News from the Senior Management Team no. 28/2013

Strategy work now launched 

The entire senior management team recently returned from Sandbjerg after a day spent focusing on the university's new strategy for 2013-2020. The aim of the seminar was to prioritise the activities which the main academic areas and AU Administration will continue working on in 2013 and 2014. The main headings were:

  • Research: Recruitment of talented researchers and elite researchers, research networks and research collaboration and external grants.
  • Education: Departmental accreditation, digital learning environments, internationalisation and interdisciplinary study programmes.
  • Talent development: Strategic partnerships, PhD evaluation and talent development courses.
  • Knowledge exchange: Intensify collaboration with the business community, public sector consultancy and further and continuing education.

At the seminar, focus areas were defined for each heading. The deans will now follow up on the work with action plans and prioritising the activities with the staff in the main academic areas and in the various committees. 

The plan is for the strategy work to be incorporated into an annual routine which will involve prioritising core activities, preparing action plans etc. to be followed up by the senior management team and briefing by the board during the autumn.  


New Finance Bill

In the new Finance Bill, the Danish government is maintaining the basic subsidy for research. This gives the universities a good framework for budget planning in the coming years.


A popular event

Aarhus University's annual celebration is fast approaching, an occasion which also marks the university's 85th anniversary.

There has been a lot of interest in tickets for the evening event in Concert Hall Aarhus on 13 September, with more than 3,300 registrations having been received – for 2,400 places.

The tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The employees who have registered for tickets via the invitation which was sent out to everyone by email will be informed at the end of next week (week 36) as to whether their wish to attend the event has been fulfilled.

The intention is that as many people as possible are able to participate in the event at Concert Hall Aarhus. Kongreskompagniet, which is responsible for distributing the tickets, would therefore like to be informed if anyone is unable to attend. Therefore, please let them know if you are prevented from attending by contacting them at kontakt@kongreskompagniet.dk /+45 8629 6960.

You should also let them know if you are unable to attend even though you have been sent tickets. In such cases, please return any tickets you do not need to Kongreskompagniet, Nordhavnsgade 4, 8000 Aarhus C. As we are unable to reprint tickets and do not know the location of your seats in the auditorium, we would like the tickets back so they can be offered to others.  


Good legs at Aarhus University

While employees at Emdrup Campus were getting ready for the DHL relay race on the evening of Thursday 29 August, those who participated in the runs in Odense and Aarhus have had time to recover and compare their times.

2,240 participants from the university signed up for this year's DHL. One of them was the newly appointed rector, Brian Bech Nielsen, who grabbed a spare place at the last minute because somebody dropped out.


Inaugural reception for dean Niels Chr. Nielsen

An inaugural reception for the new dean at ST, Professor Niels Christian Nielsen, will be held next Tuesday, 3 September. Everyone is welcome.


Inaugural reception for the rector, Brian Bech Nielsen

On Friday 13 September, on the same day as the university's annual celebration, an inaugural reception is being held for the university's new rector, Brian Bech Nielsen. Everyone is welcome. Remember to register by 4 September.


New vice-chair at Universities Denmark

A unanimous body of rectors has chosen Ralf Hemmingsen, Rector of the University of Copenhagen, as their new vice-chair at Universities Denmark. Ralf Hemmingsen will be taking over the post from Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen. Jens Oddershede is Chairman of Universities Denmark.

Under the auspices of Universities Denmark, the rectors of Denmark's eight universities handle general university-political topics.


Calendar



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/2013.