The next rector will be Gunnar Yttri

“I am glad that I will become the next rector, for my own part and for the university college. I am very grateful for the board's trust, and the trust of everyone who has encouraged me to apply. I have received encouragement and cheers from employees in Bergen, Stord, Haugesund, Sogndal and Førde. It makes me especially happy knowing that I had such strong competitors”, says Gunnar Yttri.

What is your main motivation for taking on this position?

“I am completely convinced that our university college has good qualities today, which can be developed further, and that we can be more visible and become an even stronger force in higher education and society”.

What do you want to focus on in particular?

“I want to focus in particular on this college becoming strong through the work of the employees and also that one of our special characteristics is that we have five campuses. The five campuses are our great advantage, and each of them will develop and become even more skilled, alive and have even more strength than they have today”.

About Gunnar Yttri

Yttri holds the position of associate professor at the Department of Social Science at the Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. He teaches history and his field of research is education policy, renewable energy and local communities.

Gunnar Yttri has been an employee at Sogn og Fjordane University College (HiSF) since 2004 and has previously been dean for two terms at the Department of Social Science. Yttri became a member of the interim board at HVL in the autumn of 2016 and is today in his second term as a member of the university board.

Gunnar Yttri has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Oslo.

Chairman of the board pleased with the appointment

“We are very pleased with the appointment of Gunnar Yttri as the new rector at HVL”, says board chairman Arvid Hallén. 

“We believe Yttri is the right candidate to meet the goals and ambitions the institution has set for itself”.

“The most important goals for HVL are to become a professional and working life-oriented university with five living campuses that offer attractive educations and with high-quality research that supports our educations in health, school and kindergarten and economic and technological subjects”, says Hallén.

The new rector will take up the position on 1 January 2021, and will be appointed for the term of office 2021-2024.