Torjer A. Olsen, professor UiT
12.35: Hilsen fra Samisk studentforening i Oslo/Saemien Studeenth Oslovisnie Erle Bårdsdatter Sæther, leder Samisk studentforening i Oslo
12.40: 40 år siden Alta-aksjonen Universitetsbibliotekets direktør, Lars Egeland, forteller
12.45: Minikonsert ved Arvvas. I duoen Arvvas møtes Steinar Raknes (kontrabass/vokal) og Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska (joik/vokal) gjennom jazz, joik og americana.
13.00: Takk for i dag!
Ordstyrer: Vibeke Horn, programansvarlig for kultur og mangfold ved OsloMet. Arrangementet blir strømmet på OsloMets Facebookside.
Our Centre leader, Svenn-Erik Mamelund, is presenting at the fourt of a series of 6 conferences on infectious disease outbreaks and the role of the social sciences in surveillance, prevention, and intervention strategies.
Infectious Diseases Conference 4: In what ways did the past infectious disease outbreak response impact the current COVID response: Lessons Learned?
February 16, 2021 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST
You can register and get the web-link by sending an e-mail to: vtrack@uottowa.ca
