News from the senior management team no 33/2016

Action plans pave the way for more women in research 

Aarhus BSS, Science and Technology, Health and Arts have now adopted local action plans to pave the way for more women in research. This is happening on the basis of the overall action plan which was adopted in March 2016.

One of the key decisions which affects the entire university is the setting-up of ‘maternity/paternity leave accounts’ – either at school (Arts)/departmental (Aarhus BSS, ST, HE) or faculty level. In practice, this means that the additional costs associated with researchers taking maternity/paternity leave will no longer burden research project finances.

The situation is very different in the various departments/schools when it comes to gender balance – some are even finding it difficult to recruit enough male researchers. Based on the overall action plan, all the departments/schools have therefore now decided on their own targets and adopted local initiatives.

The initiatives include, for example, the appointment of search committees in connection with job vacancies as a way of ensuring more female applicants, for example. In addition, both genders must be represented on appointment committees and assessment committees, and, with financial support and increased flexibility, it must become more attractive for women to spend time abroad. Finally, sustained and persistent efforts are needed to change the culture that exists in the research environments.

The action plans have been discussed locally by the respective councils and committees, by the Committee for Research and External Cooperation and by the senior management team. The work will be followed closely, and there will be an annual follow-up and evaluation on the initiatives.


Rolling AU universe invites ideas about future campus

On 23 November 2016, Aarhus University is launching a little new mobile information centre which up until Christmas will be touring the university and the city of Aarhus.

The objective is to gather ideas and input for the development of the university’s campus environment in connection with the move to the AUH hospital buildings at Nørrebrogade. The hope is that the mobile centre will attract lots of curious stakeholders – internal as well as external – and encourage them to submit creative ideas as to what might constitute an attractive Campus 2.0 designed for the future. 

Everyone is welcome to cake and hot mulled wine in front of Stakladen on 23 November at 12:00, when the rolling AU universe will be named. Alternatively, visit the information centre when it is out and about.


Election time for students

On 21 and 24 November, the university elections are being held. Here, students can cast their votes for new student representatives on the AU Board, the academic councils and the boards of studies, while PhD students can elect new representatives for AU’s PhD committees.

The student representatives play an important role on the various bodies, providing input about the everyday lives of students and helping to inform many important decisions for the university.


Aarhus University and Central Denmark Region set up joint centre for genome data

The Central Denmark Region and Aarhus University are now establishing a joint genome data centre – a centre for analysing the human genome. The goal is to contribute to the safe handling, storage and use of the vast volumes of data which are increasingly involved in research and in the treatment of patients.

The newly established centre is based at the Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, at Aarhus University, which now has one of the largest supercomputers in Denmark dedicated to genomic analysis.

Rector Brian Bech Nielsen emphasises the fact that a common genome centre for the region and the university increases analysis capacity and creates a platform for research and education that will contribute to building further competences within personal medicine.


AU now has northern Europe’s most modern dissection facilities

On 3 November, the Department of Biomedicine officially inaugurated the university’s new, state-of-the-art dissection facilities. The new facilities, which include a new operating theatre, provide new and better opportunities for offering more further and continuing education to surgeons. Moreover, the renovation has also significantly improved the work environment for staff and students. In his inaugural speech, acting Dean at Health Ole Steen Nielsen mentioned that AU now has some of the best and most modern dissection facilities in northern Europe.


Quota 2 admissions to Medicine become permanent

The doubling of quota 2 admissions and the new entrance examination for Medicine which was used for the first time last spring will now become permanent.  This means that in future, 20 per cent of new students will be admitted via quota 2. Until 2016, the proportion was 10 per cent. 


Relocation process at Aarhus BSS

Aarhus BSS is now facing a major relocation process which brings together the school’s three core business departments at Fuglesangs Allé. The purpose of the relocation process is to strengthen the academic cooperation between the three departments, while at the same time creating new study and teaching environments across Aarhus BSS. The relocation will see the corporate communication activities of the Department of Business Communication and the Department of Management moving to Fuglesangs Allé, and all the activities of the Department of Economics and Business Economics will also be brought together at Fuglesangs Allé. The relocation is expected to be completed in the course of spring and summer 2017.


AU student new chair of National Union of Students in Denmark

Sana Mahin Doost, an AU student and vice-chair of the Student Council at AU has, from 1 February 2017, been elected as the new chair of the National Union of Students in Denmark (DSF) – the students’ national organisation which, through 16 member organisations represents about 170,000 students.  


Lars Arge is new secretary general of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

Lars Arge, professor of Computer Science at AU and director of MADALGO, the Center for Massive Data Algorithmics, has been appointed secretary general of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. The 275-year-old academy serves as a meeting place for Denmark’s top researchers, and today has about 500 members from Denmark and abroad.


Literary prize for Dorthe Jørgensen

Dorthe Jørgensen, professor of philosophy and the history of ideas at AU, has received the Danish Authors’ Society’s non-fiction prize. She has received the award for her impressive and ground-breaking writings, including the way in which she communicates so-called metaphysics of experience.


Congratulations to the HK club on its 50th anniversary

Last Thursday, 17 November, the HK (National Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees) club at Aarhus University, which is one of the oldest in the country, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Both Lizette Risgaard, president of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen and University Director Arnold Boon gave speeches during the celebrations in the Main Hall.

Brian Bech Nielsen highlighted the important role played by the HK club at Aarhus University both professionally and socially, and warmly thanked the members for their ability to make everything run smoothly for researchers, managers and administrative employees.

Arnold Boon highlighted the fact that the HK employees possess many of the competences that are key to further integrating the administration with the university’s core activities.

The senior management team warmly congratulates the HK club on its anniversary.
 


Calendar

  • 22 November: Conference: ‘Challenges in international recruitment’
  • 25 November: UK ambassador visits AU
  • 28 November: GWS 2016 Summit
  • 1 December: HSU meeting
  • 5 December: French ambassador visits AU
  • 7 December: Aarhus University Board meeting
  • 9 December: Workshop number two for Campus 2.0

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.