TOMORROW'S AARHUS UNIVERSITY - RIGHT NOW

15 JUNE 2011TOMORROW'S AARHUS UNIVERSITY - RIGHT NOW

SUMMER SPEECH - 15 JUNE 2011

Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen 15/06/2011AARHUSUNIVERSITY

AN ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS• 2011 is a year of change – and the changes will continue.

• We have set ambitious goals for Aarhus University.

• Reaching ambitious goals demand great effort; the university's staff is putting enormous energy into making this a success.

• Academics are in focus, even though changes in this area inevitably produce changes in the rest of the organisation.

• AU IDEAS and the initiative to establish new interdisciplinary centres have been launched.

• The main academic areas are fully engaged in the transition to the new structure.

• But where is Tomorrow's AU - right now?


TOMORROW'S AARHUS UNIVERSITY-RIGHT NOW

• Making a strong university even stronger

• A university for its students

• A university which exchanges knowledge

• An international university

• A university which involves its staff in decision-

making

• A university with attractive research platforms

• New ideas, new initiatives


Key figures for IHA - 2010: Approx. 2,600 students190 employeesTurnover: DKK 174 million

MAKING A STRONG UNIVERSITY EVEN STRONGERMerger between Aarhus School of

Engineering (IHA) andAarhus University

• Government approval of merger – effective1 January 2012.

• The merger will strengthen engineeringresearch and degree programmes in Denmark.

• Intended to ensure supply of engineers in Jutland.

• Science and Technology will develop the engineering sciences and integrate IHA's practically oriented diploma engineer degree programmes and AU's degree programmes in civil engineering.


MAKING A STRONG UNIVERSITY EVEN STRONGER

BA 16,464

MA 15,620

Professional/Executive MAs 4,128

PhD 1,822

Total no. of students: 38,034

IHA 2,600

STUDENTSAcademic staff: 4,446

Academic staff (part-time)

2,028

Administrative/technical staff

4,725

Total no.staff members

11,199

IHA 190

STAFF

Annual accounts 2010

Budget2011

2012(incl. IHA):

2013(incl. IHA):

2014(incl. IHA)

Turnover in billions DKK

5.6 5.9 6.2 6.4 6.5

FINANCES








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A UNIVERSITY FOR ITS STUDENTSStudy environment survey 2011: our students are academically motivated

•Students at AU are growing and developing•It's the ”studying” and not the ”partying” that's important•Key points: Academic integration and helpful, welcoming fellow students

•Challenges: time to study and international students•Follow-up: DKK 8-10 million allocated to follow-up initiatives in 2011; focus on academic integration challenges

Student influence: Structure of boards of studies to be decided in autumn 2011


A UNIVERSITY FOR ITS STUDENTS

• Conference for Europe's Universities: "Investing Today in Talent for Tomorrow".

• EUA Global Forum for Doctoral Education

• The Danish prime minister and European Commission President Barroso participated in conclusion of conference.

• The Aarhus Declaration ( EUA) will set the agenda for talent development in Europe.


A UNIVERSITY FOR ITS STUDENTS• In November 2010, AU was named Entrepreneurial University with a

budget of DKK 45 million.

• Vision for the Entrepreneurial University:• All AU students will be familiarised with the form of entrepreneurship relevant to their

field of study.

• Students will graduate with the competences to apply their knowledge of their field to create value.

• New models for university teaching and knowledge partnerships will be developed.

• The new Interdisciplinary Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ICEI) will span the four main academic areas and ensure the development of research-based instruction in entrepreneurship.








making




A UNIVERSITY WHICH EXCHANGES KNOWLEDGE• Each year, AU hosts a wide range

of high-quality international scholarly conferences, symposia, workshops and seminars.

• MatchPoints is one example:

• Prestigious seminar series on global issues of broad societal relevance

• The theme of the fourth seminar (May 2011): Democracy and Democratisation

• Participation of variety of external partners (universities, ministries, embassies, municipalities, media, the University Extension...)


A UNIVERSITY WHICH EXCHANGES KNOWLEDGEPublic sector consultancy strengthened through establishment of

national centres :

• Two national centres have been established under Science and Technology: the National Centre for Environment and Energy and the National Centre for Food and Agriculture.

• Will guarantee the public sector access to research-based, holistic consultancy services

• Will ensure that the public sector is able to base major decisions and investments on consistent, unequivocal information and advice

• Acting centre directors are in place and staffing is being decided

In the process of clarification:

Precise form of cooperation among the national centres, departments, research centres and researcher groups


A UNIVERSITY WHICH EXCHANGES KNOWLEDGENew forms of publication, Open Access, and electronic deposit, as well as global literature and text databases, mean that it is necessary to restructure library services:

• Aarhus University Library: one organization under a single management

• Geographically adapted locations

• A coordinated effort to ensure that students have up-to-date library access

• En broad, accessible range of services for researchers and research

cultures

• New, stronger partnership with the State and University Library

The goal: Coherent, cost-effective, and strong library services

Organizational placement:

• Political and strategic leadership: The pan-university knowledge exchange

forum

• Administrative and financial management: AU Knowledge Exchange








making




AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

• 4,000 international BA and MA students, 300 international doctoral students, and staff from 70 countries.

• Research impact: 1.4x world average (according to new report from Nordic Council of Ministers).

• No. 14 i Europe in attracting grants from ERC (the European Research Council).

