Welcome Session
The day opened with coffee and informal conversations before Arne B. Huseby, Project Leader of DSTrain and Head of dScience, formally welcomed the participants. Huseby introduced the ambition behind DSTrain: to train data-skilled researchers capable of leading interdisciplinary, data-driven innovation across Europe.
This was followed by a session on “Data Science and Research – The Supervisors of DSTrain”, featuring short introductions from several of the programme’s supervisors:
- Osman Gani, Dept. of Pharmacy
- Hans Arnold Winther, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics
- Yves Scherrer, Dept. of Informatics
- Sanne Boessenkool, CEES
- Luiza Angheluta-Bauer, Dept. of Physics
- Unni Olsbye, Dept. of Chemistry
A brief Q&A rounded off the session, giving fellows the opportunity to engage directly with their future mentors.
Project Pitches
One of the highlights of the morning was the project pitch session, where each DSTrain fellow presented their project in just five minutes. This rapid-fire format offered a compact but vivid overview of the scientific scope of the cohort.
For many fellows, this was their first opportunity to share their research with the entire group, setting the foundation for future collaboration.
Diversity, Communication and Career Development
After lunch, the programme moved to the Diversity Icebreaker session led by Ilan Villanger (Studies Section and ForVei). The interactive workshop helped the group get to know each other better, laying a good foundation for cooperation across disciplines.
The afternoon continued with a series of career-focused presentations under the theme “Getting the Most Out of Your Postdoctoral Career”, covering:
- Career development and support – Elisabeth H. Seland, Department of Mathematics
- Experience and lessons learned from an MSCA programme – Anders Malthe-S?rensen, Project Leader of CompSci
- Research communication – Hilde Lynnebakken, Adviser, Department of Physics
This session equipped the fellows with practical insights into navigating the postdoctoral landscape, securing funding, and communicating their research effectively.
Secondments and Postdoc Perspectives
After a break the programme shifted back for a session on cross-sectoral secondments.
Christian Agrell, Programme Director for Digital Assurance at DNV, presented opportunities for industry placements, highlighting how DSTrain bridges academia and the private sector.
This was followed by “What’s It Like to Be a DSTrain Postdoc?” — a panel where current DSTrain fellows shared their experiences:
- Valeriia Liakh, Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics
- Azusa Inoue, Nuclear and Energy Physics
- Aziz Boukra, Digital Signal Processing and Image Analysis
Their reflections offered an honest look at the challenges and rewards of being part of DSTrain, from interdisciplinary work to settling in Oslo.
Data Science Support and Closing Remarks
The final thematic session of the day focused on the technical backbone of the programme.
Arash Ahmadi, Head of the dScience Data Science Analytics Group (dSAG), outlined the data-science training and support available to the fellows—including specialised courses, hands-on analytics support, and collaborative offerings across the university.
To conclude the seminar, Arne B. Huseby returned to wrap up the day with closing reflections, thanking the participants and encouraging the cohort to take full advantage of the programme’s interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral opportunities.
About DSTrain?
DSTrain is a five-year postdoctoral programme that will award 36 three-year fellowships in two calls. The programme aims to develop researchers with strong disciplinary foundations, advanced data-science skills, and the ability to work across fields and sectors. Through world-class supervision, cross-sectoral secondments, and a strong interdisciplinary research environment, DSTrain prepares its fellows to become leaders in Europe’s digital transformation.
With the second cohort now formally welcomed, DSTrain enters its next phase—supporting innovative, data-driven research across the University of Oslo and beyond.