Government brakes surprisingly hard

The university sector will pay a relatively high price for restoring the Danish economy if the Government and the Danish People’s Party go through with their proposed cutbacks amounting to DKK 2.3 billion altogether in 2013.

Preliminary calculations show that Aarhus University will be affected by accumulated savings of DKK 18.6 million in 2011, DKK 115 million in 2012 and DKK 295 million in 2013. Converted to full-time equivalents, this corresponds to 376 full-time equivalents in 2013.

Aarhus University fully understands that society must get the economy to function, and that everyone has to contribute towards this development. However, compared with the Government’s previous statements that knowledge paves the way to growth, it is totally unreasonable that the university sector should now be the victim of such relatively large savings.

One of the major problems in the Government’s proposal is that this “stop-go” policy makes it very difficult for the universities to make plans. The work at Aarhus University is based on long-term perspectives regarding research, education and knowledge transfer. This rapid cutback in the Government’s focus on the knowledge society will have unfortunate ramifications for the universities.

It is too early to predict how the Government’s cost-cutting plans will affect Aarhus University, but it is important to emphasise that its proposal regarding savings in the university area will not affect the academic development process. This is a process that will strengthen the university’s academic development and ensure that the university has an even stronger position in terms of the degree programmes offered, research, knowledge dissemination and talent development.

Aarhus University has expressed its concern in the media regarding the cutbacks proposed by the Government and the Danish People’s Party.

• Read the media release (in Danish only).

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Good discussions at Sandbjerg

Everyone was keen to join in the discussions when 120 heads of departments, staff members and students met at the Sandbjerg Estate on 25–26 May to comment on matters including the Rector’s Office’s preliminary proposal regarding the overall structure. The Rector’s Office proposes a structure in four faculties, backed up by an organisation that will strengthen the four focus areas: research, education, talent development and knowledge transfer. The way the research, education and knowledge transfer activities – including public sector consultancy – should be organised within the faculties is still under discussion, as is the number of centres and departments. The same applies to the organisation of the academic councils and boards of studies, where the Rector’s Office proposes elected chairs and increased competence. A number of the ideas first require changes to the Danish University Act.

Based on the discussions at Sandbjerg, and with a starting point in the considerable input it has received, the Rector’s Office will now complete the recommendation the University Board is to consider at its meeting on 17 June. This recommendation will also include proposals regarding how the university should work with the academic development process after 17 June.

See video recordings of the Rector’s Office’s presentations at Sandbjerg and an interview with Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen and Pro-Rector Søren E. Frandsen (available in Danish only). Reactions from some of the people attending the Sandbjerg seminar are being edited and will be regularly uploaded.

Aarhus University honours Professor Poul Nissen and Professor Bjarne Stroustrup

Aarhus University’s finest research prize is being awarded today when two Danish scientists receive the Rigmor and Carl Holst-Knudsen Award for Scientific Research.

Professor Poul Nissen, Centre Director at Aarhus University, and Professor Bjarne Stroustrup, currently employed by the Texas A&M University, share the honour and the accompanying research grant.

On the same occasion, the Aarhus University Research Foundation is awarding PhD prizes, and this time they go to six recently graduated PhD researchers from different main academic areas.

• Read the media release

NERI receives international environmental prize

The National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), Aarhus University, will be present when the international environmental prize – the National Energy Globe Award 2010 – is presented to Denmark at a ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda, on 3 June. NERI contributed to the BALANCE project for the protection and sustainable administration of the ecosystems of the Baltic Sea, a project led by Denmark and financed by the EU. NERI’s contribution included mapping the submarine glacial landscape of the Kattegat, assessing the biodiversity on Danish reefs and the sea bed, and computer simulations of so-called blue corridors in the Baltic Sea.

The Energy Globe Award goes partly to the most outstanding national environmental or energy-related project and partly to one global award winner among all the participating projects.

Read more about the prize and the project (in Danish only)

May meetings follow up on UK4

At the May meetings on 31 May, 1 June and 2 June, the Rector’s Office and the main academic areas will follow up on how each individual main academic area contributes to the university’s overall aim in the development contract (UK4).

Key figures in the annual report for 2009 show that Aarhus University has achieved the intentions of the UK4 contract in most areas. An account shows that 27 of the targets for 2009 were reached, and there are clear signs of positive development in seven of the remaining targets. All that remains now is to get a clear overview of how Aarhus University can address the six targets that have not been reached.

• The target report is available (in Danish only) in the Annual Report 2009

Farewell reception for Head of Department Svend Larsen

After more than 37 years of employment at Aarhus University, Head of Department Svend Larsen, Personnel and Staff Development Office, has decided to retire at the end of May.

A farewell reception will be held on Monday 31 May at 14.00–16.00 in the Museum of Ancient Art.

Calendar

• 28 May: Presentation of the Rigmor and Carl Holst-Knudsen Award for Scientific Research and PhD prizes
• 28 May: Annual celebration at the Aarhus School of Business
• 31 May, 1–2 June: The Rector’s Office holds May meetings with the main academic areas, including the academy councils
• 4 June: Annual celebration at NERI
• 4 June: Annual celebration at the Faculty of Social Sciences
• 7 June: University management meeting
• 7 June: University Board meeting
• 10 June: Main Liaison Committee meeting
• 11 June: Annual celebration at the Faculty of Humanities
• 11 June: Annual celebration at the Faculty of Science
• 17 June: University Board meeting
• 17 June: The Rector’s summer speech
• 30 June: University management meeting

Kind Regards
The Rector’s Office
28 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.