News from the senior management team no. 17/2014

The next steps in the expert group’s problem analysis

The expert group will publish its report on Monday 2 June.

Two weeks later, the analysis panel will submit its comments on the report. After this, there will be an opportunity for staff and students to comment on the report, and all input will be incorporated in the senior management team's work of developing suggestions for improvements. 

The senior management team will present its proposal in mid-August, after which it will be made available for consultation in the organisation.

The expert group's report is based on extensive contributions from staff and students. All staff and students have been invited to participate in a questionnaire-based survey. In addition, the expert group has held a number of focus group interviews with staff, students and managers, and interviewed all heads of department. 


Internationalisation looking to 2020

Aarhus University has just launched its internationalisation strategy for 2014-2020. The strategy is the result of lengthy preparations by a group of representatives from the four main academic areas and has been completed after a broad consultation process at the university.

While the former internationalisation strategy was directed at the development of services for international students and staff at Aarhus University, the new strategy takes a closer look at the content and prioritisation of goals and initiatives within the university's four core activities.

The strategy focuses on internationalisation as a way of supporting the goals of the academic environments, with focus being targeted at the proactive recruitment of research talents, the increased international mobility of AU students and participation in international educational collaboration.


MatchPoints: Danish challenge up for debate

This year's MatchPoints took place over the weekend. The contribution made by volunteers in Denmark to the high level of social capital in the country was the starting point for the special inspiration day which kicked off the MatchPoints seminar.

As Aarhus University's Distinguished Visiting Professor Robert D. Putnam from Harvard put it, Denmark is world champion when it comes to social capital. However, the challenge will be to maintain the high level of voluntarism which is an important aspect of social cohesion and capital in Denmark. This prompted lively discussion among the almost 400 participants, who represented a varied cross-section of Danish voluntary associations and government agencies and institutions.

Thursday evening saw the opening of the academic part of MatchPoints, and on Friday Robert D. Putnam gave a further presentation, this time followed by a discussion with a number of Danish politicians about what Denmark can learn from what America has experienced. 

The Matchpoints seminar ended on Saturday. 

Audio podcasts will be uploaded to the AU website from the seminar, including one of Putnam's presentations.  


Entrepreneurial University extended until 2015

Aarhus University can continue to call itself Denmark's Entrepreneurial University until March 2015.

Aarhus University won the title in 2010, and the original project ran up until 2014. Now, the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) has been given a further 12 months to integrate entrepreneurship in the degree programmes and conceive new businesses in the Student Incubator.

In 2015, the CEI project will end with a conference at which results and experience from the Entrepreneurial University will be presented.


AU alumni network tops 20,000 members

In 2012 there were 10,000 members, in June 2013 we passed the 15,000 mark, and earlier this month AU's alumni network rounded 20,000 members. Most of the members hold a Master's degree, or are alumni who have completed a different programme at AU, but current students and staff can also become members and benefit from the network.


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/2014.