Birger Solheim

Birger Solheim is an Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen. He leads the research project "Voices of Nature" and is recognized as an Outstanding Educator. His work bridges ecocriticism and German literature, focusing on how literary narratives address climate change, pollution, and biodiversity.

• Teaches German literature, culture, and history
• Coordinates the course KLIMA200 "Klimaforteljingar" (Climate Narratives)
• Active in the research groups: The Borders of Europe, TeLEd, and LINGCLIM

Research Themes

Solheim's research explores the intersection of:

• Ecocriticism (e.g., fantasy literature's geological time perspectives)
• Academic Writing Pedagogy (dialogic supervision tools, digital education post-COVID)
• German Modernist Analysis (Thomas Mann, Döblin's social critiques)
• Cultural History of Travel (extreme hiking as intellectual practice)

Scientific Recognition

• Awarded Outstanding Educator status
• Cited in Lexington Books and Peter Lang publications
• Co-organized academic outreach through films, podcasts, and radio interviews

Advising and Collaborations

Solheim co-developed the Bergen Writing Center (2013-2015) and contributed to academic writing reforms via the National Qualifications Framework. He collaborates with researchers like Pål Steiner and Randi Benedikte Brodersen on pedagogical innovations.