Ola M. Johannessen was elected Working Chairman of the Board from 1/1-2010 for the next two years after Bjart Nygaard who will continue in the Board. Dr. Anton Kjelaas will also continue in the Board as Vice Chairman. Stein Sandven is also Director of the Polar research group at the Nansen Center and is Professor II at UNIS on Svalbard. Johnny A. Johannesssen is the Director of Mohn-Sverdrup Center at the Nansen Center and is also Professor II at the Geophysical institute, University of Bergen.

Today The Nansen Center has four research groups; The Mohn-Sverdrup Centre, The Polar group, G.G. Rieber Climate institute lead by Dr. Igor Esau and the Nansen-Bjerknes Center group lead by Dr. Yongqi Gao who is also Professor and Vice Director at the Nansen-Zhu Centre in Beijing. The Nansen Center today has a staff of 62 from 12 nations, of which 11 are part time employed and 11 are PhD students.

Professor Ola M. Johannessen will continue as Director of the Nansen Group which today consists of the Nansen Centers in Bergen, St. Petersburg in Russia, Cochin in India, Beijing in China, a Nansen Center which is being planned in Cape Town in South Africa and Nansen Scientific Society in Bergen. The Nansen Group today has a staff of 170 of which 55 are PhD students.

The Nansen Group is doing research on climate problems with focus on high and lower latitudes and "teleconnection" between these, operational oceanography and development of satellite measurements for usage in monitoring of environment and climate.

Further information:
Director Stein Sandven, mobile 99368440
Vise Director Johnny A. Johannessen, mobile 93249414
Chairman of the Board Ola M. Johannessen, mobile 90135336