The University lecture hall that keeps students alert

The University of Bergen is offering a unique energising light therapy service for students in a recently opened lecture hall at the Department of Psychology. The room is Norway’s – and perhaps one of the world’s – best-lit lecture halls, equipped with a Human Centric Lighting (HCL) system from lighting company, Glamox.  In the mornings, as part of a welfare initiative, students and teachers can visit the hall to enjoy a summer-like experience of daylight, which helps energise them and counters the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

“While the light therapy has the potential to transform students into morning larks, our goal is first and foremost to offer relief to people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” says Ståle Pallesen, Professor at the Department of Psychosocial Science, at the University of Bergen.

“SAD can be a serious condition and affect up to 19 per cent of people living in Norway. So, when open, from 8.00 am to 10.00 am until Christmas, students and teachers can visit our new lecture hall for energising light therapy. Think of it like a rejuvenating light shower,” added Ståle.

At other times, the hall will function as a normal lecture hall and serve as a controlled environment for researchers to determine optimal lighting conditions for students and staff.

Researchers will use the hall to explore how different colour temperatures, along with variations in light intensity and exposure times, stimulate natural hormones linked with alertness, improved performance, and wellbeing.

“The studies, which are completely safe for students and staff, will build on the existing evidence of how light can provide a better learning environment for students,” says Ståle.

Groundbreaking Research

Scientists at the Research Centre for Sleep, Work and Health (FoSAH), at the University of Bergen, are researching sleep, performance (daytime functioning) and work-related health topics. The centre involves several of Norway’s most prominent researchers on sleep, health, and performance.

All living beings have an “inner clock” called the circadian rhythm, and humans are no exception. In short, this means that people are hard-wired to rise with the sun and go to sleep when it sets. By stimulating hormones in the body, such as cortisol and melatonin, the right light at the right time can influence everything from our sleep to how we feel and perform. Glamox has extensive experience in tailoring HCL in cooperation with clients and has supplied lighting for more than 650 HCL projects.

“The unique thing about this lecture hall is that the lighting system can operate across wide ranges of intensity and colour temperature, which allows for various experiments on light and performance. The research will provide valuable insights that are becoming more and more important in designing new healthcare institutions, offices, educational and industrial buildings,” says Anders Bru, Concept Manager for Human Centric Lighting at Glamox.

The installation was undertaken in collaboration with Glamox, a leader in developing, manufacturing, and supplying lighting for non-residential markets. FoSAH and Glamox have collaborated on similar studies for several years, and the company has now sponsored parts of the lighting in the lecture hall.

The lecture hall was officially opened on 30^th September 2025.