THE CASE OF AARHUS UNIVERSITY
EMPOWER EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES, MAASTRICHT 2011RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN
HOW DOES THE EMPOWER EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES FRAMEWORK PLAY OUT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL UNIVERSITY?
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
THE EEU FRAMEWORK AND THE CASE OF AARHUS UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE
• AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND THE EMPOWER
EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES FRAMEWORK
• CONCLUSIONS
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
•INCREASING DEMAND FOR KNOWLEDGE •Complex grand challenges require interdisciplinary solutions
•GLOBAL MARKET FOR RESEARCH AND HIGHER EDUCATION•European Research Area and European Higher Education Area
•NATIONAL REFORMS AND INCREASED EUROPEAN COLLABORATION
•A window of opportunity for changes
•MASS UNIVERSITIES VERSUS ELITE UNIVERSITIES•The importance of talent development
UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN TIMES OF CHANGE
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
INCREASING DEMAND for KNOWLEDGE: MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE
”We must organize the “Aarhus University of the future” to enable us to contribute even more to meeting our society's challenges”
• Globalization• Food• Water• Energy• Health• Migration• Security• Climate change• ...
The world is globalized, with complex interconnected challenges which transgress disciplinary boundaries – with regard to causes, consequences, and solutions
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
EMERGING GLOBAL MARKET FOR EDUCATION AND R&D
Students enrolled outside their home country, 1975-2011
International co-authorships, 1985-2005
0
20.000
40.000
60.000
80.000
100.000
120.000
140.000
160.000
1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005
International co-authorships Single authorSource: Data from OECD, Education at a Glance
Source: OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2007
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY:NEW FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS
1998/99, Intergovernmental agreement: Governmental push for convergence of HE systems by 2010
1999, Bologna Declaration: Key principles adopted by Ministers of Education of 29 European countries
2003 – 2007, Danish sector reforms:• New University Act (2003) (2011)• Reorganizing HE&R institutions (2007)• Modernizing the funding compact
2008, Aarhus University’s Strategy:• Research• Talent development• Knowledge exchange• Education
2010, The AU Academic Development Process:• Unified management• Interdisciplinarity
2000, European Research Area: Defragmenting European research, promoting transnational scientific knowledge flow, competition, collaboration and mobility
2010, European Higher Education Area: 10 years after the Bologna process. Adopted by 47 countries, facilitating efforts to enhance European HE comparability, compatibility and coherence
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
EDUCATION RESEARCH
TALENT DEVELOPMENT
PhDs
Post docs Students
Studies
Lifelonglearning
Contracts
Researchprogrammes
Research projects
Professors
THE QUADRUPLE HELIX UNIVERSITY
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
•ORGANISATIONAL AUTONOMY•AU reforms and a focus on interdisciplinarity
• FINANCIAL AUTONOMY
•ACADEMIC AUTONOMY
•ACCESS AND OPENNESS
AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND THE EEU FRAMEWORK
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
AU CHANGE PROCESS AND EMPOWERMENT
• Academic organisation: A unified university with fewer boundariesFrom nine to four main academic areas, from 55 to 26 departments,
• Governance: Management with appointed leaders and joint responsibility for the entire university. From ten management units to one single management unit with cross-cutting responsibility for strategic management and quality assurance of: research, talent development, knowledge exchange and education
• Administration and finance: A single university without administrative boundariesA common financial model, standardised, quality service for the whole university; from three to one (two) levels of administration – front office and back office.