• Dale T. Mortensen building: "One stop shopping" for services, IC Dormitory and Dale’s Café.


AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

• Half of all AU Master's degree programmes can be taken in English.• Substantial number of AU Summer University courses.• Strong engagement in Sino-Danish Centre (nanotech, water and

environment, health and neuroscience, etc.).• Important platforms under Danish universities' development initiative,

Building Stronger Universities (Environment & Climate, Growth & Employment, Human Health, and Stability, Democracy & Rights).







• A university which involves its staff in

decision-making




A UNIVERSITY WHICH INVOLVES STAFF IN DECISION-MAKINGThe University Act has been amended:

• Ratified by the Danish Parliament on 19 May 2011

Main changes in new Act:• Better protection of individual freedom of research• Ensures staff and student co-determination and involvement in

decision-making• Description of internal structure now in by-laws of individual

universities• Flexible rules for academic councils (levels, responsibilities)

• AU's by-laws to be revised in autumn 2011 (deadline 1 march 2012)

• What does this mean for staff involvement at AU?


A UNIVERSITY WHICH INVOLVES STAFF IN DECISION-MAKINGAcademic Councils at AU:• Analysis working group in autumn 2010• Central principles identified 9 March 2011• Sandbjerg seminar for academic councils with 66 participants from all

academic councils + senior management group in April 2011• Working group on academic councils May-June 2011

• Participants: senior management group, members of academic and tech./adm. staff,

students• Tasked with developing concrete proposals for structure, role, and function• Deadline for submission 1 July 2011• Working group's proposal will form basis for work on description of academic councils

under new by-laws

Liaison committee structure to be discussed at meeting of

Main Liaison Committee







• A university which involves its staff in decision-making




A UNIVERSITY WITH ATTRACTIVE RESEARCH PLATFORMS

AU is working to develop its attractive campus and modern infrastructure International research platforms are a high priority

•The ASTRID Storage Ring, which is being expanded to ASTRID2

•Zackenberg Research Station in Northeast Greenland

•CFIN's brain scanners

•Register databases

•Experimental biogas reactor in Foulum

•Danish GHz Solid State NMR Instrument Centre

•Others...








making




On 17 June 2010, the AU Board voted to establish a strategic financial management pool of DKK 200 million per annum. A total of DKK 1,250 million will be allocated to strategic initiatives in the period 2011-2016:• DKK 380 million for academic development plans at the four main academic areas• DKK 305 million for the management pool• DKK 465 million for interdisciplinary and integration-oriented initiatives• DKK 100 million from the Aarhus University Research Foundation

And how are these funds going to be spent in 2011?• DKK 100 million are at the disposal of the main academic areas and are to be spent on inter-faculty initiatives, the academic development process, and operations in the transitional phase. •DKK 100 million are allocated to strategic initiatives through the Senior Management Group Strategic Fund – of which DKK 60-65 million have already been allocated to study environment, Educational IT, AU Web, competency development of staff, etc.

NEW IDEAS, NEW INITIATIVES



A development committee will realise AU IDEAS and AIAS:Morten Kyndrup, chairman (AR), Helle Vandkilde (AR), Dorte Marie Søndergaard(AR), Jørgen Frøkjær (HE), Vibeke Hjortdal (HE), Flemming Besenbacher (ST), Bo Barker Jørgensen (ST), Erik Jeppesen (ST), Karl Anker Jørgensen (ST), Dorthe Berntsen (BS) and Torben M. Andersen (BS)



AU IDEAS:

• AUFF grant to support development of visionary and original project

ideas• Project maturation (1-2 yrs, max. DKK 500,000 per idea/applicant)• Pilot centres (3-5 yrs, DKK 3.0 - 7.5 million)• Call for applications in UNIvers and at www.au.dk/auideas – deadline:

31 August 2011

• Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS):

• Aimed at talented young researchers from all over the world• Opportunity to pursue own research interests for a 2-3 yr. period in

an inspiring, interdisciplinary environment• AUFF grant of DKK 10 million annually for 5 yrs.• Launch in autumn 2011



Interdisciplinary centres:Process coordinator/search committee

Centre for iSequencing Anders Børglum, HE

Neurocampus Anders Nykjær, HE

Centre for Integrated Register-based Research Preben Bo Mortensen, BS

Centre for Arctic Research Søren Rysgaard, ST

Centre for Food, Nutrition and HealthKim Overvad, HENiels Christian Nielsen, STUffe Juul Jensen, ARNina Smith, BS

Centre for Global Change and Development

Lotte Meinert, ARHenrik Balslev, STGeorg Sørensen, BS

Six new interdisciplinary centres to be established to supplement iNANO and MINDlab. First centres established in 2011, and we invite you to submit ideas for more.



• All researchers invited to submit proposals• Deadline: 5 October 2011• Read more at:

http://medarbejdere.au.dk/en/tomorrowsau/newcentres/

Interdisciplinary centres:• Interdisciplinary research: different fields working on a shared set of

issues or problems

• AU has potential: wide range of fields – many possible constellations

• Application and establishment process:• Application process coordinator + preliminary project proposal• Detailed application• International peer review• Grant of up to DKK 25 million over five-year period


DEEPER MEANING, GREATER COHERENCE

AND STILL A UNIVERSITY WITH A SINGLE, SHARED GOAL

15 JUNE 2011

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

TOMORROW'S AARHUS UNIVERSITY - RIGHT NOW

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