News from the Senior Management Team no. 11/2012

Number of quota 2 applicants at Aarhus University up 12%

The number of quota 2 applications increased again this year. A total of 12,307 students have applied for enrolment in a degree programme at Aarhus University, representing an increase of 12% on last year. At the same time, 7% more applicants than in 2011 have chosen Aarhus University as their first priority

Read the statistics (in Danish)

The list of applications to individual programmes will be ready around 22 March.

Successful open house events

The interest in AU’s study programmes is also reflected in the large number of visitors attending last week's open house events in Herning, Emdrup and Aarhus.

experienced a 23% increase in visitor numbers on 2011, whereas in Emdrup alone 90 visitors were interested in learning more about the Bachelor's degree programme in Education Science.

Aarhus combined the open house event with U-days, where all educational institutions in Aarhus opened their doors to the public. Out of a total of 8,500 U-days visitors, 4,400 visited AU, and the event in the Lakeside Lecture Theatres, in particular, attracted many visitors. One day alone saw 1,400 visitors.

 


Forums ready to advise the senior management team

In future, a number of researchers and students will advise the university's senior management team using a new platform. Staff and students will be involved in decision-making and strategy through four university-wide AU Forums

To support the four core activities, Aarhus University will establish forums for research, talent development, knowledge exchange and education, respectively. The forums will ensure that input and expertise from all four main academic areas will be taken into consideration in the context of discussions about the development of the university.

Each AU Forum has 20 members. The deans and vice-deans responsible for the respective activities are permanent members. Eight members are appointed by the academic councils, while the remaining members are appointed by the senior management team.

In addition to internal discussions, the AU Forums will also help ensure an open dialogue about the four core activities across the entire university. The forums may discuss issues of their own choice or at the request of the dean.

See the mandates and lists of members of the four AU Forums:

AU Forum for Research
AU Forum for Talent Development
AU Forum for Knowledge Exchange
AU Forum for Education


New email and calendar system before the summer

Before the summer, all staff members will have access to the new shared email and calendar system. For many, the new system will not involve any changes, as the existing content will automatically be transferred. For staff members using First Class, it will, however, not be possible to migrate the content of existing mail boxes. It will therefore be possible to continue using First Class as a filing system for emails and conferences.

Read more about the switch-over from First Class

Independently of this process, all staff members will get a new email address during the spring. AU IT will send an email to each employee about this.

Read more about the switch-over to a new email system (in Danish)


Administration encourages feedback

The roll-out of new IT systems has lately caused problems for some Aarhus University students. The administration is now asking for direct feedback on technical problems to have them corrected as soon as possible. The users are also invited to suggest general improvements to the IT systems.

Read more (in Danish)

Please contact the study centres at the four man academic areas for any problems specifically related to registration for exams.


Villy Søvndal debating security policy at Aarhus University

Filled to the last seat, the Main Hall was the venue for last week's security policy debate with Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Villy Søvndal.

Before the minister took the podium, the audience heard presentations by Professor Georg Sørensen and Associate Professor Tonny Brems Knudsen. The audience, upper-secondary school students, students and visitors from the Danish University Extension, were taken on a foreign policy trip from the Cold War to the current unrest in Syria.
This served as input for the subsequent debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, where the audience asked critical and to-the-point questions about Søvndal's new security policy concept.

See the video from the debate or read about the event (in Danish).


New director of the university's Technology Transfer Office

On 1 May, 44-year-old Thomas Tscherning will take up the position as director of Aarhus University's Technology Transfer Office (TTO). Thomas Tscherning comes from a background in knowledge-intensive innovation and technology transfer at universities such as Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. Thomas Tscherning has specialised in partnerships between the academic and commercial worlds.

Aarhus University's TTO will contribute to creating one of the best innovation and growth environments in Europe.

Read more (in Danish)


Calender

29 March: Management seminar
2-3 April: University of Helsinki visit
18-20 April: EU 2012: Excellence conference
20 April: Festival of Research (in Danish)
25 April: Meeting of the University Board (incl. meeting with chairmen of the academic councils)
3 May: the Annual 'Boat Race' (in Danish)

The Senior Management Team publishes a newsletter every week. This newsletter includes a brief description of current activities and discussions. You can sign up for the Danish version of the newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever the newsletter is issued.

If you would like to subscribe to the English version of News from the Senior Management Team, please go to http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve/index.asp?sprog=en. The English version of News from the Senior Management Team is available at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/. You can read previous editions of News from the Senior Management Team at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/2012.