Dear all,

Earlier this week, you received an email from me about the reform of Master’s degree programmes and the significant impact that the reduction in admissions and changes to the Master’s degree landscape will have on this faculty. It’s a difficult task, but I’m confident that we can solve it together.

I’ve been the dean at Arts for just over a year now, and it’s nothing short of an amazing faculty! No matter where I go, I meet employees who deliver high-quality work and who have an incredible ability and willingness to collaborate.

I am also pleased that we have a fantastic group of division managers and heads of departments who joined me and the rest of the faculty management team two days at the end of May to discuss which principles should guide the direction of Arts moving forward. The goal is to create a robust faculty that can continue to evolve in line with the changes that have become an ingrained part of what it means to be a university today.

It’s absolutely essential that we take good care of Arts and our staff, and therefore the report from VIVE – the Danish Center for Social Science Research on a quantitative and qualitative study of PhD students’ experiences of sexism and retention in research careers makes for very sad reading. The report reveals that PhD students frequently experience sexist behaviour in Danish academia, and that this has an impact on their work, health and career choices. Such unpleasant incidents are particularly prevalent among female PhD students, but the problem doesn’t only concern women, just as I don’t think it’s exclusive to PhD students. In the faculty management team, we completely agree that we won’t tolerate sexism in any way, which is why the heads of school informed me last week about the numerous local initiatives that have been launched. We’re very concerned about this issue and will start discussing possible new initiatives with the gender equality committee at the faculty in September.

I’ve previously announced that the dean’s secretariat was moving to the Nobel Park, and discussions about the move have been ongoing for several months. As it turns out, this will unfortunately not be possible, so while we’re considering other options, I would like to start a wider discussion about the future of Arts and campus development.

I would like to contribute to bringing us closer together physically to improve integration between the study and research environments at the schools. I understand that our activities at Katrinebjerg and Moesgaard are part of important collaborations there and should remain at their current locations. This goes for Emdrup, too. But I’m convinced that the rest of the faculty would benefit greatly from being gathered at one location. This would increase our visibility – both for ourselves and others – and thereby contribute to supporting a strong, shared identity for staff and students. It’s also important that Arts is visible to the city and the surrounding society, and that the faculty’s daily activities help convey Arts’ breadth and contribution to research and education.

We’re currently exploring the feasibility of this vision in the southern end of the University City. There we would be able to move into university buildings designed for us with the aim of prioritising a good study and work environment in and between the buildings. Those of you who drive or cycle up the Randersvej hill have been able to follow the construction of the new BSS campus. It’s going to be really great and will provide excellent opportunities for both researchers and students to meet across subject areas – a real campus-based university.

I have a vision that we can become a part of it. A community where expertise and ideas can meet, and where we can develop new knowledge together. Not only internally at Arts, but also together with subject areas from other faculties, companies, foundations and other organisations which will have the opportunity to take up residence on campus.

That’s exactly what a university is all about, and I’m genuinely pleased to be heading a faculty which stands on a solid foundation and which, despite challenges, has the potential to create a fantastic future study and work environment.

Visions and dreams are important, and I would like to send you off on your summer holiday with those in mind. Enjoy the long summer nights, the sun and your free time, and then we’ll meet again in August to continue doing what we do best – research, education and collaboration.

I wish all of you a great summer!

Maja