En annen kompetanse? Den norske dosenten i et kriterie- og kompetanseperspektiv

Abstract

This chapter explores the criteria for promotion to docent (dosent in Norwegian), a variant of the professor position. The criteria are based on a different path of qualification to a top academic position where neither a PhD nor a specific number of referee-assessed research articles are required. Four questions are discussed in the chapter: 1) What characterizes the docent position? 2) What kinds of competence does a docent possess? 3) Why do academic institutions need docents? 4) Do the flexible interpretations of the promotion criteria represent challenges? The authors’ answers to these questions show that docents are expected to possess a wider repertoire of competences than a professor does. These different skills are valuable assets for the academic institution, but there is still more potential to be realized.