News from the senior management team no. 34/2019
Time to slow down and relax
Dear colleagues,
The year is coming to an end, and very soon Christmas and New Year will be upon us. Although there are exams to be reviewed, machinery to be maintained, animals to be taken care of, experiments to be monitored and much more, we hope that all of you will be able to slow down and enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones.
We would like to thank each and everyone of you for your work for Aarhus University in the past year. The new year will bring new and exciting challenges, and we're looking forward to addressing these new challenges with you. But before that, we would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!
Berit, Arnold and Brian
The Inge Lehmann programme is in line with AU's focus on gender balance
The Ministry of Higher Education and Science's new Inge Lehmann programme is a good initiative that complements the activities set in motion by Aarhus University, says Rector Brian Bech Nielsen about the new talent pool aiming to strengthen career paths for women in research:
"The number of female professors is lower in Denmark than the EU average. This means we're still under-utilising the talent pool. We must and can do better. As early as in 2016, Aarhus University launched an action plan in this area, and with support from the university's and the faculties' diversity and equal opportunities committees, we’ll be renewing this action plan next year. We’ll include structural initiatives, but we’ll also be looking at different ways to ensure the right culture is in place."
The Danish Parliament has earmarked DKK 20 million (EUR 2.7 mill.) from the research reserve funds for the Inge Lehmann programme in 2020. Men and women from all subject areas can apply for funding under the programme, which allows female applicants to be prioritised over male applicants, if they have the same qualifications. The programme is named after the internationally recognised Danish seismologist who demonstrated that the Earth's core is solid, not liquid.
AU publishes its first climate accounts
This week, AU published its first climate accounts. The accounts will be published annually in future. The accounts will have a central role in AU’s future climate strategy, which includes targets for reducing the university’s CO2 emissions.
Come and welcome the new dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences
Eskild Holm Nielsen will take up the position of dean of the new Faculty of Technical Sciences on 1 January 2020. Collaboration partners, staff and students are therefore invited to a reception on 16 January from 15:00-17:00 in the Ambulatory.
Nabanita Datta Gupta to be new member of the Danish Economic Council
Danish Minister of Finance, Nicolai Wammen, has appointed Professor of Economics Nabanita Datta Gupta as an economic advisor in the Danish Economic Council.
She will take up the position on 1 February, when AU Professor Michael Svarer, leaves the chairmanship.
New permanent secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
Hanne Meldgaard has been appointed as the new permanent secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, and will take up her position on 1 January 2020. Hanne Meldgaard comes from a position as a director in the Policy Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Aarhus University is looking forward to working with Hanne Meldgaard.
Review of the year at AU
We will soon be welcoming in the ‘20s. AU is celebrating this with a look back at ten events that have brought joy to students in the decade we will be saying farewell to.
Calendar
- 29 January: Meeting of the AU sustainability network
- 20 February: University Board meeting