Birgitte Nauntofte is the next chair of Aarhus University’s board

Education, research and innovation have been central to Birgitte Nauntofte’s professional life throughout her career, and she is deeply familiar with the university sector – from both within and outside the walls of academia. She not only has 27 years of experience from the University of Copenhagen, where she held a variety of positions, including professor and vice-dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. She also served as the director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation for twelve years. During her tenure, the foundation developed from a medium-sized Danish commercial foundation with annual grants in the millions of kroner to an international powerhouse that grants billions of kroner annual to a wide variety of projects, with a special focus on supporting scientific research.  

Pernille Blach Hansen, director of Central Denmark Region, headed the appointment committee that has selected Birgitte Nauntofte as the next chair of AU’s board. She says: “Birgitte Nauntofte has deep insight into all aspects of the university’s core tasks and its relationships with the society it belongs to.  Birgitte Nauntofte has an absolutely unique and highly relevant profile in the Danish university sector that qualifies her for the role as chair of the board.

Not least in light of the development currently taking place at Aarhus University, with an increased focus on innovation and collaboration with the surrounding society. In addition to heading the largest private foundation in Denmark, she has sat on research councils and contributed her expertise and inspiration within education, research and innovation, both in Denmark and abroad.”

Birgitte Nauntofte will succeed Connie Hedegaard as chair on 1 December.

“It will be a privilege for me to succeed Connie Hedegaard as chair of the board,” Birgitte Nauntofte says. She will bring with her a solid knowledge of Aarhus University thanks to her many years of professional service in the Danish university sector.

“Aarhus University is strong, well-run and has an excellent international reputation. It provides education and conducts research of high quality, and it’s also a university where research dissemination and, increasingly, innovation, are positions of strength. I believe that the university has the potential to develop these positions even more, on the basis of its many committed, talented staff and students. I’m very much looking forward to work with the board and with the rector and the senior management team at Aarhus University, and am proudly looking forward to facilitating the university’s development to the benefit of Denmark and the international scientific and scholarly community,” Birgitte Nauntofte says, adding:

“An important focus of our collaboration will be realising the university’s 2025 strategy and setting a course through the development of the new 2030 strategy, which will further strengthen the university.”

Birgitte Nauntofte has been appointed a board member and chair for a four-year term. Members may serve for a maximum of eight years, as Connie Hedegaard has done; her term ends on 1 December.

At Danish universities, board chairs are selected by a nomination and appointment committee, without the participation of the rector or the other members of the senior management team, and their chosen candidate is approved by the minister for higher education and science.  The senior management team at Aarhus University is pleased about the committee’s selection of Birgitte Nauntofte to succeed Connie Hedegaard as chair.

“In Connie Hedegaard, the university has an extremely competent and ambitious chair, and the same is true of Birgitte Nauntofte. Birgitte Nauntofte has deep knowledge of the entire university sector, of the world of foundations and the political system.  I’m sure we’ll both be inspired and challenged in precisely the right way. I’m very much looking forward to our collaboration,” Brian Bech Nielsen says.

Facts:

New board chairs are selected by an appointment committee comprised of representatives of Danish society as well as the university. Pernille Blach Hansen, director of Central Denmark Region, chaired the appointment committee.

The candidate chosen by the committee is approved by the minister for higher education and science.

The appointment committee selects the final candidate from among the candidates selected by a nomination committee on the background of an open call for applications. Like the appointment committee, the nomination committee is comprised of representatives of Danish sociey as well as the university. Former Novozymes CEO Steen Riisgaard chaired the nomination committee.

The process for selecting external members of Danish university boards is laid down in the Danish University Act.

Contact:

Press- and Communications Manager Sys Christina Vestergaard
23 67 00 12
scv@au.dk