15 DECEMBER 2011 RECTOR HOLM-NIELSEN'S CHRISTMAS SPEECH THE MAIN HALL - 15 DECEMBER 2011

15 DECEMBER 2011 RECTOR HOLM-NIELSEN'S CHRISTMAS SPEECH CURRENT STATUS, THE 2012 BUDGET AND AU'S FINANCES STATUS OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INITIATIVES OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN 2012

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY A STRONG POSITION TO BUILD ON RANKINGSAARHUS UNIVERSITY Leiden ARWU QS THE HEEACT

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU IN KEY FIGURES Bachelor17,504 Master16,395 Part-time Master etc.5,176 PhD1,891 Total no. of students:40,966 IHA2,600 STUDENTS Academic staff4,446 Academic staff (part-time)2,028 Administrative/technical staff 4,725 Total no. staff members:11,199 IHA183 STAFF Annual report 2008 Annual report 2009 Annual report 2010 Budget 2011 Budget 2012 (incl. IHA) Billions DKK (2012 level) 5,1975,4955,7106,0216,196 FINANCES Buildings Total AU building area601,000 m 2.

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY BUDGET 2012 AU is affected by the general economic recession, and we anticipate weak short- term growth despite increases in student admissions, exams passed and external research funding. However, AU predicts long-term growth as a result of the Barcelona target and Horizon 2020 (EU's 8th framework programme). Therefore, we will continue to develop our permanent research staff. Aarhus University's finances are sound Turnover for 2012 is DKK 6,005 million (excl. IHA) Liquidity at the beginning of 2012: >DKK 1.5 billion Confirmed external grants at the beginning of 2012: >DKK 3.7 billion Projected equity at the beginning of 2012: DKK 591 million Operating surplus: DKK 27 million in 2009, DKK 98 million in 2010, and DKK 51 million in 2011 (projected) The implementation of the academic development process will take time. The operating surpluses of previous years will be invested in new initiatives in the period DKK 50 million in 2012 and DKK 20 million in subsequent years

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY SOLID EQUITY PROVIDES STABILITY IN TIMES OF CHANGE

15 DECEMBER 2011 RECTOR HOLM-NIELSEN'S CHRISTMAS SPEECH CURRENT STATUS, THE 2012 BUDGET AND AU'S FINANCES STATUS OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INITIATIVES OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN 2012

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY SIGNIFICANT STAFF INFLUENCE AND STRONG LEADERSHIP AU forums Academic councils Departmental forums Advisory boards Employer panels Advisory committees AU Board AU Management

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY IMPROVING THE STUDY ENVIRONMENT Seventy projects have received funding as a consequence of the 2011 study environment survey A total of DKK 8 million Support for innovative project which will benefit all AU students in the long run EXAMPLES AREAAMOUNT Development, research and teaching on "the intercultural classroom" BSS163,000 Development of online learning environmentsAR354,000 Development of students' study skills and cooperation skillsST150,000 Development of feedback culture with peer feedback and collegial supervision HE200,000 Academic integration of new students on modern language degree programmes AR and BSS460,000 Courses on spotting and handling stress for student counsellors University- wide 360,000

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU IDEAS: VISIONARY AND ORIGINAL IDEAS APPLICATION PROCESS COMPLETE 254 applications Evaluation process concluded 45 applicants to receive a total of DKK 78.4 million (original grant: DKK 50 million) EVALUATION COMMITTEE Morten Kyndrup (chair) Helle Vandkilde (AR) Jørgen Frøkiær (HE) Flemming Besenbacher (ST) Karl Anker Jørgensen (ST) Torben M. Andersen (BSS)

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU IDEAS: EXAMPLES OF VISIONARY IDEAS EXAMPLEIDEA AREAGRANT Centre for Cultural Epidemics (Lotte Meinert og Jens Seeberg) The centre’s central research question is: What does ”infection” really mean? Among other issues, the centre will investigate how non-contagious diseases spread. AR Novel ideas for better antidepressants (Gregers Wegener) Depression is a serious illness which is becoming increasingly widespread. The new centre will engage in cross-faculty collaboration to identify new strategies for understanding how antidepressants work. HE Pilot Centre for Community-driven Research: Game Assisted Quantum Computing (Jacob Friis Sheron) The centre departs from the conventional understanding of the research project by combining research on IT, learning, and physics in order to develop a game-based platform to investigatge one of the 21st century’s great challenges: the development of the ”quantum computer” ST Centre for Political Party Research (POLIS) (Christoffer Green- Pedersen) The centre’s central assumption is that poiltical parties still play a central role in politics, despite the fickleness of voters, the decrease in organised party membership, and the mediation of communication between voters and politicians by the media. BSS

