Five more years for pro-rector at Aarhus University

Aarhus University’s ‘new’ pro-rector will be a “safe and experienced pair of hands at the educational helm" . This is certainly no exaggeration. Since 2014, Berit Eika, who will begin another term as pro-rector in June, has been responsible for developing a degree programme quality assurance system, professionalising the recruitment of students, ensuring an effective technological infrastructure for the university, and making sure teaching staff systematically develop and maintain their university-didactic competences. Just to mention a few things from her portfolio. Now the university can benefit from her insight and experience for another five years.

Rector Brian Bech Nielsen is pleased that Aarhus University will continue to have a pro-rector with valuable knowledge and experience.

“Berit is the right person to build on the results we have achieved and to lead Aarhus University’s degree programmes through the many changes and new demands the future will undoubtedly hold. She is an extremely competent pro-rector with an international outlook and an in-depth understanding of the university’s role in educating future generations. She is also a very pleasant and rewarding person to work with. All of this makes her excellently placed to continue in the position of pro-rector. I am very much looking forward to continuing to collaborate with Berit”, says Brian Bech Nielsen.

The university called

Berit Eika graduated as a medical doctor in 1986, but she hung up her stethoscope in 1996 when the university advertised for a medical programme coordinator who could redesign the academic regulations for the medical degree programme. The position was for one year. Now 26 years have passed since she began developing frameworks for the university’s degree programmes – first as the head of the first Danish university centre for medical education, then as the vice-dean for education at Health, and most recently as pro-rector. In between these positions she has also been professor of medical education.

Berit Eika has been reappointed as pro-rector at a time when the public debate about higher education is in full flow. Political decisions to relocate degree programmes and a desire to change the admissions system have been topped off with a drastic reform proposal. This is precisely why the rector is pleased that Berit Eika has been reappointed to the position.

“Berit is a very talented pro-rector, has valuable insight, and is extremely good at promoting both internal and external collaboration. We will need her skills in order to build and maintain networks, now that we need to start reviewing and developing the degree programmes we offer in Denmark in close collaboration with other educational institutions". 

Brian Bech Nielsen also highlights Berit Eika’s role in AU’s membership of the European university alliances The Guild and Circle U, which work towards making internationalisation easier and creating new collaborations centred around degree programmes and research and innovation.

“Aarhus University has attained a strong position in these collaborations, and we have Berit to thank for that”, says Brian Bech Nielsen.

Continuing the good initiatives

Berit Eika is looking forward to being able to continue her work to create the best conditions for students’ degree programmes, which is the focal point of her professional life.

“I would like to continue the good initiatives and focus on the many development projects I’ve been part of since the start. Projects need to be maintained otherwise they will fizzle out, but this won’t happen on my watch”, says Berit Eika.

She is also committed to helping students achieve their goals, which is why she chose to focus on education in the first place.

“Far too many students drop out of their degree programme and fail to thrive. I would like to find ways to ensure that our students have a good university experience, where they acquire relevant and useful skills that equip them for the labour market", says Berit Eika.

Berit Eika begins her next term as pro-rector on 1 June.

More about Berit Eika

Berit Eika graduated as a medical doctor from AU in 1986, was awarded a PhD in 1994, and was appointed professor of medical education in 2005.

She has two Master’s degrees: one in medical education from Maastricht University and one in health informatics from Aalborg University.

Berit Eika is married to Jørgen Frøkiær, head of the Department of Clinical Medicine, and has three children.

About the appointment process

The appointment committee for the recruitment of pro-rector consisted of the following people:

Brian Bech Nielsen (chair)

Kristian Thorn (university director)

Thomas Pallesen (dean, BSS)

Finn Borchsenius (vice-dean for education, TECH)

Anne Lindholm Behnk (deputy director, HR)

Oliver Mølgaard Gertsen (student, Arts)

An advisory group was also assigned to the process, which consisted of the following people:

Nina Thiele Zeiss (education consultant, School of Communication and Culture)

Marie Vejrup Nielsen (associate professor, deputy head of school, School of Culture and Society) 

Palle Bo Madsen (professor, Department of Law)

Nanna Brix Finnerup (professor, Department of Clinical Medicine) 

Thomas Lykke-Møller Sørensen (associate professor, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering)

Aske Høj Merrild (student, TECH)