News from the senior management team no. 29/2015

Aarhus University celebrates anniversary

Last Friday marked the 87th anniversary of Aarhus University. While students celebrated the day in the University Park with a sports day and Denmark's biggest Friday bar, the traditional annual celebration was held for the university’s partners and employees in a packed Main Hall. 

In connection with the annual celebration, Dr Sten Scheibye, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novo Nordisk and member of a string of other boards of directors, was appointed Arhus University distinguished alumnus 2015. The annual celebration is also the occasion on which Rector Brian Bech Nielsen presents the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation’s two prizes of honour. This year they were awarded to:

  • Associate Professor Kristina Risom Jespersen, who received the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation Prize of Honour for Pedagogics
  • Professor Lars Østergaard, who received the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation Research Communication Prize

Moreover, the names of four new honorary doctors at Aarhus University were announced:

  • Professor Stephen A. Mitchell, Harvard University, newly appointed honorary doctor at Arts
  • Sir Gregory Winter, Trinity College, Cambridge, newly appointed honorary doctor at Science and Technology
  • Professor John Kopchick, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, newly appointed honorary doctor at Health
  • Erik Hørlyck, lawyer, newly appointed honorary doctor at Aarhus BSS

In addition, four students received the HM Queen Margrethe II Travel Grant.

Here, you can also read what the senior management team chose to highlight with respect to the current political agenda.

Read about the annual celebration

Read more about the Sports day and Denmark’s biggest Friday bar


Rector to become acting university director

Rector Brian Bech Nielsen will take over as acting university director when Jane Kraglund steps down on 30 September. The position of university director is expected to be advertised as soon as possible.


New management structure at Arts 

Dean Johnny Laursen has decided to introduce a new management structure for the Dean’s Office at Arts to reflect the university’s organisation with two main interdisciplinary committees, the Committee on Education and the Research Committee. 

The current three vice-dean positions at Arts will be reduced to two. The decision means that Marianne Ping Huang and Jan Ifversen will not continue in their current positions as as vice-deans. They will both continue to work at Aarhus University in other positions. The position of vice-dean for education will be advertised. Dean Johnny Laursen will handle the tasks himself for a short period until an acting dean for education has been found. 

Anne Marie Pahuus is vice-dean for research and talent and will continue to hold this position. She is also head of the graduate school at Arts. 

  • Read more (in Danish) 

Poul Nissen first Dane to be awarded Gregori Aminoff Prize

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Gregori Aminoff Prize in crystallography 2016 to Professor Poul Nissen, Aarhus University. He will be the first Dane to receive the Gregori Aminoff Prize, an international prize which has been awarded since 1979 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences within crystallography to reward “a documented, individual contribution in the field of crystallography, including areas concerned with the dynamics of the formation and dissolution of crystal structures”.

The prize is named after the Swedish scientist and artist Gregori Aminoff (1883-1947) who, from 1923,  a former professor of mineralogy at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.


Staff and students collect money for refugees 

Staff and students at Aarhus University are together supporting an initiative to collect money to help refugees both in Denmark and in hotspots around the world. The initiative has been taken by Associate Professor Christina Fiig and Associate Professor Sara Dybris McQuaid, together with students Caroline Lundqvist and Alice Sahinkuye.

In the space of just a few days, over DKK 90,000 has been collected. A really impressive result, which suggests the collection will reach its target of DKK 125,000. 


Calendar


We hope that all students and staff enjoyed the anniversary celebrations.

Kind regards

The Senior Management Team

      Aarhus University celebrates anniversary Last Friday marked the 87th anniversary of Aarhus University. While students celebrated the day in the University Park with a sports day and Denmark's biggest Friday bar, the traditional annual celebration was held for the university’s partners and employees in a packed Main Hall. In connection with the annual celebration, Dr Sten Scheibye, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novo Nordisk and member of a string of other boards of directors, was appointed Arhus University distinguished alumnus 2015. The annual celebration is also the occasion on which Rector Brian Bech Nielsen presents the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation’s two prizes of honour. This year they were awarded to: • Associate Professor Kristina Risom Jespersen, who received the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation Prize of Honour for Pedagogics • Professor Lars Østergaard, who received the Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation Research Communication Prize Moreover, the names of four new honorary doctors at Aarhus University were announced: • Professor Stephen A. Mitchell, Harvard University, newly appointed honorary doctor at Arts • Sir Gregory Winter, Trinity College, Cambridge, newly appointed honorary doctor at Science and Technology • Professor John Kopchick, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, newly appointed honorary doctor at Health • Erik Hørlyck, lawyer, newly appointed honorary doctor at Aarhus BSS In addition, four students received the HM Queen Margrethe II Travel Grant. Here, you can also read what the senior management team chose to highlight with respect to the current political agenda. • Read Michael Christiansen’s speech(in Danish) • Read Brian Bech Nielsen’s speech (in Danish) Read about the annual celebration Read more about the Sports day and Denmark’s biggest Friday bar ________________________________________ Rector to become acting university director Rector Brian Bech Nielsen will take over as acting university director when Jane Kraglund steps down on 30 September. The position of university director is expected to be advertised as soon as possible. ________________________________________ New management structure at Arts Dean Johnny Laursen has decided to introduce a new management structure for the Dean’s Office at Arts to reflect the university’s organisation with two main interdisciplinary committees, the Committee on Education and the Research Committee. The current three vice-dean positions at Arts will be reduced to two. The decision means that Marianne Ping Huang and Jan Ifversen will not continue in their current positions as as vice-deans. They will both continue to work at Aarhus University in other positions. The position of vice-dean for education will be advertised. Dean Johnny Laursen will handle the tasks himself for a short period until an acting dean for education has been found. Anne Marie Pahuus is vice-dean for research and talent and will continue to hold this position. She is also head of the graduate school at Arts. • Read more (in Danish) ________________________________________ Poul Nissen first Dane to be awarded Gregori Aminoff Prize The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Gregori Aminoff Prize in crystallography 2016 to Professor Poul Nissen, Aarhus University. He will be the first Dane to receive the Gregori Aminoff Prize, an international prize which has been awarded since 1979 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences within crystallography to reward “a documented, individual contribution in the field of crystallography, including areas concerned with the dynamics of the formation and dissolution of crystal structures”. The prize is named after the Swedish scientist and artist Gregori Aminoff (1883-1947) who, from 1923, a former professor of mineralogy at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. • Read more ________________________________________ Staff and students collect money for refugees Staff and students at Aarhus University are together supporting an initiative to collect money to help refugees both in Denmark and in hotspots around the world. The initiative has been taken by Associate Professor Christina Fiig and Associate Professor Sara Dybris McQuaid, together with students Caroline Lundqvist and Alice Sahinkuye. In the space of just a few days, over DKK 90,000 has been collected. A really impressive result, which suggests the collection will reach its target of DKK 125,000. • Read more about the collection(in Danish) ________________________________________ Calendar • 15-16 September: University Board meeting at the Sandbjerg Estate • 20-23 October: Nordic Centre – Fudan anniversary • 4 November: University Board meeting • 6 November: Aarhus Symposium • 12-13 November: MatchPoints Seminar 2015 We hope that all students and staff enjoyed the anniversary celebrations. 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/2015.