AU will meet its obligations to students at Aalborg Hospital

The government's decision to establish a fourth medical programme with 50 study places at Aalborg University will not affect the Aarhus University students presently doing clinical training at Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital. Without question, Aarhus University will honour its obligations to these students and respect all other existing agreements.

Aarhus University continues to argue in favour of the existing collaboration between Aarhus University and Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital: in the university’s view, the present arrangement not only ensures a higher medical standard, it represents the most rational financial and educational solution for the country as a whole.

Aarhus University is still awaiting the government's final proposal, which will be followed by negotiations with the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation and the Minister for the Interior and Health, the Central Denmark Region, the North Denmark Region and Aalborg University.

Read Rector Holm-Nielsen's press statement (in Danish only)

Valuable contributions to the academic development process

By the 6 May deadline for comments on the academic development process, the Rector's Office had received about fifty submissions. Contributions include the memorandums from the nine working groups, notes from academic strategy meetings, the consultancy report by Sachi Hatakenaka and Quentin Thompson, as well as written comments from a wide range of staff members and students.

The Rector's Office wishes to thank all contributors for their genuine engagement and good ideas. All submissions will be considered on an equal footing in preparation for the seminar at Sandbjerg Gods on 25-26 May. Invitations to the Sandbjerg seminar will be received shortly.

NERI enters new contract with the Ministry of the Environment

NERI has concluded a new four-year contract with the Ministry of the Environment (2010-2013). The new contract reduces the ministry's engagement with NERI; for example, NERI will not prepare the next report on the state of the Danish environment (Miljøtilstandsrapporten), which was scheduled for 2013. The annual value of the contract is estimated at DKK 150 million, an annual reduction of approximately DKK 10 million as compared to the previous contract.

The Ministry of the Environment has not announced who the state of the environment report project will go to. NERI hopes to be allowed to bid on the project at a later date.

Read the contract here (in Danish only)

International university conferences

Aarhus University is set to host the tenth anniversary conference of the European University Association (EUA) next year. The conference, which will take place in April 2011, will bring university officials from all of Europe to Aarhus. The theme of the conference is the development and retention of talented researchers.

The European University Association (EUA) is the main voice of the higher education community in Europe. EUA membership is open to individual universities and national rectors’ conferences, as well as associations and networks of higher education institutions. As EUA strongly believes that higher education institutions have a central role to play in the development of the European Higher Education and Research areas, active support and guidance to its members is a key objective of the Association.

A separate conference, the Global Meeting on Doctoral Education, will be held immediately before the EUA conference. This global annual conference promotes cooperation and exchange of good practice on issues of common concern related to the organisation and quality of doctoral education in universities around the world. Next year EUA's Council for Doctoral Education and Aarhus University will collaborate to host the conference in Århus.

Read more about EUA and the Council for Doctoral Education (http://www.eua.be/eua-membership-and-services/)

Exchange of experiences with the University of Gothenburg

The University of Gothenburg's senior officials met with the Aarhus University management on 3 and 4 May.

The University of Gothenburg resembles Aarhus University in its size and structure. Gothenburg has also has also several mergers in recent years and, like Aarhus University, is initiating a process aimed at improving interdepartmental and interdisciplinary cooperation.

The meeting was a forum for the discussion of common challenges and issues.

The University of Gothenburg's Pro-Vice-Chancellor Margareta Wallin Peterson, who will join the Aarhus University Board this summer, participated in the meeting.

New job for Vice-Deputy Eva Teilmann

Ms Eva Teilmann, the vice-deputy for AU Studies Administration, has decided to resign her position at Aarhus University. Vice-Deputy Teilmann has accepted a position at KOT (Den Koordinerede Tilmelding) in Copenhagen. KOT coordinates admissions to all programmes of higher education in Denmark.

AU Studies Administration Head of Staff Annette Lund has been named acting vice-deputy. A call for applications to the position of vice-deputy for AU Studies Administration will be issued in the fall of 2010.

1.5 million viewers watched Danskernes Akademi

The first 'term' of the TV programme Danskernes Akademi on DR2 ended on Monday 3 May. The programme has proven to be an effective and popular channel for communicating research results to the general public. 1.5 million viewers watched Danskernes Akademi in the programme's first three months. Audience measurements show that the largest number of viewers for a single show was 80,000. Danskernes Akademi presents lectures and presentations from Danish research institutions. Aarhus University is working on new programme items for the 'fall term'.

If you are interested in contributing, please contact Hans Plauborg (AU Communication), tel. 8942 2334.

Calendar

• 10 May: University management meeting
• 12 May: University management meeting
• 25-26 May: Two-day seminar on the academic development process for senior management team and department heads at Sandbjerg Gods
• 28 May: Rigmor og Carl Holst-Knudsens Videnskabspris award ceremony; PhD awards
• 31 May, 1 and 2 June: May meetings with main academic areas (including Academy Councils)
• 7 June: University Board meeting
• 7 June: University management meeting
• 10 June: Main Liaison Committee meeting
• 17 June: University Board meeting
• 17 June: The Vice-Chancellor's summer speech
• 30 June: University management meeting

Kind regards

The Rector's Office

6 May 2010

The Rector’s Office publishes a newsletter every week. This newsletter includes a brief description of current activities and discussions. You can sign up for the Danish version of the newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever the newsletter is issued.