No. 6, 19 February 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 newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever Rectorate News is issued.

The English version of Rectorate News is available every Wednesday at http://www.au.dk/en/uni/rectorate/newsletter.

Design line

The 1508 A/S design agency is still working with an internal task group on the future design line for the University of Aarhus. Specific proposals were presented and discussed at the meeting of the deans on 18 February. 1508 and the task group are continuing with their work and will return with a proposal adapted from one of the drafts presented.

Elite degree programmes

The Danish government wants to establish 10 elite degree programmes – to begin with – and has asked the universities to forward proposals. The main academic areas have had an opportunity to make suggestions, and the rectorate will forward the proposals once it has ensured that the criteria have been complied with. In connection with sending these proposals, the University of Aarhus states that it prefers a strengthening of existing models, such as the Erasmus Mundus programme, the 4+4 model and the honours model.

Management seminar 25-26 February

Every six months, the rectorate, deans and heads of administration hold an all-day meeting at the Sandbjerg Estate. The theme for the meeting this time is the work on the future administrative organisation, collaboration with the business community, the government budget proposal and international strategy.

Festival of Research visited by HRH Crown Princess Mary

The University of Aarhus is holding a Festival of Research event on Friday 25 April 2008 from 14.00 to 19.00, and this year’s theme is “climate”. On Thursday 24 April, the activities in Denmark will be launched with an opening ceremony hosted this year by the University of Aarhus. The Court has just announced that HRH Crown Princess Mary, who is patroness of the Festival of Research, will attend the opening event and present the Research Communication Prize for 2008. The Science Café makes up part of the opening event with specially invited upper secondary school pupils. Thursday’s opening ceremony is arranged in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and will be held in the Lakeside Lecture Theatres.
On Friday, this venue will be transformed into the “climate house”, filled with presentations and demonstrations of interesting research from the university – and spiced with a cosy café atmosphere. Preparations are in full swing and more than 30 talented researchers are right now planning exciting activities on everything ranging from “Bioenergy as a lifeline or a pitfall” to “Climate changes in the Arctic environment” and “Can you have democracy in the tropical countries?”. While the researchers are working on this, a task group is getting the arrangement to take shape. A marketing campaign is being planned, and a number of practical aspects are falling into place. Employees and students at the University of Aarhus are welcome to take part in the event.
Read more at www.au.dk/forskningensdoegn (in Danish only) and at http://www.forsk.dk.

Kind regards

The Rectorate

19 February 2008