Ketil Hanssen is dead: – His efforts for higher education in our region have left lasting traces

Ketil was originally from Harstad, but became a ruining leadership figure at Alta University College, including as headmaster of 2007 and 2011. He was before the dean and pro -rector at the school and was central to the change processes that ended with a merger between Finnmark University College and the University of Tromsø (UiT).

(Read the full memory word at the bottom of the case)

He devoted most of his life to Finnmark. Not only in Alta, but also through work in the fishing industry, both on Sørøya and Magerøya.

– We who worked with Ketil found that this background always characterized his look at Finnmark and the region. With a major in business economics, experience from teaching further education and a burning commitment to higher education, he was known both for a teaching that really met students with backgrounds from companies in Finnmark, and as a driving force for development and growth at Finnmark University College, writes Rector Dag Rune Olsen at UiT, Vice President Bente Haug and former Rector Sveinung Eikeland.

As principal from 2007 to 2011, and in his previous roles such as dean and pro -rector, Ketil showed that he was a visionary leader who always had the institution’s, staff and students’ best in mind. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the academic level, expand the master’s offerings and make higher education more accessible through decentralized studies in Finnmark. During his leadership, Finnmark University College experienced a significant increase in the number of students, which testifies to his ability to inspire and create results.

Here you can read the entire memory word

It is with grief UiT Norway’s Arctic University has received the message that Ketil Hanssen, former headmaster, dean and pro -rector at Finnmark University College, fell asleep peacefully, May 26, 2025.

Ketil, originally from Harstad, devoted most of his life to Finnmark, where he left deep tracks as a leader, colleague and fellow human being. He worked in his first years in Finnmark in the fishing industry on Sørøya and Magerøya. We who worked with Ketil found that this background always characterized his gaze on Finnmark and the region. With a major in business economics, experience from teaching further education and a burning commitment to higher education, he was both known for a teaching that really met students with backgrounds from companies in Finnmark and as a driving force for development and growth at Finnmark University College.

As principal from 2007 to 2011, and in his previous roles such as dean and pro -rector, Ketil showed that he was a visionary leader who always had the institution’s, staff and students’ best in mind. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the academic level, expand the master’s offerings and make higher education more accessible through decentralized studies in Finnmark. During his leadership, Finnmark University College experienced a significant increase in the number of students, which testifies to his ability to inspire and create results.

Ketil also played a key role in collaboration and in change processes in higher education in Northern Norway. During his principal period, he led the Council for Higher Education in Northern Norway and he played a crucial role in the processes that led to the merger with the University of Tromsø in 2013, a milestone that has shaped higher education in the north. He was a clear and safe voice, both internally and externally, and met the media with a rare combination of knowledge, conviction and integrity. As journalist Astrid Krogh in Altaposten once noted: « He answered, not to the best of his ability, but with strong conviction. »

For those who had the pleasure of working with Ketil, we will remember him as a warm, caring, dedicated and inclusive leader and colleague. His efforts for higher education in our region have left lasting traces, and his work will continue to inspire us in the years to come.

We shine peace on Ketil Hanssen’s memory and send our hottest thoughts to his family and closest.

Dag Rune Olsen, Principal, UiT Norway’s Arctic University

Bente Haug, Vice -Rector, UiT Norway’s Arctic University

Sveinung Eikeland, former headmaster of Finnmark University College and Vice President at UiT Norway’s Arctic University