Aarhus University's 2020-2025 climate strategy was made available for consultation by staff and students on Monday 13 January. The climate strategy presents Aarhus University's own objectives and efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by AU and it is divided into four areas: buildings, procurement, transport and waste. The climate strategy lives up to the government's climate plan.
Staff are welcome to submit contributions to their local liaison committees. The management at individual faculties and in the administration will collate the contributions and prepare consultation responses.
The consultation period ends on 3 March 2020, and the strategy is expected to be finally approved in April 2020.
As of 1 January 2020, there are now five faculties at Aarhus University. The Faculty of Science and Technology has been divided into the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Last week, 600 business leaders from the City of Aarhus took part in a New Year's briefing at Aarhus City Hall. The themes were green growth and sustainable business development. According to Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard, Aarhus University and its unique talent pool are an important factor in ensuring that the city can achieve its goal to be carbon-neutral by 2030. The university's upcoming new hub for the entrepreneurial environment - The Kitchen - has been envisioned as a core element when it opens in February.
On Friday evening, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen was honoured with the Business Network Aarhus Award. Among other things, the prize was awarded to Brian Bech Nielsen in recognition of Aarhus University's significance for business-community growth opportunities and city development.
That diversity and gender equality are an important focus area at Aarhus University is not open to discussion. On the other hand, it is important to discuss exactly how the university can best promote diversity and equality in all areas from workplace culture and recruitment to career development and management.
For this reason, the AU Committee for Diversity and Gender Equality invites you to a full-day conference on Friday 13 March in the Main Hall. The Committee was established in 2019 with the rector as the chair, and managers, staff and students are very welcome to come to the conference and contribute to the discussion on how AU can best promote diversity and gender equality.
Rector Brian Bech Nielsen will also be presenting the main points in AU’s upcoming action plan for the area. The action plan will be submitted for consultation after the conference.
The keynote speakers at the conference will be Professor Jo Silvester from Loughborough University Business School and Professor Jens Hjorth from the University of Copenhagen. In the afternoon, there will be break-out sessions for each of the faculties, with focus on relevant issues. The moderator for the conference will be the journalist Nynne Bjerre Christensen.
2020 is the Year of Cultural Friendship between Denmark and Germany, and this year's MatchPoints Seminar on 23-25 April will be on this theme. You can now register for the conference, which will debate the Danish-German relationship. The MatchPoints Seminar 2020 is for anyone with an interest in Danish, German and European topics, whether they be researchers, members of the business community, government officials, school teachers, students or members of the general public.
A large number of researchers and debaters will visit the conference, including American historian and author Anne Applebaum and Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod. AU staff will receive a discount for the conference and can buy tickets for DKK 500 (normal price DKK 1750).