News from the Vice-Chancellor’s Office
No. 43, 18 December

Growing and adapting at Aarhus University

The Board of Aarhus University has just approved the 2010 budget, which yet again anticipates a growth in turnover for the upcoming year. The budget for 2010 shows a turnover of DKK 5,599 million, which is an increase of about 5 per cent compared with turnover in 2009. The university also expects to see a positive result on the bottom line for 2009, amounting to an improvement of DKK 50–60 million on this year’s budget.

Society’s demand for the services offered by the university does vary, however. This, combined with the mergers now completed and with the Danish government’s allocation of the Globalisation Fund, means that Aarhus University will also be obliged to adapt in 2010.

The Vice-Chancellor’s office acknowledges that the government and the Parliament have extended the Globalisation Agreement and set long-term goals that ensure stable growth for the Danish universities in the coming years. On the other hand, we must recognise that it takes at least a year to transform the considerable resources allocated to research programmes into actual research activities. In light of the structural developments at Aarhus University, this means that in the new year we will have to adapt our organisation and investments accordingly. Naturally, while moving through this process we shall do our utmost to take the situation of affected employees into consideration. During the beginning of the new year our main academic areas will ensure that the various activities are appropriately geared, allowing us to adjust to the budget at a temperate and timely pace.

The process at Aarhus University going forward

As part of our efforts to maximise benefits from the completed mergers, Aarhus University will continue to work with Quentin Thompson and Sachi Hatakenaka. Both spoke at a two-day seminar in October for administrative staff and selected researchers, and they will be visiting Aarhus again in the coming months. Their activities will include interviewing the university’s deans to clarify how the positive synergies from the mergers can best be utilised, helping Aarhus University to maintain its competitive edge and strong international position as we move into the future.

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO) behind research breakthrough of the year

A group of nanoscientists from Aarhus University won the laurels this year for “greatest research breakthrough in science and technology”. They envision their newly invented “nanobox” being used for such applications as delivering medicine to specific locations in the human body, then releasing it on cue. The method known as “DNA origami” – which involves the nanoscale folding of molecules – was developed by an American nanoscientist, but the research team in Århus are the first to have created three-dimensional nanostructures.

The nanobox is the smallest box ever produced, yet at the same time it is so complex that the results from the Århus team have gained recognition around the world. From the Vice-Chancellor’s office we offer our warmest congratulations on this prestigious title.

The prizes for the best research efforts of the year are awarded by the Danish engineering journal Ingeniøren.

Changes to the structure of the Joint University Functions budget

The principles used to compose the 2010 budget for the Joint University Functions will reflect a radical change as compared with the principles hitherto applied. Previously the individual areas were controlled by means of a full-time-equivalent framework, and many funds were handled as pools. The new principles basically break down the Joint University Functions budget into six areas: one for each deputy director and one for the head of studies. Within the budget frameworks the deputy directors have considerable freedom to plan the work, but there will still be common goals and principles with which the individual deputy directors must comply. The structural changes will make it far easier to assess and describe the connection between the resources employed and the results of the effort.

New research council act

The Parliament has reached an agreement outlining the Danish research council system of the future. One aim of this agreement is to ensure a clearer distribution of roles between the various bodies. It will involve dismantling the Danish Research Coordination Committee, with the task of ensuring coordination and cohesion between the public research grants being transferred to the Danish Council for Research Policy, which has so far primarily advised the minister for science, technology and innovation. Other significant changes include:

• transferral of the special Danish research training grant to the universities
• more proactive role for the Danish Councils for Independent Research when it comes to creating a framework for interdisciplinary research
• appointment of more members with a background in international research and scholarship, and more external assessment panels to augment the quality and reinforce the legitimacy in the university’s treatment of applications.
  

The granting of funds will continue to be handled, as before, by the Danish Councils for Independent Research and the Danish Council for Strategic Research. Follow this link to see the entire agreement (in Danish only).

Aarhus University approved by American authority

We are pleased to announce that Aarhus University has now received FAFSA-approval from the US Department of Education. This approval means that in the future American students will also be eligible to apply for postponing repayment of their student loans while studying at Aarhus University. Our current FAFSA certification, which runs until 31 December 2012, can subsequently be extended for another six years.

Audio failure during the Vice-Chancellor’s Christmas speech

Unfortunately, technical problems occurred at the beginning of the Vice-Chancellor’s Christmas speech. Please accept our apologies for the resulting audio failure. Note, however, that the Vice-Chancellor’s speech in its entirety, and the subsequent discussion, can be viewed (in Danish) at www.au.dk.

The Vice-Chancellor’s office takes this opportunity to thank you all for your valuable contributions and your commitment during 2009, and we wish all of our employees a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

News from the Vice-Chancellor’s Office will next appear on 12 January 2010.

Kind regards
The Vice-Chancellor’s Office
18 December 2009

The Vice-Chancellor’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.
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