Bård Vegar Solhjell

Bård Vegar Solhjell bardvegar

Bård Vegar Solhjell is director general of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, or Norad. He is deputy chair of the Fritt Ord (Free Word) Foundation, and a board member of Norway’s second-biggest renewable energy company, Hafslund. He was a member of the Norwegian Parliament from 2009 to 2017, minister of education from 2007 to 2009, minister of the environment from 2012 to 2013 and a state secretary for prime minister Jens Stoltenberg from 2005 to 2007.

Latest Articles

Opinion: Prioritize evidence in aid spending — time for ‘Fakta har makta’

Opinion: Prioritize evidence in aid spending — time for ‘Fakta har makta’

about 1 year ago // Development Finance

It is time to apply this Norwegian saying: “Facts have power” — so let them speak for aid effectiveness and drive global development efforts.

Opinion: The time is now for digital public goods

Opinion: The time is now for digital public goods

over 4 years ago // data and development

With open-source software, a small team can make something, and the rest of the world can use it. The pandemic has shown the relevance of digital public goods — but more funding for these systems is necessary.