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTRES CONTRIBUTION TO RESOLVING "GRAND CHALLENGES" AU's strategy combines interdisciplinary research with strong core disciplines The process is headed by Dean Brian Bech Nielsen and the vice-deans for research CENTRES UNDER INTERNATIONAL PEER REVIEW Centre for iSequencing (Anders Børglum, HE) Neurocampus (Anders Nykjær, HE) Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (Preben Bo Mortensen, BSS) Centre for Arctic Research (Søren Rysgaard, ST) OPEN PROCESS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL iCENTRES Two of the original proposals (Centre for Food, Nutrition and Health and Centre for Global Change and Development) are still under consideration Thirteen additional proposals received by 1 October deadline Three of these have been selected to advance to the next round

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AARHUS INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES (AIAS) APPROVED CONCEPT The institute will offer optimal conditions for interdisciplinary research across a wide range of fields Fellowships of 1-3 years, primarily for younger researchers Close links between AU research programmes and AIAS fellows Physical surroundings which support a dynamic research environment THE NEXT STEP Interim board under appointment Selection of AIAS head ad interim Recruitment of fellows and members of international advisory group AU DEVELOPMENT GROUP Morten Kyndrup (chair) Helle Vandkilde (AR) Dorte M. Søndergaard (AR) Jørgen Frøkiær (HE) Vibeke Hjortdal (HE) Flemming Besenbacher (ST) Bo Barker Jørgensen (ST) Erik Jeppesen (ST) Karl Anker Jørgensen (ST) Dorthe Berntsen (BSS) Torben M. Andersen (BSS)

15 DECEMBER 2011 RECTOR HOLM-NIELSEN'S CHRISTMAS SPEECH CURRENT STATUS, THE 2012 BUDGET AND AU'S FINANCES STATUS OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INITIATIVES OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN 2012

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY MERGER WITH THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE OF AARHUS (IHA) Broad political support for merger - effective 1 January The merger will strengthen engineering research and degree programmes in Denmark. A unique construction, both in terms of competencies and educational opportunities - the first engineering college of its kind in Denmark Compliments AU's academic strengths and strengthens AU's contacts with society Science and Technology will develop the engineering sciences and integrate IHA's practically oriented diploma engineer degree programmes and AU's degree programmes in civil engineering.

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DANISH EU PRESIDENCY LECTURE SERIES: Five debate meetings at AU are scheduled in April, May and June 2012 in connection with the informal meetings of the Council of Ministers. The debates will be open to the general public. THE GREAT DEBATE 1-3 June 2012 at AU Aimed at students, journalists, NGOs, etc. INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES June 2012 in Aarhus Aimed at politicians, industry and research managers ACTIVE AU RESEARCHERS A large number of AU researchers will participate in EU Presidency events outside Aarhus

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY AU'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DANISH EU PRESIDENCY EXCELLENCE 2012 (18-20 April at AU) Official part of the programme for the Danish EU Presidency A partnership among AU, the Ministry of Education, the Danish National Research Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation and Universities Denmark Exploration of the concept of excellence and input to EU's Horizon 2020 framework programme Drafting of the Aarhus Excellence Declaration

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY STAFF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE AU BOARD NEW STAFF REPRESENTATIVES: RETIRING STAFF REPRESENTATIVES: Associate Professor Erik Strange Petersen ( ) Associate Professor Peter Bugge (2012-) Professor Susanne Bødker (2012-) Senior Researcher Martin Tang Sørensen ( ) Head of Department Secretariat Kirsten Jakobsen ( ) Laboratory Technician Bertha P. Beck Mortensen (2012-)

Lauritz B. Holm-Nielsen, Rector15 December 2011 AARHUS UNIVERSITY MAJOR CHANGES TAKE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES The most comprehensive reorganisation in the university's history continues. The changes we are experiencing are a strain on our organisation, and many employees feel uncertain and insecure. Working conditions in many parts of AU are still difficult, and the situation will continue to demand patience for some time yet, which is normal for processes of this kind Fortunately, there is strong support for the goals we have set. The management appreciates the great effort by all employees at a time, when things are far from perfect. I promise on behalf of the senior management team to take all of your problems seriously and work to find robust, sustainable solutions In a sense, we all have personnel responsibility for one another. In Bente Levisen (Health), who has just been named Danish personnel manager of the year, we have an excellent role model. I hope that her good example will serve as an inspiration to us all. The senior management team would like to thank the university's staff members, the academic councils and liaison committees - all of the thousands of people involved in the process - for their fantastic hard work and dedication

15 DECEMBER 2011 THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK - AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN