Aarhus University has decided to join a new European network of 18 research-intensive universities, which will work to ensure that Europe continues to focus on creating new knowledge.
The network, the Guild of European Research Intensive Universities, was launched on 21 November at a large conference in Brussels. The network has met with a very positive reception from the EU.
On Tuesday 22 November, Aarhus University hosted an event that brought together around 100 representatives from universities in Denmark and other stakeholders to discuss the international recruitment of researchers.
The focal point of the debate was a new report from the DEA think tank which, as the third in a series, focuses on the international outlook for Danish research.
DEA organised the event in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University. The keynote speakers included Professor Benjamin Hermalin, who is part of the faculty management team at the University of California, and Professor Morten Ravn from University College London. Pro-rector Berit Eika welcomed the participants, and a number of AU researchers sat on the panel, including Professor Lars Arge, Vice-dean Lise Wogensen and Vice-dean Anne Marie Paahus.
The effective integration of researchers, early recruitment among assistant professors and postdocs, mentor schemes and mobile CVs were among the topics that were discussed.
At the moment, University Director Arnold Boon is making a round of visits to the AU administration, in conjunction with which the employees are presenting their most successful projects. What they all have in common is that they typically involve close cooperation with the academic environments. Arnold Boon is highlighting the importance of maintaining and developing cooperation across the administration and the academic organisation.
A new regional centre for Danish elite athletes may be in the melting pot. Together with the City of Aarhus and Team Danmark, Aarhus University organised a workshop last Friday which brought together a number of municipalities, sports clubs and educational institutions in Central Jutland to kick-start the drawing-up of visions for regional cooperation.
Aarhus University is contributing to the project on the basis of its extensive experience with offering study programmes for elite athletes through the so-called dual career concept. The initiative is also a chance to bring the university’s research into play.
The regional centre is intended as an appendage to Team Danmark and the Sports Confederation of Denmark’s new national elite sports centre which was announced earlier this year.
Last Thursday, 24 November, Professor Poul Nissen received the prestigious research award of Direktør Ib Henriksens Fond for his outstanding work within structural biology, more specifically his skill at promoting interdisciplinary and international cooperation in his research field.
Applications are now being accepted for up to 15 international AIAS-COFUND Marie Curie Fellowships and five internal Jens Christian Skou Fellowships. The application deadlines are 3 February and 10 February, respectively.
On Wednesday 23 November, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen inaugurated and named a rolling miniature version of Aarhus University. Under the name ‘AUtocampus’, it will be touring the university and the city between now and Christmas to gather ideas for the new Campus 2.0. The rector is encouraging everybody to come forward with ideas.
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.