Seminar at Sandbjerg

The conference centre at Sandbjerg Manor will be booked to its maximum capacity when 120 staff members, deans, department heads, centre directors, members of working groups, senior administrative staff members, students and others participate in a seminar to discuss the academic development process on 25 and 26 May.

At the seminar, Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen will present his preliminary thoughts on the recommendation which is to be presented to the University Board on 17 June. The seminar, like the meetings in the academic 'families', staff meetings and input from academic councils, boards of study, the Student Council and the nine interfaculty working groups, will shape the contents of the Rectors' Office recommendation to the Board.

Participants will thus work on a proposal for handling this process as well as a schedule. The group discussion will focus on the following themes:

• the principles guiding the analysis of academic issues and the administrative structure
• how to best manage, strengthen and support interdisciplinary and interfaculty functions
• decision-making competences and powers under a new structure
• developmental possibilities for research (including interdisciplinary research), study programmes (including the inner education market) and public sector consultancy.

Student career paths as well as student and staff involvement in decision-making will also be discussed.

Read the Sandbjerg programme and list of participants

Staff contribute valuable input to the academic development process

Staff and students have submitted numerous contributions to the academic development process to the Rector's Office. These contributions have all been included in the preparations for the Sandbjerg seminar, and the majority of them are now available in Danish on the homepage for the academic development process.

• Read contributions to the academic development process (in Danish)

The remaining contributions will be uploaded when permission has been granted by their writers.

Rector meets with AU students

A recent meeting with Rector Holm-Nielsen gave students an opportunity to discuss their input to the academic development process in greater depth. A central issue for the students is how to guarantee their continued influence through departmental boards of study under a new structure with fewer departments. The members of the Rector's Office thanked the students for their constructive input, which will be reviewed on an equal footing with contributions from other members of the AU community. The Rector's Office emphasised that a reduction of student influence is by no means a goal of the academic development process, and that the number of boards of studies to be established for each main academic area has not been decided. It is necessary to determine the optimal number of boards of studies that will allow them to work constructively with both study programmes and the study environment. Boards of studies are to be discussed at the Sandbjerg seminar on 25 and 26 May.

Obituary for University Board member Erik Højsholt

On Wednesday 19 May, Aarhus University received the tragic news of University Board member Erik Højsholt's untimely death. He passed away after a sudden illness.
Erik Højsholt became a member of the University board when the Aarhus School of Business and Aarhus University merged in 2007. He had served as chair of the ASB Board for four years prior to the merger.

Erik Højsholt was educated at ASB, and he played a central role in the development of first ASB and later Aarhus University for many years. His visions and engagement had a great influence on the work of the Board, particularly in connection with the demanding merger negotiations in 2007. Erik Højsholt was a driving force behind the successful merger of Århus' two largest institutions of research and education.

I knew Erik Højsholt long before our paths crossed again in the university context, and I have always valued his professionalism, personal integrity and humanity. On behalf of Aarhus University, I would like to convey our deepest sympathy to Erik Højsholt's wife and children.

Jens Bigum, Chairman of the Aarhus University Board

New international AU centre for theoretical mathematics and quantum physics

On Wednesday 19 May, Aarhus University inaugurated the Centre for Quantum Geometry of Moduli Spaces (QGM) at the Faculty of Science.

The centre's ambition is to become a world leader in basic research on the quantum geometry of moduli spaces at the crucial interface between mathematics and theoretical physics ‐ with the aim to contribute to the mathematical underpinnings of contemporary and future physical theories.

Professor Jørgen Ellegaard Andersen is the director of the centre, where he is joined by four permanent AU professors and researchers from Oxford University, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Paris (IHÉS) and the University of California at Berkeley. There will be seven to ten postdocs at QGM based at AU, IHÉs, Oxford or Berkeley and fifteen doctoral students, half of whom will be based in Oxford or Berkeley.

Read more about QGM

Aarhus University recognises researchers at awards ceremony

Both young and experienced researchers will be honoured at a ceremony at Aarhus University when Rigmor og Carl Holst-Knudsens Videnskabspris, one of Denmark's oldest and most prestigious academic awards is presented along with the Aarhus University Research Foundation's PhD awards.

The ceremony will take place on Friday 28 May from 11 am to 1:30 pm in the Main Hall (Aulaen).

Eight researchers, all of whom began their careers at Aarhus University, will be recognised for their efforts. The programme also includes a performance by the music students' choir and will be followed by a buffet in Vandrehallen.

All staff members are invited to attend. Please sign up by sending a mail to Lise Poulsen (lp@remove-this.adm.au.dk) by noon on Tuesday 25 May.

Read more about the awards

Take your dinner home with you

AU staff members now have the option of purchasing takeaway dinner entrées.

Several different dishes can be ordered from the Studenterhusfonden homepage (link: http://www.studenterhusfonden.dk/online-bestilling.aspx). Customers can also choose which cafeteria they want to pick up their order from. The dinner entrées are frozen; all customers need to do is warm them up in an oven or microwave. Customers receive a monthly invoice.

Studenterhusfonden can also provide a 'lunch delivery service' to AU departments. Please contact Studenterhusfonden for more information.

Calendar

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

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.