New head of AU Research with experience from higher education and research

Jakob Rathlev will be the new deputy university director for AU Research from 1 April. He comes to AU from a position as pro-rector at Business Academy Aarhus and has extensive experience as a manager at a range of knowledge institutions.

Jakob Rathlev will be the new deputy university director for AU Research from 1 April.

The new deputy director for AU Research has extensive experience in senior management positions in the education and research sector. Rathlev’s CV includes positions as director of the the Danish Institute for Sports Studies and manager at the Danish Evaluation Institute with responsibility for the university sector. He has also worked in consultancy at Epinion and the consultancy DAMVAD.

Most recently, he served as pro-rector at Business Academy Aarhus, where he was responsible for the academy's research division. Rathlev holds a PhD in public policy and has also completed a graduate training programme at INSEAD.

University Director Kristian Thorn, who chaired the recruitment committee, highlights Rathlev's broad experience as a manager at several knowledge organisations:

"Jakob Rathlev comes to us with extensive knowledge of the education and research sector and has broad experience in strategic management, analysis and administration in complex organisations. He is thus eminently qualified to head AU Research and to serve as a strong link between our research programmes and the administration. I'm very much looking forward to the collaboration,” he says.

As deputy director, Jakob Rathlev will set the strategic course for AU's research administration and ensure the continued development of the cross-university administrative services provided by AU Research. Research administration is a rapidly evolving field – not are external demands increasing, new opportunities for collaboration are emerging.

Jakob Rathlev is looking forward to working with the faculties and the AU Research staff, he said, and emphasised that Aarhus University is one of the most successful universities in Europe in securing external research grants. He says:

"A significant component of this success is the productive interplay between innovative researchers and skilled advisers, and this interplay will only become more important as competition and administrative requirements intensify. Our mission is to make it easier to be a successful researcher, and I'm very much looking forward to further developing the good collaboration with researchers, together with a strong team at AU Research.”

Jakob Rathlev lives in the Viby neighbourhood in Aarhus with his wife Anne-Kathrine and their daughter Johanne.