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MSCA programmes encourage intersectoral experience, and many of our fellows have explored this option during their postdocs. Fellows are encouraged to reach out to companies they are interested in, as SEAS does not have an organised internship programme.    

We spoke with three SEAS postdocs who have participated in an internship during their time in the SEAS programme. 

Geophysicist Paul Dees enjoyed a 2-month internship at Norce.  

“It was interesting to have a longer period working outside academia in Norway. I had discussed and planned to complete a specific task using my time at Norce during the two months before my start there. Around a week before starting, my Norce supervisor Knut Vollset asked if I wanted to change projects to one more relevant to sustainable exploitation of Norwegian salmon. It was interesting to see how work projects can be started or abandoned so quickly outside of academia.“ 

“The new project was very interesting - I was given a lot of data about wild salmon populations along the western coast of Norway, and my job was to write a model which could predict years that the numbers of returning salmon would likely be lower than ideal. During this project I was able to develop and improve my ideas by discussing with Knut and a larger team across several other organisations in Norway. I really appreciated being able to focus my time on this project and to compare work approaches outside of university,“ Paul says. 

Paul also spent a at the Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a learning area for sustainable development just north of Bergen.  

 “In [my externship] with Biosphere in Knarvik, most of my work involved reading scientific papers and producing notes which were more accessible to a general audience. I needed to spend a lot of time reading to be able to produce notes that made sense, which I enjoyed. Some of the papers I read were tangential to my work on regime shifts - getting time to study topics indirectly related to my work was also nice."  

Marine ecologist Juan Manuel Valero Rodríguez’ project during his SEAS postdoctoral fellowship, involved studying the effect of climate change on coastal ecosystem, more specifically algae.  

“The internships taken as part of the SEAS programme were valuable in many senses. I was lucky enough to be introduced to three different ways of working in ILab, NORCE and NIVA. My ILab experience allowed me to get in contact with professionals from a necessary industry. Externalities from the aquaculture sector such as testing certain feeds, the progression of illnessess and the increase of fish resilience are valuable and fundamental to reduce vulnerabilities of the species farmed. Professionals at NORCE taught me about the mortality of salmon going downstream during field trips, eDNA techniques and consequences of newly implemented policies in this field," Juan Manuel Valero Rodríguez summarizes. 

“Lastly, my activities at NIVA opened the door for testing consecutive heatwaves effects on macroalgae species. All of these relate to my background studying human impacts on coastal ecosystems. I couldn’t be happier of making so many contacts with such dedicated professionals. Totally recommended to those who want to expand their toolset.” 

Even if SEAS internships typically take place within the Bergen region, there are exceptions. Aiste Klimasauskaite had the opportunity to work in an Advisory Committee for the International Seabed Authority meeting in Jamaica in the summer of 2025.  

“Academia is a place of tedious, dedicated work, and often things happen here because of stubborn perseverance. But there are also moments when doors open unexpectedly. This happened with my internship, when Philomène Verlaan offered me a spot on their ACOPS (Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea) team at the International Seabed Authority meeting. We met with Philomène at a conference a year ago. She has charisma and stories from her ocean career that span decades,” Aiste Klimasauskaite describes the connection that brought about her internship.  

She continues:  

“My own career is just beginning, and my interest is mainly in policymaking. So, Philomène's offer to see policymaking in practice was very exciting to me. I also acknowledge that access to such spaces, such as intergovernmental meetings, is a privilege. This would not have happened without SEAS funding and support. As I am ending my SEAS postdoc, I realize how lucky and privileged I was throughout my time at the University of Bergen!”