- This is the first masters program at the Bergen campus, says Associate Professor at BI, Erik Wilberg
- We target people who want to play a role in shaping our future.
Wilberg himself has several decades of commercial experience from media, and the first thing he did when tasked with this new program, was to reach out to the industry players and ask about their needs.
Change at the speed of light
- Technology companies like Vizrt and Vimond are best in show when it comes to developing new technology, he says.
- And then you have the legacy publishers like Bergens Tidende, which produces high quality content. But the need for continuous development of business models is something they all have in common.
- We are in the midst of transformation right now. Anything can happen, and it is happening at the speed of light. New platforms can appear overnight and shake up established structures. Just look at Vipps. They went from zero to over a million users in just a few weeks. But the theoretical framework of business still applies.
The Master of Leadership will be the first masters program offered at the BI Bergen campus. 
(Photo: BI)
The BI Bergen faculty will develop the Master of Leadership in collaboration with several industry clusters in the Bergen Region, including media, maritime and finance. Core subjects will focus on business fundamentals, and students can then pick a specialization that fits the industry they want to work in.
The media electives are currently being developed together with companies here in Bergen. They will be finalized in the first months of 2019.
Anne Jacobsen, CEO of the Norwegian Media Cluster, is looking forward to collaborate with BI.
- The entire media industry needs new ideas for business models and strategy. There is also an urgent demand for skills and expertise in digitalizing value chains and platforms as the evolution continues to accelerate. Bergen's collective educational opportunities related to our industry will be strengthened through this program, and we look forward to the continued collaboration with BI, she says.
The first batch of students of BI Bergen's new masters program will start in fall 2019.
Article by Hilde Gudvangen