The conference will be hosted by the University of Oslo, Department of Informatics in collaboration with OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, and with researchers from SINTEF in an active role.
The University of Oslo celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2010 and is the largest and oldest university in Norway. The Department of Informatics (Ifi) is one of the largest departments of the university, and covers the full range of informatics. The human side of technology development has been one of the five main areas of teaching and research in the department since its establishment in 1977. The original emphasis on participatory design and social aspects of systems development has been widened with HCI during the last decade. The research group Design of Information Systems is in this way a good representative of Nordic HCI. It is the Design group that hosts the conference.
Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) is the third largest higher education institution in Norway with a history going back more than 150 years. The department of Computer Science in the faculty of Technology, Art and Design works closely with the Department of Product Design and Department of Aesthetics. Its focus is on applied computer science. It has a special emphasis on HCI generally and universal design specifically. The research group focusing on universal design has 15 members. This group will also be involved in the organisation.
The conference will also collaborate closely with the applied research company SINTEF. SINTEF is Scandinavia's largest independent research organisation, and is a non-profit research foundation. SINTEF employ 2100 people most of whom are located in Trondheim and Oslo (Norway). SINTEF is multidisciplinary, with international top-level expertise in a wide range of technological and scientific disciplines, medicine and the social sciences. SINTEF´s vision is "technology for a better society", and it is an important aspect of it´s societal role to contribute to the creation of a sustainable future. SINTEF act as an incubator, commercialising technologies through the establishment of new companies.
SINTEF’s HCI group collaborates with the Design group at the University of Oslo on sharing and hosting a UX lab, organised as a Gemini Centre.
The main conference venue
The conference technical sessions will be arranged at OsloMet campus (Pilestredet 35) in the heart of Oslo City, 1 minute walk from Radisson SAS and Scandic Holberg hotels, 7 minutes walk from the National Theatre metro/train station and 5 minutes from the Royal Palace. The venue is also easily accessible by public transport as the tram stops just outside P35 (Holbergs plass, see map below).
The OsloMet buildings are close together and will offer space for plenary sessions, 3-5 parallel sessions, an exhibition area as well as for coffee/tea breaks and lunches. We have not yet decided if the workshops / tutorials / doctoral colloquium will be held at the University of Oslo (Dept of informatics) or at the OsloMet buildings.
The pre-conference venue
The pre-conference will be organized at the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo. The campus is easy to reach by metro and tram, see the description here. The informatics building is a 2 minute walk from the Forskningsparken (Research Park) station and is easy to recognize with its black facade. As the pre-conference program will be held when the buildings are closed we will mainly use the main entrance of the building, which is not facing the metro line / tram. There will be signs and Student Volunteers (SVs) to guide you.
<more images and maps will come>