After two years as a postdoctoral fellow, Franziska Köder was not eligible for a permanent position. With only two months left of her postdoc period, she had to find a new job.
‘I had no teaching experience … What I was qualified for was other postdoc positions.’ Despite being a top candidate, Köder was disqualified since she had already worked as a postdoc.
Since 1999, there has been an increase in all types of research positions. The number of postdocs has increased by 655 per cent, with permanent jobs few and far between.
Currently, one cannot hold a postdoc position more than once at the same institution. Now this rule may be extended to a maximum of one postdoc-position under any circumstances. The proposal has been met with considerable opposition by universities.
Guro Elisabeth Lind, head of the Norwegian Association of Researchers, fears that the proposal will be rejected without a proper debate. ‘If Norway adapts to an international labour market by worsening conditions for its own candidates, we are on the wrong track. Here, Norway must lead the way.’
