AARHUS UNIVERSITY

17 JUNI 2010AARHUSUNIVERSITY

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

STAFF MEETINGThe Main Hall, 9 November 2010

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN 9 November 2010AARHUSUNIVERSITY

• Aarhus University's budgetary framework

• Current university policy issues

• Vision plan for physical development

• Status of the academic development process

• Presentation of new deans


Aarhus University's budgetary framework• Satisfactory financial result anticipated for 2010

• Although the 2011 Budget has not yet been adopted by the Danish Parliament, a political accord on the allocation of globalisation funds for 2011 was reached on 30 October and for the 2011 Budget on 8 November:

• Basic research funding: new DKK 270 million pool for distribution among Danish universities• Matching funds: DKK 100 million to match private subsidies• Reduction on education and ’other purposes’: DKK 225 million

• Prognosis for AU's 2011 budget: continued growth, but at a slightly lower level than in previous years


Aarhus University's budgetary framework• Globalisation funds from the government's globalisation pool are an important

element in AU's finances • Over 0.5 billion kroner in 2011 alone received in the form of basic research funding - nearly 10% of

the total budget• Also a significant proportion of competitive funding (external subsidies)

• New challenge: funding from globalisation pool runs out after 2012

• Aarhus University's budget proposal for 2011 will be presented to the University Board for approval on 16 December

• The nine main academic areas have submitted independent budget proposals which will form the basis of the budgets for the four new main academic areas in the 2011 budget.

• Aarhus University's 2011 budget is projected to be approx. DKK 5.9 billion.


Administrative costs• The Danish Assocation of Masters and PhDs (DM) held the conference 'Follow the

Money' and presented a report claiming to document dramatic increases in administrative costs

• Universities Denmark and individual universities strongly disagree with the report's conclusions

• A difficult question of interpretation: • Which areas and functions are administrative, and which are not?• Many mergers in the period 2005-2009

• Administrative costs have increased in this period as a result of a necessary process of modernisation as well as increased administrative burdens related to government requirements.


The development of total costs 2005-09

Aarhus University 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Education 999 1,036 1,109 1,177 1,211proportion of total costs 29.2% 29.1% 23.2% 22.9% 22.6%

Research 1,393 1,462 2,180 2,188 2,214

proportion of total costs 40.8% 41.1% 45.5% 42.6% 41.3%

Knowledge dissemination 159 196 131 161 168


Consultancy - - 259 279 310

proportion of total costs - - 5.4% 5.4% 5.8%Generel management,administration and service 209 211 330 409 435


Buildings 656 652 781 916 1,022


Total 3,415 3,556 4,790 5,131 5,360

Aarhus University’s total costs 2005-2009 allocated on activities - 2010-level, mio. kr.


The development of administrative costs

Primary explanation for increased administrative costs:

• the modernisation and professionalisation of the university's administrative processes and structures. AU still below average for university sector

• Approx. DKK 50 million in annual merger-related costs

• Strategic initiatives such as increased internationalisation and research support

• Growth in governmental requirements, for example the accreditation process and the demand for more complex reporting on activities

General management, administration and service 2005 and 2009: proportion of total costs

2005 2009

All Danish universities 6.8% 8.4%

Aarhus University 6.1% 8.1%

Total management and administration (incl. departmental): proportion of total costs

2005 2009

All Danish universities 14.3% 16.5%Aarhus University 12.9% 13.6%


Financing higher education: a necessary debate• Universities in the international elite cannot be created through public sector

investment alone

• The quality of education is crucial for Denmark's international competitiveness, growth and welfare

• Higher education in Denmark is underfinanced by over DKK 1.5 billion

• An additional DKK 2.9 billion will be required over the next decade to enable universities to accommodate an increase in the size of the student body and to meet the government's ’50% goal'

• A serious debate on alternative sources of funding which well might challenge conventional Danish standpoints and principles is necessary.


The debate on 'small subjects'Main issues at stake in the debate

• Financing• The taxameter system makes it difficult to finance 'small' but academically significant programs.

• Societal considerations• More politicians and business leaders now acknowledge that the 'small subjects' are indispensable.• Knowledge of a broad spectrum of languages and cultures is necessary, whether we are doing

business, outsourcing jobs, or discussing democracy.

• Continual development of the AU profile• Development of Aarhus Faculty of Arts• Including a focus on education – for ’small subjects’ as well.


