News from the senior management no. 33/2017

Première of live streaming of lectures for upper secondary school students

Last Thursday, Aarhus University premièred a new initiative targeted at upper secondary schools. Around 450 upper secondary school students gathered in the S building at Fuglesangs Allé for a lecture about the upcoming municipal elections. Via live streaming, an additional 3,000 followed the proceedings from their schools as Rune Stubager and Jørgen Elklit, both professors at the Department of Political Science, supplied the academic content.

The live streaming is a follow-on from the very popular public science lectures, and the interest has been overwhelming with 44 upper secondary schools all over Denmark registering to participate. The plan is for the live streamings to upper secondary schools to continue in 2018 within different fields of study, focusing either on a topical event or an issue of particular importance to society and which support the intended learning outcomes of the students.

However, the students are not the only focus of Aarhus University’s broad cooperation with the upper secondary schools. Last week, a number of management representatives from Aarhus University met with the heads of 38 upper secondary schools for an annual network meeting. The topics discussed included career learning in upper secondary schools, and how to work together to ensure the natural progression from upper secondary school to university.


Two VILLUM Investigator grants to Aarhus University

In spring 2017, Professor Jens-Christian Svenning from the Department of Bioscience and Professor Bjørk Hammer from the Department of Physics and Astronomy received a combined DKK 65 million under the new ‘VILLUM Investigator’ funding programme.

Last Thursday, this was marked with a festive ceremony in the Main Hall, where Rector Brian Bech Nielsen thanked the VILLUM Foundation for the trust they signal with the new programme, which will allow excellent researchers at Danish research institutions to investigate topics that they are particularly passionate about.

“With the VILLUM Investigator grants, the VILLUM Foundation has turned the old Lenin quote on its head: ‘Trust is good, but control is better’ – for this we thank you! The VILLUM Investigator grant is a vote of confidence – a way of telling researchers that we have confidence in your ideas, your curiosity and your work ethic,” Brian Bech Nielsen said in his speech.

Jens-Christian Svenning has received a grant of DKK 40 million for research at the Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), while Bjørk Hammer has been given DKK 25 million for the Machine Learning in Atomistic Structure Determination research project.


University elections: You can vote until 16 November

While the election campaigns are well under way in the Danish municipalities and regions, Aarhus University is holding its own elections. From Monday 13 November up to and including Thursday, academic staff and students at Aarhus University will be electing representatives to the university’s numerous councils, boards and committees. Everyone is encouraged to cast their vote.


Søren Pind visits AU Foulum

On 9 November, Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen welcomed Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science Søren Pind to AU Foulum. The meeting had been arranged on behalf of Kristian Pihl Lorentzen (Liberal Party), and the delegation also included Ulrik Wilbek, who is running for mayor for the Liberal Party in the Municipality of Viborg.

The minister and his entourage were given a presentation of research into energy supply systems, including examples of how Aarhus University works with, for example, Haldor Topsoe, Apple and other companies on research and the development of sustainable energy systems.

The minister was then shown examples of research exemplifying how sustainability, technology and smart solutions can go hand in hand with farming in future. In the coming years, research into machine learning and artificial intelligence is, for example, expected to revolutionise the way we farm the land.

The visit concluded with examples of how we can optimise the protein mix and quality in food research. At the end of the visit, the minister was full of praise: “You’re really on to something good here in Viborg.”


Dean at Health: Research not necessarily accepted as the gospel truth

Dean at Health Lars Bo Nielsen is urging researchers to become better at telling the world about the conditions under which researchers work at a time when facts and scientific findings are not necessarily accepted as the gospel truth by the general public. In an article in Science Report on 7 November, he stressed the need to stand up for the fact that the research-based knowledge which is presented is the most likely – but not necessary the gospel – truth. He believes that this is the way to ensure that people choose science over sudden whims.


Three young new Lundbeck Foundation fellows from Biomedicine

The Lundbeck Foundation has selected five well-established young researchers for their fellowships – including three from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University. A fellowship comes with DKK 10 million for research over the next five years.


Fruit snacks, biodegradable plastic and walking frames won this year’s case competition at ST

The winners of the annual case competition at Science and Technology – the Dean’s Challenge – were announced on Monday 6 November. Three categories and the three winners were announced. Members of the jury were Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen and representatives from Oticon, Enorm and LEGO.

Case competitions play an important role in our efforts to build bridges between the university and the business community, and the Business Committee is currently working to develop the area, among other things based on positive experience from ST.


Two AU researchers appointed to Independent Research Fund Denmark

Professor Helle Vandkilde, School of Culture and Society, and Professor Søren Serritzlew, Department of Political Science, have been appointed new members of the Independent Research Fund Denmark|Humanities and the Independent Research Fund Denmark|Social Sciences, respectively. Based on their expert knowledge, they will contribute to identifying the most original ideas in Danish research.


Initiative Prize to company with roots in Aarhus University 

On 9 November, the Aarhus-based company Cryptomathic DI was presented with the East Jutland Initiative Prize 2017. The local company supplies secure server solutions worldwide. An important reason for receiving the award is the company’s close cooperation with the research environment at Aarhus University.


PhD Career Day 2017

On 16 November, all PhDs and young researchers across academic disciplines can meet and network with businesses at the annual PhD Career Day, including Novo Nordisk, Grundfos, COWI and Vestas.

The event is free, and registration for researchers and PhDs is open until 14 November.


Cooperation with University of York extended

Aarhus University’s broadly based cooperation with the University of York has just been extended by an additional three years. The agreement covers collaboration on both research and education, including the exchange of PhDs.


Calendar

  • 13 November:  275th anniversary of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
  • 14 November:  50th anniversary of Universities Denmark
  • 23 November: Aarhus University hosts the Coimbra network’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of Erasmus(+)
  • 5 December: Aarhus University opens the Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change at ST
  • 12 December: Aarhus University Board meetinghttp://www.au.dk/typo3/sysext/t3skin/icons/gfx/edit_fe.gif

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.