Henrik Steffens Lecture

Henrik Steffens was born in Stavanger in 1773 and became one of the most famous scientists of his time. He ended his career as Rector at the University of Berlin, where he died in 1845.

The objective of the Henrik Steffens lecture is threefold:

• To recognise and celebrate the academic, artistic and/or societal achievements of one individual, who through her or his work has made a lasting contribution to international academia, cultural and/or public life.
• To promote the free and constructive exchange of knowledge and ideas, by inviting this individual to share his or her unique insights and points of view, to the benefit of the academic community at the University of Stavanger and beyond.
• To be an expression of the ethos of the University of Stavanger, to “challenge the known and explore the unknown”, and to be a reflection of the breadth, depth and quality of the academic research and education conducted at the University.

The inaugural Henrik Steffens Lecture was held in 2023 by the British professor and archaeologist David Wengrow.
In 2024 the American professor of philosophy Alice Crary was chosen as Steffens Lecturer.

Both staff, students and the general public may nominate speakers.

Henrik Steffens Lecture 2024: Alice Crary on animal justice

In November the American professor and author Alice Crary delivered the 2024 Steffens Lecture titled All Justice is Animal Justice. Here she argued that meaningful efforts to combat the globe’s most grievous injustices to humans cannot be disentangled from efforts to combat terrible wrongs to animals.

A recording of the lecture is available at the free streaming platform Viten-TV.