The government's new initiative with regard to Danish research and innovation includes some promising elements. It is particularly important to note that the government is articulating even loftier ambitions as regards research. However, whether it is appropriate to deliberately aim for Nobel Prizes is open to discussion. However, we choose to see the Nobel rhetoric as the expression of the goal of achieving the very best research quality in selected fields in which we are already very strong, and in this context it is exciting to see that the government is encouraging an even closer collaboration between this public sector research and private foundations in the collective national interest.
In purely general terms, we consider the government's ambition on behalf of Danish research to be a positive thing. That said, the fact that this is not accompanied by more funding is a problem, and as Universities Denmark wrote in their press release following the presentation of the new initiative, we hope that the government will provide additional resources to the area going forward – including financial resources. Of course, there exists a target of spending 1 percent of GDP, thus providing a natural increase because of a GDP that increases every year; but this is hardly enough to fulfil the ambitions of the initiative. For instance, the Confederation of Danish Industry has, on several occasions, drawn attention to the fact that we should strive to achieve up to 1.5 percent of GDP.
Certainly, it is also of interest to us as a university to see that the initiative calls for a new model for the allocation of basic funding. As stated many times before, it is absolutely crucial for individual universities to have the freedom to secure and support not only the environments that are strong at present, but also the fields that have the potential for such strength.
Besides having top international quality as our main aim for a national research strategy, the initiative also focuses on ensuring that research benefits society as much as possible. This initiative also has our support. Finally, another important strategic milestone involves ensuring a strong focus at the national level on research that supports the digitisation of our society.
Links are in Danish
Last week, Aarhus University opened a new strategic research centre, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, or iClimate. The centre’s ambition is to combine basic scientific research with practical solutions in the field of climate change to the benefit of both communities and businesses. Dean Niels Christian Nielsen and Chair Connie Hedegaard both participated in the opening of the centre, which is based in Roskilde and headed by Professor Jørgen Brandt.
iClimate is the sixth new interdisciplinary research centre to be established by Science and Technology in 2017. These centres all have in common the fact that they focus specifically on developing solutions to the major societal challenges we face at present.
A party was held at JVM Bogbinderi in Kolding on Tuesday, when the millionth copy of the highly commended Tænkepauser series of books from Aarhus University Press rolled off the presses.
The series, which began in 2012, now includes 54 books in which researchers from Aarhus University dedicate 60 pages to passing on their knowledge of everything from faith, hope and love to ants and monsters. The millionth book is entitled Fiktion (Fiction) and it was written by literature historian Simona Zetterberg Gjerlevsen.
Søren Pind, Minister for Higher Education and Science, and Rector Brian Bech Nielsen were on hand to celebrate the event. Both of them consider this series to be a unique example of high-quality popular research communication. Find out how people reacted to the event (in Danish).
Last week, the Faculty of Arts hosted the major international conference High Tech – Human Touch. Experts and practitioners gathered here to discuss the need for humanistic competencies in business communities focusing on technological development. Vice-Dean Anne-Marie Pahuus, who was the main organiser of the event, was one of the debaters on the day, together with Rane Willerslev, director of the National Museum, Mimi Ito, a professor from UC Irvine, and Matias Møl Dalsgaard, CEO of Gomore. View a video from the conference.
Links are in Danish
It is important for researchers at Aarhus University to be aware that all publications published in 2017 must be registered in PURE by 15 January 2018. Registered publications will then be subjected to validation, with a deadline of 1 March 2018.
This registration is important to the Bibliometric Research Indicator, which is used in connection with the allocation of part of the new basic research funding to the universities.
AU Library has gathered information on deadlines and procedures for both registration and validation of publications, and will be holding a workshop on validation on 24 January. Register at pure@au.dk.
Steen Harrit Jakobsen, administrative centre manager at Health, will take over as head of staff at the Rector's Office on 1 April. He takes over the position from Kirsten Jensen.
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.