Understanding climate
for the benefit of society

Photo: Gudrun Urd Sylte. From the left: Kikki Kleiven, Eystein Jansen, Christoph Heinze, Marion Gehlen, Tor Eldevik.

Heinzeit: Celebrating Christoph Heinze's 30-Year Journey in Biogeochemical Ocean Modeling

On the 16th and 17th of November many gathered at the Vilvite Center in Bergen to celebrate and honor an important figure in the scientific community. There was no shortage of praise and loving anecdotes from the speakers, all of whom were keen to share their admiration and gratitude to Professor Heinze.

Among the speakers were Are Olsen (UiB, BCCR), Kikki Kleiven (BCCR), Eystein Jansen (UiB, BCCR), Tore Furevik (UiB, NERSC), Helmuth Thomas (University of Oldenburg and the Helmholtz Centre Hereon) and Anne Moreé (University of Bern). Speakers from NORCE and BCCR were: Jörg Schwinger, Jerry Tjiputra and Nadine Goris. Speakers from UiB and BCCR were: Friederike Fröb , Paul Dees, Tomas Torsvik, Jöran Maerz,.

The Good Citizen

As commented by the director of the Bjerknes Center, Kikki Kleiven, Christoph is not only a wonderful scientist, but a valuable mentor to his students and perhaps even more important a good citizen. Being a good citizen goes beyond just paying taxes and abiding by laws, it means trustworthiness, courtesy, responsibilities, a respect for others and being informed on the issues of the day.

A true renaissance man, Dr. Heinze is someone who embraces all knowledge and aim to develop himself as fully as possible. He is knowledgeable, educated and proficient in a wide range of fields, but his greatest love, second only to science, is music.

Called To Professorship

Not someone who is afraid to take on a challenge, nor someone who shies away from asking the big questions, Christoph has been a driving force in climate modelling, and he is to a large extent who we can thank for creating climate modelling in Norway. Even from his early career he was a force for creating rigorous scientific routines and forging ahead new paths in biochemistry. It is no wonder then that Dr. Heinze is one of the rare few who have the honor to achieve professorship because they were called to it by the University board.

Decades of Expertise

With a remarkable three decades of experience in biogeochemical ocean modeling, Dr. Christoph Heinze stands as a seasoned expert in the field. Having earned his PhD from the prestigious Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology and the University of Hamburg, Heinze has been at the forefront of unraveling the intricate relationships between climate and biogeochemical cycles. His leadership roles in coordinating European projects, including CARBOOCEAN and CARBOCHANGE, demonstrate his commitment to advancing our understanding of climate dynamics.

Gruppebilde av forskere fra CARBOCHANGE fra 2019.

Contributions to Climate Science

Dr. Heinze's extensive research portfolio delves into critical areas such as feedback mechanisms between climate and biogeochemical cycles, the simulation of marine sedimentary paleo-climate archives, and the quantification of global carbon and silicon cycles.

In the course of his illustrious career, Professor Christoph Heinze has played a pivotal role in securing a substantial amount of EU funding for the University of Bergen (UiB). His three major projects have collectively received approximately 70 million Norwegian kroner in funding, underscoring his adeptness in navigating the competitive landscape of external financing.

Notably, Dr. Heinze has significantly contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a lead author for the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) and as a review editor for the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5).

Retiring a Legacy

As a professor, mentor, scientist, colleague and to many also a dear friend, Dr. Heinze continues to inspire and shape the future of oceanography and climate science. His retirement from UiB and BCCR will leave a vacancy that cannot easily be replaced. We wish him all the best on his future endeavors.