• Academic cheques and balances: 4 academic councils, and 4 AU Fora, one for each core activity: research, talent development, knowledge exchange and education
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
AN ACADEMIC ORGANISATION THAT REFLECTS THE QUADRUPLE HELIX
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
INTERDISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX CHALLENGES
Interdisciplinary centers•iNANO •MINDlab•Neurocampus•Centre for Food, Nutrition and Health•Centre for Global Change and Development•Centre for iSequencing•Centre for Integrated Register-based Research•Centre for Arctic Research
National Centers of Excellence• 18 National Research Foundation centers• 5 Lundbeck Foundation and VKR Foundation Centers
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
•ORGANISATIONAL AUTONOMY
•FINANCIAL AUTONOMY•diversified income structure•full-cost challenge•towards financial independence
•ACADEMIC AUTONOMY
• ACCESS
• OPENNESS
AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND THE EEU FRAMEWORK
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
Study pro-
grammes 25%
Core re-search 34%
Competitive research
funding. 28%
Government contracts 4%
Other. 9%
DIVERSIFIED– INCOME STRUCTURE
Budget 2011: EUR 800 million
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
FULL-COST CHALLENGE
Taximeter (EUR)
Average costs (EUR)
Difference (%)
Variation (EUR)
Bachelor Master
Tax.group 1 5.428 6.986 29% 3.500 - 12.000 5.000 - 11.000
Tax.group 2
8.814 9.942 13% 6.000 - 14.300 6.200 - 19.500
Tax.group 3
12.898 21.766 69% 16.200 - 25.500 19.000 - 29.280
McKinsey (2009): Degree programme expenditures exceeds taximeter income and are not full cost financed
Result: AU internal cross-subsidy of education from research budget at about 3-6%
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
TOWARDS FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE:AU RESEARCH FOUNDATION
ADM. AURF BOARD
RESEARCH FOUNDATION
RESEARCH FOUNDATION’SREAL ESTATE LTD.
AURIGA INDUSTRIES LTD.
ØSTJYSK INNOVATION A/S, INCUBA LTD.
INCUBA SCIENCE PARK LTD.
AARHUS UNIVERSITY BOARD Aarhus University Research Foundation
RECTOR’S OFFICE
ARTS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
HEALTH
AURF Equity: EUR 400 mAURF Balance: app. EUR 1
bn.AURF Grant Budget: EUR
10 m.
AU Student body: 42,492 students
AU Staff: 13,389 employeesAU 2012 Budget: EUR 803,7
M.
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
•ORGANISATIONAL AUTONOMY
• FINANCIAL AUTONOMY
• ACADEMIC AUTONOMY•External Quality Assurance, Accreditation
•Internal Governance structure
• ACCESS AND OPENNESS
AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND THE EEU FRAMEWORK
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
• ACE Denmark - accredits study programmes at Danish universities. This is done by making an academic assessment of the quality and relevance of the programme
• Aarhus University: All programmes accredited• ECTS Label• Management and Business Administration
•Equis accreditation•AACSB- og AMBA accreditation process
• Institutional accreditation in the future?
EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE – BUREAUCRATIC ACCREDITATION
CHECQUES AND BALANCES IN THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN NOV. 2011
Empower European Universities
AU Forums
Academic Councils
Departmental Forums
Advisory Boards
Employer Panels
Advisory Committees
AU Board
AU
M
an
ag
em
en
t
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
•ORGANISATIONAL AUTONOMY
• FINANCIAL AUTONOMY
• ACADEMIC AUTONOMY
• ACCESS AND OPENNESS•Mass higher education and talent
development•International role of research intensive
universities•International competitiveness, where are AU
AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND THE EEU
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
MASS HIGHER ECUATION & TALENT DEVELOPMENT
The official goals (Helle Thorning-Schmidt Government 2011):
•95 % should complete youth education, 60% higher education•25 % should complete research based higher education by
2020•2.5 % in PhD and 1% in post doc programmes•Create a national innovation strategy: education, research,
innovation•State Education Grant, taximeter for first two cycles
AU responses to the challenges of mass education•Internal market for education•Talent development as the link between mass and elite
university•Early recruitment for the most talented students
•Flexible PhD-programmes
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
A GENEROUS INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
• 1,000 courses and 65 complete degree programs in English
• 100+ agreements with universities overseas
• 1,000 outgoing students
• 4000 International students, (approx. 10% of the student body)
• State education grant – the money follows the student
• Staff of 75 different nationalities
• 10 world class research platforms (Storage Ring, ZACKENBERG,
bio-energy, testing facilities, population databases etc.)
