Meet Music Professor Jens Knigge

The German Jens Knigge ended up at Nord University due to a series of coincidences. The short version is that when he and his Norwegian wife had settled in Germany, she shortly after received an offer for her dream job: at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

So the whole family moved north to Trøndelag: husband, wife, and three children.

During a concert at Nidaros Cathedral, Knigge happened to meet someone in the audience who turned out to be the head of a faculty group at Nord University. It was mentioned that the newly merged Nord University needed a researcher with professorial competence and international experience.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Knigge applied for the position and got the job.

"My journey at Nord has been great from day one. I have a PhD in music education, so being able to work in a music teacher education program suits me perfectly. Only three institutions in Norway offer such an education. Nord is one of them", says Knigge, who has experience as a church musician, choir conductor, and music school teacher.

My journey at Nord has been great from day one.

Jens Knigge

Knigge highlights the working environment as one of the best aspects of Nord University. In the music section on the Levanger campus, there are about 25 employees who have a fantastic time together, both artistically and academically.

"I am lucky and benefit from having many incredibly nice and talented colleagues", he says, although he admits it took a while to crack the Trøndelag dialect code.

Knigge points to something else he finds almost unique at Nord: the proximity to both administration and leadership.

"I am involved in many large and extensive research projects. Having such good and close cooperation with the administration when it comes to both writing applications and implementation is extremely valuable. This is the first time I have experienced that we are all on the same team and have the same goals. And this has only gotten better and better in recent years."

He also highlights the support they receive from the faculty leadership as unique.

"At the other universities I have worked at, there has been a long distance to the leadership and the dean's office. Here, we are much closer, and we feel that good ideas are both applauded and supported."

Knigge likes having many balls in the air simultaneously and that things are developing. In this area as well, he feels daily that Nord University suits him very well.

"At Nord, a lot is happening all the time. We are in continuous development, and you have the opportunity to influence. I like that", he says.

Knigge currently lives in Ranheim, north of Trondheim. Commuting 1 hour and 15 minutes to Levanger is definitely not a disadvantage, he believes.

"No, absolutely not. I love taking the train. I can easily work while I travel, and the view is great. But the coffee could be better", he says, laughing.

"It is also an advantage to have a campus in Stjørdal. I often have meetings there with partners from both home and abroad. It is both practical and nice".

(This interview is translated by Chat GPT and quality assured by the Communications Unit at Nord University.)