In April 2026, NIVA’s board came together in Copenhagen to discuss the course programme 2027 and other key activities supporting NIVA’s mission.

The meeting brought together board members Sigrún Gunnarsdóttir, Professor at the University of Iceland, Anne Helene Garde, Professor at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), Denmark, Owe Österbacka, Senior Expert in Occupational Health at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), Margrethe Schøning, Department Director of Corporate Governance at the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI), and Anna Mannikoff, Head of Department at the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

NIVA’s Board is appointed by the Nordic governments and reports to the Nordic Council of Ministers. It consists of five members, one from each Nordic country.

Also attending the meeting were Andreas Bojsen, Senior Adviser at the Nordic Council of Ministers, along with NIVA’s Director Henrik Bäckström and Project Manager Nora Tobiasson.

2027 course proposals

Earlier this year, NIVA received a strong set of course proposals for 2027, which were discussed during the board meeting. The majority of proposals were approved, and course leaders will be contacted by NIVA’s Director in the coming weeks. The full course programme for 2027 will be published in early autumn 2026.

– We can already reveal that themes such as digitalisation and AI in the workplace, algorithmic management, systematic work environment management, and the translation of research into practical, knowledge-based tools will be central to the 2027 programme, says NIVA’s Director Henrik Bäckström.

Long-standing board member Margrethe Schøning highlights a broader shift within occupational health and safety:

– Societal impact has become increasingly central in occupational health research and, consequently, in NIVA’s course portfolio. Questions around how research results are used, by whom, and in what ways are becoming more prominent. Research has limited value if it does not benefit working life, and the emphasis on real-world application continues to grow across the field.

NIVA’s team now looks forward to initiating the planning and implementation of next year’s courses, with the ambition of delivering a diverse and relevant programme for 2027.