No. 1, 6 January

Extract from the rector’s New Year’s greeting to external working partners

The new year is already well under way and at Aarhus University, we have come to grips with the first of the year’s exciting new challenges. At the same time, the important day-to-day campus life goes on with education, examinations, research and the creation of a knowledge base and research-based advice at the university’s numerous locations.

Results from 2008 show that Aarhus University is well equipped to face the competition of the future, and the university has also kept within the budget. A turnover amounting to DKK 5.5 billion has been calculated for 2010 – one year earlier than anticipated. Nobody should be in any doubt that Aarhus University willingly enters into open and fair competition regarding research funds. However, I would like to emphasise that the university must have room to manoeuvre realistically in terms of finances, and that we will strongly defend the ideals of freedom that make up the very basis of the European university tradition and Western culture. We therefore ask for respectful collaboration with the other sectors of society, in which each sector does what it is best at. The university is well aware of its responsibility as a creator of the knowledge base these sectors of society rest on, and has made its contribution to the development of society right from its very beginning in 1928.

Read the entire New Year’s greeting (in Danish only) here

New edition of AU-gustus

A new edition of the alumni magazine AU-gustus was published between Christmas and New Year . This is currently being distributed to staff members at the university. You can read about topics such as the financial crisis, portraits of Jens Christian Skou and Erling Bjøl, both of whom turned 90 in 2008, AU’s climate conference and last, but not least, the free offers for alumni and AU staff at the Danish University Extension in Aarhus.

Read the latest edition of AU-gustus in PDF format (available in Danish only) here

Debate about a student ombudsman

During the Christmas holiday period, debate focused on whether or not a joint student ombudsman should be appointed for university students in Denmark. The matter was particularly raised by the Danish newspaper Politiken . In collaboration with the Municipality of Aarhus and the Student Council, Aarhus University has previously encouraged the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation to appoint a student ombudsman to be responsible for student interests, including complaints. Read Pro-rector Nina Smith’s comment (available in Danish only) here

Kind regards
The Rectorate
6 January 2009 

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 .