Department of Environmental Science
The department is constituted by strong subject-related groups in environmental chemistry, microbiology, atmospheric environment, climate research, emission tasks and specialist environmental social science competences in economics, politology, sociology and geography from the current NERI.
The department’s combined competences can support several interdisciplinary research centres and they account for one of Science and Technology’s strong points as regards both health sciences and social sciences.
The activities are currently located in Roskilde, but the department will not have sufficient development opportunities at this location in the long run. In accordance with the Vision Plan 2010–2028, the aim is therefore to locate the department in the medium term at Campus Emdrup. It is anticipated that moving into ‘dry’ facilities for purposes such as teaching can be undertaken in the short term (one to three years), but the decision to build up ‘wet’ laboratories should take place in accordance with the overall planning of physical locations at Aarhus University.
The department at Campus Emdrup will have good development opportunities and will be able to contribute with the planning of new Bachelor’s, Master’s and part-time Master’s degree programmes in environment-related subjects at the faculty, as well as developing one-off courses.
The department will have significant working partners in Eastern Denmark and, by means of targeted expansion, it will be in a strong position to be able to consolidate these subjects and build up the strongest activity in Denmark in this area. An action plan will be drawn up for such an academic strengthening of the new department.
Public sector consultancy
The department contributes to research-based public sector consultancy in the areas of atmospheric environment, climate change, xenobiotic substances, microbiology, risk analysis, biotechnology, environmental economics, environmental sociology, and monitoring. The department provides consultancy services for the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the European Environment Agency.
Education
The department already contributes with some of the Master’s degree components, as well as the PhD programmes and continuing education programmes. It has been suggested that the department gets the task of initiating the development of new educational activities starting at Campus Emdrup, with a view to recruiting new student groups via new types of degree programmes.
Staffing
Approximately 130–160 members of staff (80–100 academic staff and 50–60 technical and administrative staff).
