The objective of the Fellowship is to further the development of a professional class of public leaders who will contribute to efficient and effective government and help leverage the public stewardship of national wealth in Norway.
The two Kistefos Fellows for the 2008-09 academic year are Dag Hovdhaugen, Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) 2009; and Bjørn Olav Megard, Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) 2009.
Hovdhaugen is project manager for international acquisitions for the Agency for Negotiations and Strategies, City of Oslo. He previously served in several other city positions, including senior executive officer/assistant head of section for the Agency for Real Estate and Urban Renewal. He attended the University of Oslo where he earned a bachelor’s degree in art history, and he earned his master’s degree in management at the Norwegian School of Management.
“I am very happy to receive the Kistefos Public Service Fellowship, and a year at Harvard is for me a great opportunity,” said Hovdhaugen. “It will be both a learning experience and an important step in my career. I am confident that it will help me achieve my goals and strengthen my commitment to public service.”
Megard is deputy director general at the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion where he serves as deputy head of the Department of Sami and Minority Affairs. He has also served as political advisor to the Christian Democrats’ Parliamentary Group and advisor at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. He earned his bachelor’s degree in science and his master’s degree in social anthropology at the University of Oslo.
“I am truly grateful for the generous Kistefos Public Service Fellowship program which will allow me to follow through with my dream of attending Harvard Kennedy School,” said Megard. “During my year at Harvard I expect to focus on subjects such as the implementation of human rights, indigenous nation building and the impacts of global warming, all of which will be highly relevant to of my work at home. I hope this training will make me a better public servant, both in my current leadership position in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion and within the central public administration of Norway in general.”
“Dag and Bjørn Olav very much embody the spirit of the Kistefos Fellowship program, and I am confident they will continue their service as outstanding and dedicated public servants following their graduation from Harvard Kennedy School,” said Christen Sveaas, chairman of Kistefos AS.
The Kistefos Public Service Fellowship Fund can support student tuition, fees and a stipend for living expenses. Candidates who accept the Fellowship are required to sign a commitment letter obligating them to serve their home country in a public service capacity for at least three years following their graduation.
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Harvard Kennedy School maintains an abiding commitment to advancing the public interest by training skilled, enlightened leaders and solving public problems through world-class scholarship and active engagement with practitioners and decision makers. The school offers the depth, reflection, insight, and excellence of ideas and teaching that can shape future leaders, affect public policies, and make an impact on people and their daily lives.
Contact: Doug Gavel (617) 495-1115, Harvard Kennedy School Communications
