News from the senior management team no. 35/2016

Aarhus University and Business Region Aarhus form new strong partnership

Aarhus University and Business Region Aarhus have just signed a new partnership agreement. The aim is to create optimum conditions for growth and development in the business region – among other things by recruiting more international researchers to the university. In this connection, the partnership will focus on the career opportunities available to researchers’ spouses.


Aarhus University to forge closer ties to business and industry

In an interview with the newspaper JP Aarhus, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen highlights the importance of forging closer relations with business and industry. Forecasts for the period up until 2030 show that far more graduates from Danish universities will have to find jobs in the private sector. Thus, according to Rector Nielsen, it is not a question of whether but of how we can ensure that more students in future find their way into the private labour market. In the article, the rector talks about the university’s current focus areas, which he describes as a three-lane bridge to business and industry. It is both a question of adjusting admissions in favour of more engineers, focusing more on the career prospects of the degree programmes, and enabling more graduates to establish viable start-ups.

The strategy was adopted by the University Board in the summer, and is now being implemented at the faculties.


New energy laboratory opens in Aarhus

Last Friday, 2 December, Aarhus University opened the biggest and most advanced energy laboratory in northern Europe – RESCUE Lab – where it will be possible for researchers, students and businesses to experiment with tomorrow’s electrical energy technology. Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (ST), Niels Christian Nielsen, states that RESCUE Lab is an important contribution to Denmark’s vision of achieving a completely sustainable energy supply as early as 2050. 


High number of respondents in study environment survey

In total, 46 per cent of students have completed the comprehensive study environment survey. This is 1,844 more students than in the last survey in 2014. The Education Committee deems this to be very satisfactory. 


University elections 2016 held

The university elections have been held, and the seats on the university  board, the academic councils, the boards of studies and AU’s PhD committees have been filled. The senior management team congratulates and welcomes all the new students who have committed themselves to making a positive difference for their fellow students.

Two student representatives were elected to the University Board, 17 to the academic councils, 96 to the boards of studies and nine to the PhD committees. We look forward to working with you all. 


New report increases AU’s focus on secure online behaviour

A new report from the Centre for Cyber Security (CFCS) under the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) concludes that the cyber threat against Danish public institutions is high and real. Consequently, the management urges everyone to pay more attention to issues of digital security.


Welcome to new ministers

Aarhus University congratulates and welcomes Søren Pind, the new Minister for Higher Education and Science, Merete Riisager, the new Minister for Children, Education and Gender Equality, and Ellen Trane Nørby, the new Minister for Health. Also, many congratulations to Esben Lunde Larsen, who is staying on as Minister for Environment and Food of Denmark. We look forward to close and constructive cooperation with all the ministers.


AU professor to head Danish Council for Independent Research for two more years

Professor Peter Munk Christiansen, head of the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University, will stay on as chair of the Board of the Danish Council for Independent Research for another two years.


Calendar 

  • 7 December: Aarhus University Board meeting
  • 9 December: Workshop number two for Campus 2.0
  • 19 December: Joint meeting of the Main Liaison Committee (HSU) and the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee (HAMU)
  • 16 January: Aarhus University Board meeting

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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.