Dear all employees at Arts,

After having resided in the dean's office for a week now, it is time for my first newsletter. I applied for the position as dean of the Faculty of Arts because I simply could not resist, and because I for a longer period of time have wanted to work at Aarhus University. I have been looking forward to getting started and getting to know the university and all of you. Therefore, I also plan to attend staff meetings after the summer break at all three schools and at the administrative center to meet you and gain a better understanding of your various areas of expertise.

Many of the prestigious international universities are increasingly recognizing the value of the humanities, and the same should be the case in Denmark. In recent years, there has been a significant focus on the natural and technical sciences, which is understandable. However, we must not forget that we live in a society populated by human beings, and that is precisely our area of expertise here at Arts. Just as the natural and technical sciences cannot solve everything on their own, we at Arts cannot either so a future challenge will be to strengthen the collaboration across disciplines even more. I have already read about how researchers at Arts not only talk about but also demonstrate and contribute to the discussions on security policy, artificial intelligence, the well-being of children and young people, and the list goes on.

Therefore, it is important for me to emphasize that the humanities are not in crisis, and that Arts at Aarhus University is a strong, diverse, and internationally recognized faculty that I am both proud of and looking forward to leading.

Currently, there are challenges facing universities, and during the last many years Arts has been under pressure from political reforms and budget cuts. It is regrettable because there is always a need for education (and much more of it) and researchers and students who understand what it means to be a human being in the world.

I am now looking forward to getting to know the faculty and all of you, to having the opportunity to ask the silly questions and ask more than once if there is something I do not quite understand. In other words, I do not have fixed ideas or plans ready to act upon immediately. First, we must tackle the upcoming reform and how we can implement it while maintaining a sense of joy and professional fulfillment among both employees and students.

Best regards,

Maja Horst
Dean