We make the promise to our collaborative partners and clients that we will focus on the following:
- To actively stimulate new and useful knowledge within an emerging field.
- To stimulate curiosity and critical reflection, and to share knowledge together with our clients and collaborative partners.
- To contribute to creating a sustainable, vitalized welfare society that will create value and make all citizens feel they have a place in it.
- To make use of recognized scientific research methods and to hold high ethical standards in our work.
SESAM is a member of EMES, an international network of scientific researchers within the field of social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
Vision and strategy
SESAM shares its vision with the rest of USN; to be a regionally based, but internationally competitive entrepreneurial university.
Our mission is to unite research and praxis. - We live and learn together!
In order to achieve this, our work is focused on the following strategic elements:
- Partnership and Networking
SESAM works both in permanent and ad-hoc-based partnerships, with public departments, ministries, directorates, voluntary organizations, financial institutions and social entrepreneurs within our field. We also work with international partners, and often look for untraditional collaborative partners. - Research
SESAM aims to always be involved in concrete, praxis-oriented research projects that focus on increasing the understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation within the future changes of the Nordic welfare state. We supervise MSc and PhD students, and continuously work actively to attain more knowledge. - Regional, national and international development projects
SESAM aims to be an active part, both as an initiator and a participant in projects based on research, development and innovation. In such projects, we seek to fill the role of a knowledge-based collaborative partner. - Dissemination, education and information work.
SESAM aims to contribute to social innovation within municipalities by offering continuing education for relevant employees, disseminating relevant research news and participating with features at confernces etc.
The university's regular bachelor's and master’s programmes are managed outside of SESAM.
SESAM's Advisory Board
SESAM is a research centre organized within USN's regular structure for faculties and departments. Therefore, it does not have a traditional board of its own, but still has the need of receiving strategic observations from the outside, especially focusing on how SESAM positions itself. This need has been attended to by establishing an advisory board.
SESAM's advisory board consists of:
Top, left to right:
- Professor Lars Hulgård (RUC) as leader
- Katinka Greve Leiner, director of Ferd Sosiale Entreprenører (Ferd Social Entrepreneurs)
- Lars Bjerke, counsellor at Asker kommune (municipality)
- Bård Stranheim, "chief of entrepreneuring" at Innovasjon Norge (Innovation Norway).
Bottom, left to right:
- Ole Loe Andersen, responsible for FRI at Kirkens Bymisjon (The Church City Mission)
- Sandrina Sandell, founder and CEO of Løvetannakademiet ("Dandelion academy"), former student of child welfare at USN (HiT) and student-business participant
- Professor Halvard Vike, USN – academic leader at SESAM
- Lars U. Kobro, CEO of SESAM