Professor Morten Kyndrup from the Department of Aesthetics and Communication will head the new Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), which opens in spring 2013. As the new director, he will help to build up a research environment in which up to 35 top international researchers will be given a free hand to strengthen basic research and collaboration across academic disciplines.
AIAS is the first institute of its kind in Denmark and has received funding from, among others, the Aarhus University Research Foundation.
This week sees elections taking place at Aarhus University.
From 26 to 29 November, students are able to vote for candidates for the University Board, the academic councils and the study boards. PhD students employed by the university are also able to vote for representatives for the PhD committees.
The results of the election will be published by 4 December, with the elected candidates taking up their posts on 1 February 2013.
The election for the main academic area study board at School of Business and Social Sciences follows its own schedule. This is because the course study boards must be in place before it is possible to compose the main academic area's study board.
On Monday 19 November, the Mayor of Aarhus Jacob Bundsgaard held his twice-yearly dialogue meeting with the city's educational institutions and student representatives.
The Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education was invited to the meeting and presented his thoughts and plans for developing the educational area.
Then, the discussions turned to three special themes: mobility in the educational system, innovation and entrepreneurship as well as internationalising Danish students. The theme on innovation and entrepreneurship was kicked off with a speed presentation by Dean Mette Thunø, who talked about Aarhus University's work and visions within the area.
How do we create the necessary coherence in the educational system to ensure that 60% of school leavers take a degree?
This question will be addressed by participants at a conference on 26 November about bridge-building between youth education programmes and the university.
The conference is taking the pattern-breaking project "Udvalgt til Uni" (UTU) (Chosen for Uni), which was launched two years ago. The project involves a large group of students at upper secondary schools in Central Denmark Region. All the students share the fact that they have a talent for the natural sciences and come from non-academic families.
A survey shows that a total of 75% of the students in the first year of the project have become more interested in going to university.
The 50 major research performing and research funding organisations in Europe, Science Europe, are entering the debate on the current negotiations on the EU's coming research budget, Horizon 2020.
In a position statement sent to the European negotiating partners, the organisation stresses that the proposed budget totalling EUR 80 million must not under any circumstances be cut if Europe is to achieve its goal of creating growth and improving competitiveness.
Kind regards, The Senior Management Team
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.