First department relocates to the University City

As we speak, about 350 employees and 500 students at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG) are exchanging their three current locations for one shared address in the University City. The move is a part of AU’s overall campus development, and MBG will be the first department to make the move into the University City.

For the head of department at MBG, Erik Østergaard Jensen, the move to the University City has been a long-awaited event.

“It’s an exciting new chapter that we’re about to begin. For a long time we’ve wanted to unite our different research groups and students in one location – and now we’ve managed to in the University City. I’m really, really happy about that,” says Erik Østergaard Jensen, who believes that it will create academic synergy and strengthen knowledge sharing when students and researchers all spend their daily professional lives in the same buildings.

Six-person bedroom becomes laboratory

Realising the dream was not without difficulties, says Erik Østergaard Jensen:

“It’s quite a large task, for example, to turn a six-person bedroom with four supporting walls into a laboratory or a classroom. But it’s been a great success. We’ve got some fantastic classrooms and laboratories that have been adapted in close collaboration with employees and students.”

MBG expects to be ready with the new premises at the end of January. With this new shared location in the northern part of the University City, the department will lead the way in developing the area. A role that the head of department welcomes.

“We’re going to be a part of an entirely new area that will be developing a lot over the next couple of years. We’ll be able to influence the process, which I’m very excited about,” says Erik Østergaard Jensen.

From vision to reality
University Director Arnold Boon is pleased that the plans for the university’s physical development are now actively taking shape. 

“It’s really exciting to see how the vision of creating an attractive and vibrant University City is starting to materialise,” says Arnold Boon and elaborates:

“In the long term, the dream is that the University City will become a place where students, employees and the business community can study, research and work side by side – and close to the city.”

More neighbours on their way in spring

In addition to MGB, AU’s entrepreneur hub ‘The Kitchen’ has the University City as its home. And it will not be long before more neighbours move into the University City. 132 new units of student housing are expected to be ready for tenancy in spring/summer 2022. These units will be located in the former patient hotel, which is in the process of being renovated and converted into housing for a total of 170 students.

Additionally, in spring, AU IT will move from its current premises in Helsingforsgade to building 1872 in the University City to make room for the engineering initiative at Katrinebjerg. Finally, you can look forward to the opening of the northern passage under Nørrebrogade for pedestrians and cyclists during spring 2022.

Read more about the plans for the University City and the rest of AU’s physical campus development at au.dk/nycampus.

Any questions?

• If you have any questions about the relocation of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, please contact Head of Department Erik Østergaard Jensen at eoj@mbg.au.dk.
• If you have any questions about the physical development of AU’s campus, please contact Programme Director Charlotte Lyngholm Bom at cl@au.dk