At a board meeting on 24 April, the University Board approved the accounts for 2012 which had previously been approved by the Danish National Audit Office and the university’s external accountant. The university posted a loss of DKK 55 million against a budgeted loss of DKK 41 million out of total revenue of DKK 6 billion. At the start of 2013, Aarhus University's equity was DKK 617 million, which corresponds to 10 per cent of total annual revenue.
The three previous years' profit means that it is again possible to make new investments in 2013, for which reason the provisional budget is for a loss of DKK 81 million.
In addition to the financial reporting, the annual report also includes a status on the 12 performance indicators in Aarhus University's development contract. Six of the targets have been achieved while two have not. The remaining targets cannot be measured in 2012. The development contract runs up to and including 2014.
The annual report also includes figures for e.g. publications and PhD degrees awarded, as well as a report from the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research.
The interest being shown in doing a Master's degree at Aarhus University has increased significantly. This is evident from the first figures which have been produced after the deadline for applications to the majority of the university's Master's programmes.
The number of first-choice applications to Aarhus University has increased by 20 per cent, and altogether there is a 21 per cent increase in Master's applications to AU relative to last year.
On Tuesday 30 April, Rector Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen presented the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize to the British historian Niall Ferguson. The prize, which totals EUR 70,000, is the biggest prize in the world in the field of international studies.
The prize-giving ceremony took place in connection with a large recurring conference in Estoril, Portugal. The Estoril conferences focus on the challenges of globalisation, and this year's speakers included Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anthony Giddens, Herman van Rompuy and Larry King.
Aarhus University is one of the Estoril conferences' academic partners, with AU associate professor and MatchPoints organiser Michael Böss on the book prize jury.
In connection with this year's conference, Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen is taking up a position on the conferences' Advisory Board.
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/2013.