Gender equalityBackground for the initiative (statistics from January 2010):

The Danish University and Property Agency has granted AU permission to establish

• 10 associate professor positions: DKK 100,000 in research funding and transition postdoc salary funded by central AU pool

• 10 MSO professorships: difference between associate professor salary and MSO salary funded by central AU pool for 2 1/2 years


Gender equality initiativesConditions:• Both men and women eligible to apply• Positions must go to best qualified applicants regardless of sex• If the best qualified applicant is a woman, the AU pool provides funding

Goals:• To avoid loosing talented researchers • To encourage more female applicants to associate professor and full professor positions

Additional gender equality initiatives:• Charter for more women in management, mentorship programme, action plans at faculty

level, clearly marked career paths• A management development programme and an employee development interview (MUS)

concept are also on the way


Nobel Prize awarded to Niels Bohr professor at AU • The 2010 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences will be awarded

to Professor Dale T. Mortensen on 10 December.

• Dr Mortensen took up a Niels Bohr professorship funded by the Danish National Research Foundation at Aarhus University in 2006. Dr Mortensen has collaborated with the Department of Economics since 1982 and has exercised a significant influence on the development of labour market research at AU.

• Dr Mortensen's term as Niels Bohr professorship expires next year; Aarhus University has extended his term by five years.


AU to host EUA Annual Conference 2011• EUA represents 800+ research institutions in 46 countries

• The conference marks the 10th anniversary of EUA

• Theme: Investing Today in Talent for Tomorrow• Attracting research talent to Europe• Career paths for young researchers• Balancing elite and mass education• International collaboration on researcher talent development

• 500 participants: university rectors, politicians, special interest organisations, researchers, students

• Concurrent PhD conference and business conference


Vision plan 2010-2028Aarhus University will retain the main Aarhus campus and extend its campus in Emdrup

Teaching facilities, research facilities and experimental stations will be retained in selected locations

The Aarhus and Emdrup campuses will grow in coming years

Possibilities for expansion in Aarhus:• The Lille Barnow property• The Katrinebjerg area• The University Park campus• The Aarhus Hospital property University

Park Campus

The Katrinebjerg

area

The Lille Barnow

Aarhus Sygehus


Current and upcoming construction projects• Five projects in progress: the iNANO building on Langelandsgade, the expansion of ASB on

Fuglesangs Allé, the new IT building in Katrinebjerg, the conservatory in the Botanical Gardens and the expansion of AU-HIH in Herning (approx. 29,000 m 2)

• Two planned laboratory facilities for the natural sciences and health sciences on the University Park campus (approx. 16,000 m2)

• Furthermore: Buildings for Aarhus School of Engineering at the Katrinebjerg area and NAVITAS at the harbor (approx. 44,000 m2)

• Construction project on Lille Barnow property (up to 61,000 m2)

• Preparations for expansion in Katrinebjerg to accommodate agricultural sciences activities

• Preparation of Emdrup expansion


Status of the academic development process• Design and implementation of new organisational structure with fewer main academic areas,

departments and levels of administration Structure of new main academic areas: approved in June; to be implemented in January 2011o Departmental structure: Proposals submitted in December, decision in January 2011; implementation in the

spring of 2011o Administrative structure: Proposals submitted in January2011; decision in February; implementation in the

course of 2011

• Geographical/physical infrastructure Vision plan for physical development 2010-2028 approved

• Establish a cohesive management with the resources to exercise strategic leadership New deans start on 1 November; assume duties as deans on 1 January 2011 New university management group a reality as of 1 January 2011o Interfaculty organisational functions: Appointment of vice deans in early 2011; interfaculty functions to be

established hereaftero New financial model under development; to be implemented in the course of 2011


Mette Thunø • Dean of Aarhus Faculty of Arts

• Associate Dean for Research at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Humanities since 2006

• Director of the European Centre for Chinese Studies at Peking University

• Board member for International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas

• Member of the editorial board for Journal of Chinese Overseas


Brian Bech Nielsen• Dean of Aarhus Faculty of Science and

Technology

• Head of the Aarhus University Department of Physics and Astronomy since 2009

• Deputy Director of iNANO, 2006-2009

• Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters since 2006


Svend Hylleberg• Dean of Aarhus School of Business and Social

Sciences

• Dean of the Aarhus University Faculty of Social Sciences since 2005

• Member of the Advisory Board for Center for Research in Econometric Analysis of Time Series (CREATES) since 2007

• Associate editor of The Scandinavian Journal of Economics since 1995

• Associate editor of Macroeconomic Dynamics since 1997


Allan Flyvbjerg• Dean of Aarhus Faculty of Health Sciences

• Professor at the Department of Endocrinology, Aarhus University Hospital since 2009

• Recipient of numerous national and international awards for research and popular publications

• President of the Danish diabetes association Diabetesforeningen for ten years

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

Thank you for your attention And remember: there will be a reception to welcome the new deans on 6 January in Stakladen

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

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