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS: WHERE DO AU STAND?RANKINGS AARHUS UNIVERSITY RANK
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Leiden Crown Indicator - 55 - 105 -
ARWU 86 98 97 93 102
QS WU Ranking 79 84 63 81 114
THE 125 167 - - -
HEEACT 96 105 101 118 132
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
EDUCATION
RESEARCH
TALENT DEVELOPMENT
PhDs
Post docs Students
Studies
Lifelonglearning
Contracts
Researchprogrammes
Research projects
Professors
THE QUADRUPLE HELIX UNIVERSITY
CONCLUSIONS: WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTONOMY• New framework conditions in Europe and Denmark provided a
window of opportunity for change at Aarhus University
• All changes at AU have been aimed at shaping a modern university combining features of the mass and the elite university
• Autonomy is fundamental to universities. Achieving financial and academic autonomy still prove to be the largest challenges
• ……. However autonomy without good governance and leadership is anarchy…….
WCU Shanghai
RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN Nov. 2011
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
THANK YOU
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen Nov. 2011
RECTOR LAURITZ B. [email protected]
Empower European Universites
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
AARHUS UNIVERSITY - EXPENDITURES
Talent development24%
Education31%
Knowledge exchange12%
Research33%
Knowledge exchange
EducationResearch
Talent development
The HumboldtuniversityThe triple helix universityThe modern university
PhDs
Post docs Students
Studies
Lifelonglearning
Contracts
Research programmes
Research projects
Professors
AU – Expenses per core activity
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ATTRACTIVE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTUREAarhus Institute of Advanced Studies
• Exceptionally talented younger researchers from all over the world
• Stimulating, international and interdisciplinary environment• Opportunity to pursue own research interests for a 2-3 year
period• Independent managerial structure with international advisory
board
International research platforms• ASTRID II – Heavy Ion Storage Ring and Synchrotron
Radiation Facility• Research Vessel• National Centre for Particle Radiotherapy• National Centre for NMR• Testing Facilities for Wind and Bio Energy Systems• Information intensive population databases• Zackenberg High Arctic Research Station
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
DANISH CITATION IMPACT I
AU
DTU
KU
US top universities
European top universities
Total number of publications 2003-07
Normalized
citationimpact
Nov. 2011RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN
DANISH CITATION IMPACT IIEmpower European
Universities
Source: Comparing Research at Nordic Universities using Bibliometric Indicators, A publication from the NORIA Net, NordForsk 2011, p. 61
WORLD AVERAGE
Empower European Universities
DANISH UNIVERSITY RANKS 2011
University of Copenhagen Aarhus University
Technical University of
Denmark
University of Southern Denmark
Aalborg University
ARWU 43 86 151-200 201-300 -
QS Ranking
52 79 150 311 362
THE 135 125 178 251-275 301-350
HEEACT 40 96 211 223 -
LEIDEN 54 55 - - -
AVERAGE 65 88 179 262 344
NOVEMBER 2011
RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN
Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen
Empower European Universities
Nov. 2011
AU KEY FIGURES
STUDENTSAcademic staff: 4,446
Academic staff (part-time) 2,028
Administrative/technical staff
4,725
Total no.staff members 11,199
Engineering College of Aarhus
190
STAFF
Annual accounts
2008
Annual accounts
2009
Annual accounts
2010
Budget 2011
Budget2012 (incl.
IHA)
Turnover in EUR mio.
675,6 721,7 753,7 783,9 803,7
•AU has 10% students, 23% PhD students from other countries and 73 nationalities among the staff,
FINANCES
BA 17.475
MA 16.388
Professional/Executive MAs 4.138
PhD 1.891
Total no. of students: 39.892
Engineering College of Aarhus (ECA)
2600
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