Fried Rice
Fried Rice
The table is set for roasted Rice. Whether the room will smell burnt is yet to see.
Journalist: Silje Bie Helgesen
Translator: Sofie Palmstrøm
Photographer: Margreta Brunborg
Illustratør: Oda Braar Wæge
Photo: Margreta Brunborg
Illustration: Oda Braar Wæge
Who is he really?
He was born and raised in the countryside of Minnesota, USA. Rice is educated as a professor in general linguistics. Even if general linguistics does not have a direct connection with NMBU, he doesn’t hide his passion for accommodating good education. Therefore, he has stepped into the role as a university rector for the second time.
He puts forth three main tasks he was given when starting as a rector:
1: Increase the legitimacy as a sustainability university
2: Integrating the new veterinary students
3: Increase NMBU’s visibility
With that in mind, we can turn up the heat on the frying pan, pour some oil and toss in a little Rice.
The sustainability university with a crazy amount of parking spaces
Curt is preoccupied with marketing NMBU as a “sustainability university”. Despite the university’s environmentally friendly nickname, there are massive areas reserved for parking.
There is a crazy amount of parking spaces, the new rector answers.
He says that the solution must be done in a rational way. It will be exciting to see what that rational solution will be.
Free pizza on the career day
It wasn’t a big shock that there were questions about why he arranged free pizza on the career day. He answers that he is sorry that this was hosted on the same day, and that there was miscommunication. He also explains that NMBU is a big place where events can collide.
That’s life, he says.
Next time, he will hand out free pizza in collaboration with the career day.
Why spend 1.625.000 kroner on marketing when we can use internal competence?
It is a completely normal thing to do in public organizations, he says.
He adds that with a budget of 8 billion kroner, this is not really a large amount of money. He wants NMBU to not be something you have to look up in the dictionary, and therefore it is important to work on communication.
In two years, it will be impossible to think about sustainability without also thinking about NMBU!
When asked about the ASMR adverts that are spread on Instagram, he has no interest in defending that, he says.
Why do you not live in Ås?
I want the ocean and mountains.
One might therefore ask why he hasn’t moved to the west coast, which is composed of those two things only.
The students challenged Rice to volunteer at the bar at Samfunnet, and to run 3000m beer in a condom suit. We can’t wait to see you there, Curt!
