NHH professors filed a formal complaint against colleagues On 16 February, Khrono reported that two professors at the Norwegian School of Business lodged a varsling against two other faculty members, accusing them of academic misconduct [1][2].
Dispute originated from a wealth‑tax debate in Dagens Næringsliv The conflict grew out of a public discussion on wealth tax that appeared in Dagens Næringsliv, a topic many felt dominated the election campaign and sparked heated exchanges among the scholars [3].
Accusations focus on alleged modelling errors and norm breaches The complainants claim the respondents confused theoretical models with reality, mis‑applied their own calculations and produced absurd results, thereby violating what they describe as “normal scientific norms” [1].
Turning scholarly disagreement into a legal complaint signals a cultural red flag The author argues that escalating academic dissent to a formal varsling reflects a crisis in academic culture, where open debate is being replaced by legal intimidation [1].
Peer‑review anonymity and closed critique circles hinder genuine criticism The piece highlights that anonymous peer review often creates a small, mutually dependent network that can suppress transparent criticism and reinforce entrenched positions [1].
Leadership urged to uphold core scientific values of status‑free discourse Citing the “house of knowledge” principle that the final word is never final and speaker status is irrelevant, the author calls on university management to mediate and reinforce these norms [1][5].