Welcome to the Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation 17-21 August 2026! Here you will find all the practical information you need to attend the conference.

Facts about Bergen:

Bergen is located on the west coast of Norway and is known as the “City of the Seven Mountains”. As of the first quarter of 2026, Bergen had a population of 295,426, making it Norway’s second-largest city after the capital, Oslo

What to do during your spare time: take the Fløibanen funicular or walk up Mount Fløyen and visit the old docks at Bryggen (World Heritage Site). For other activities in and around Bergen, check www.visitbergen.no

Please keep in mind that even in summer, the weather in Bergen is unpredictable and can be quite rough with a lot of rain. We highly recommend that you bring an umbrella, a raincoat, and waterproof shoes or boots. And if you have a pair of waterproof pants, bring them along!

How to get from the airport to the city centre:

From the airport, you have different options to get to the city centre:

We strongly recommend you take the light rail, as this is by far the easiest and cheapest option. Having exited the airport’s main hall, you will find escalators and elevators leading to an underground station of the Bergen light rail. Before boarding, you will need to purchase a ticket. You can either download the Skyss Ticket app in advance to purchase your ticket or buy it at one of the vending machines outside of the main entrance of the airport. Both options accept credit card payment. Once you have purchased your ticket, you can board one of the trains at the underground station heading to “Bergen Sentrum”. Timetables can be found here (in Norwegian only). The stop closest to your hotel is “Nonneseter”, which is the penultimate station. The trip will take approximately 45 minutes.

At the airport, you will also find the Airport Bus waiting for you outside the arrival area. More information about the Airport Bus can be found here. The stop closest to your hotel would be “Bergen Busstasjon”. This journey takes about 30 minutes.

As taxi prices are very high in Bergen, we do not recommend taking a taxi to the city centre. However, should you need one due to medical reasons or because you will arrive in Bergen very late, please get in touch with Lara Côrtes (lara.b.cortes@uib.no) in advance.

We will provide you with information on reimbursement of travel expenses immediately after the conference.

How to get to Scandic Byparken

Address: Christies gate 7, 5015 Bergen.

To get to Scandic Byparken from the airport, we recommend taking the light rail to “Byparken”, the final stop on the line. From the stop, walk south along Christies gate, keeping Byparken on your right-hand side. Continue past Festplassen and towards the southern end of the park. Scandic Byparken is located on the left-hand side of Christies gate, approximately a four-minute walk.

Please be aware that hotel rooms in Norway, particularly in the city centres, are much smaller than in countries such as the US and Canada.

How to get to Kulturhuset (Monday 17 August, Tuesday 18 August and Wednesday 19 August):

From Monday 17 August to Wednesday 19 August, the conference venue will be Kulturhuset (Vaskerelven 8).

How to get to Bergen Global (Thursday 21 August and Friday 22 August):

On Thursday, 21 August and Friday 22 August, the conference venue will be Bergen Global (Jekteviksbakken 31).

Bergen Global is located in the same building as the offices of LawTransform and CMI. It is on the same floor as the building’s main entrance.

Code of conduct:

All conference participants need to adhere to Chr. Michelsen Institute’s (CMI) code of conduct, which you received by email (please make sure you read both documents attentively). If you experience any breach of the code of conduct while in Bergen, Lara Côrtes is the person you should contact, and CMI will process any possible cases

Health issues:

If you require urgent medical assistance, call the out-of-hours medical service: 116 117. In case of danger to life and health, call 113.

If you are at the hotel and are experiencing health issues, please contact the reception, and they will be able to assist you. Please note that there are no telephones in the hotel rooms. Please have a printed copy of your insurance policy with you.

Contacts:

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Lara Côrtes (we kindly ask that you use WhatsApp only for urgent matters).

Lara Côrtes: lara.b.cortes@uib.no; +47 466 46 946

Do you share our interest in how law shapes societies, and the use of rights and courts as tools for social change?

The interns and volunteers bring LawTransform alive by planning and organizing activities throughout the year, particularly during the Bergen Exchanges in August. Our “Coalition of the willing” consists of dedicated students, PhD scholars, and researchers. Interns hold co-responsibility for information and activities linked to projects; develop and update web pages, do profiling, PR, and research assistance in addition to organizing events.  Our team of volunteers assists with the day-to-day organisation of the centre and events.

If you are interested in being an intern or a volunteer at LawTransform, contact our Coordinator Lara Côrtes (lara.b.cortes@uib.no).

Date/Time: 23th of November 2023 (Thursday) 14:00-15:00

Place: Bergen Global, Jekteviksbakken 31

Melanie Hack will talk about LaW-BALANCE, a new research project led by her. “Life and Work in Balance: Legal Responses to a Working Life in Transition and in Times of Crisis” will examine how the law can address the challenges and opportunities posed by societal changes such as demographic change, digitalization, migration and globalization. The project will also analyze how the law can promote an inclusive working life and a well-functioning welfare state.

Her presentation will be followed by a conversation with Katharina Sass moderated by Jørgen Pettersen.

Attendance:

• Free and open to all.
• The RDV WEBINAR SERIES is a collaboration between the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism (DIPA) at the University of Bergen and the CMI-UiB Centre on Law & Social Transformation (LawTransform). The RDV seminar series is an interdisciplinary seminar where we invite national and international researchers to talk about their pioneering research on topics regarding law, democracy, and welfare.
• Join us at Jekteviksbakken 31.
• Refreshments will be served at the event.

About the speakers:

Melanie Hack is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen

Katharina Sass is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Bergen

Jørgen Pettersen is a guest researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen

LawTransform Effects of Rights & Law project builds virtual teaching material consisting of prequalified, relevant lectures that students and scholars can use and match. We aim to strenghten the use of new and innovative digital learning and teaching methods.

Here you will find useful teaching materials produced during previous Bergen Exchanges, organized by topics:

• Indigenous rights
• Methods
• Natural Resources

LawTransform Effects of Rights & Law project builds virtual teaching material consisting of prequalified, relevant lectures that students and scholars can use and match. We aim to strenghten the use of new and innovative digital learning and teaching methods.

Here you will find useful teaching materials produced during previous Bergen Exchanges, organized by topics:

• Indigenous rights
• Methods
• Natural Resources