No. 38, 11 November 2008

Places available at the Climate Conference 13–14 November

There are still places available at the large climate conference The Role of Information in an Age of Climate Change in connection with the 10-year anniversary of the Aarhus Convention. The conference focuses on our democratic rights to influence government decisions on climate issues. Participants include Bérengère Quincy, French Ambassador to Denmark, Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, Svend Auken, former Danish Minister for Environment and Energy, and Jeremy Wates from UNECE in Geneva.

Everyone is welcome at the conference.

Click here for more information on the conference.

Søren E. Frandsen temporary director from 1 December

In connection with Niels Højberg’s decision to accept the position as Municipal Director in the Municipality of Aarhus, Søren E. Frandsen has been appointed temporary director with effect from 1 December 2008.
At the board meeting on 10 November, the Board approved the rectorate’s recommendation for the provisional distribution of the rectorate’s work. Deputy Director Ole Olsen and the rest of the administration managers will assist with day-to-day management, coordination and general tasks until a new director has been appointed. In that context, pro-rector for the academic area, Nina Smith, will be responsible for contact with management at the University Studies Office.

There will be no changes to Søren Frandsen’s area of responsibility as Pro-rector for Knowledge Transfer.
The rectorate is now looking at how best to distribute the tasks in the future rectorate.

Internal farewell reception

The farewell reception for University Director Niels Højberg will take place on Friday 28 November at 12.30 to 14.00 in the boardroom, building 1430. The main academic areas will receive more detailed information in the near future.

Budget and globalisation funds

It is good that more globalisation funds are being allocated; it can help promote knowledge creation and knowledge transfer at the universities.

At the universities, we have had a reasonable expectation that the distribution between funds for basic research and funds for commercial applications ought to be 50–70 per cent in favour of basic research. The current status is that the budget expectations of the universities are not being met.

Commercial applications cost time, effort and additional financing and they typically finance the research grants for a number of years after having been granted. The problem with insufficient funds for basic research is not only that the universities have less room to play – they also lose a certain amount of freedom. This can seem surprising, given that the whole point of the university mergers and the reform of the universities’ management structure with boards and appointed managers was to create strong universities that Danish society can trust.

Click here to read rector’s comments in full (in Danish only).

Rector’s Christmas speech

On 18 December at 15.00, Rector Lauritz B Holm-Nielsen will make his traditional speech in the Lakeside Lecture Theatre in Aarhus, followed by a reception for the entire staff.
Further information about the event will follow in the next issue of Rectorate News.

Kind regards
The Rectorate
11 November 2008

The rectorate publishes Rectorate News every Tuesday – apart from holidays and public holidays. 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.

If you would like to subscribe to the English version of Rectorate News, please go to http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve/index.asp?sprog=en. The English version of Rectorate News is published every Wednesday and is available at http://www.au.dk/en/uni/rectorate/newsletter.

You can read previous editions of Rectorate News at http://www.au.dk/en/uni/rectorate/newsletter/2008.