Two new adjunct professors strengthen Campus Fryslân’s interdisciplinary profile

We are proud to celebrate the appointment of dr Berfu Ünal as adjunct professor of Sustainable Behaviour in a Circular Economy and dr Oskar Gstrein as adjunct professor of Data Governance and Digital Autonomy.

Their appointments are an important achievement for Campus Fryslân and further strengthen our expertise in two areas that are highly relevant to the societal challenges of today: the transition towards a circular and sustainable economy, and the governance of emerging digital technologies.

Adjunct professor of Sustainable Behaviour in a Circular Economy

For Berfu, the new professorship offers an opportunity to further strengthen the role of behavioural science in the transition towards a circular economy. “A circular economy ultimately depends on how people make choices, use products and resources, and engage with circular solutions in their everyday lives,” she explains. Understanding what drives these choices can help us support people in adopting and sustaining more circular ways of living.

Berfu is particularly looking forward to developing this work in Fryslân, a region where circularity is a shared ambition across society. “I feel very fortunate to be part of a community where researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and citizens are experimenting with new ways of doing things.” She sees the professorship as an opportunity to bring research and practice together and to explore how circular choices can become easier and more mainstream.

She also sees her appointment as a recognition of the collective work within the Department of Circular Economy. Its interdisciplinary approach, she says, provides an ideal environment to understand sustainable behaviour within the wider social, business and institutional contexts in which it takes place.

Adjunct professor of Data Governance and Digital Autonomy

For Oskar, the appointment offers “a wonderful opportunity to deepen and expand” his work on digital autonomy and the governance of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

His appointment also marks a personal milestone. As a first generation student, Oskar says he never imagined that studying could become a career and take him this far. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me in growing through all those steps and showed me that academia is not just about learning, it is about having a meaningful job and working hard to understand what a better world looks like.”

Oskar also highlights the importance of the Campus Fryslân community. He describes the faculty as one that “truly embodies cutting edge interdisciplinary thinking” in its daily work, among students, professional staff and academics alike.

Together, the appointments of Berfu and Oskar highlight the breadth of research at Campus Fryslân and our commitment to connecting academic expertise with real world societal challenges.

The new professorships were celebrated during the Opening of the Academic Year, in the presence of our academic community and partners from the region.

Congratulations to Berfu and Oskar on their appointments!