New NAT strategy up for consultation

Over the past few months, the strategic direction for the faculty has been the topic of discussion throughout the faculty, at workshops at the individual departments; in focus groups with various student and staff-group representatives; at a workshop with all professors employed at the faculty; and with contributions from representatives from the business community, upper secondary schools and the international panels that formed part of the departments' self-evaluation process.

This process yielded a large number of contributions and proposals that are relevant in the short term as well as in the longer term. The faculty management has been reviewing and discussing the many relevant inputs with great interest and has now selected the ones it believes should be given specific focus in the coming years.

The faculty's strategy is based on AU's strategy and comprises a core narrative describing who NAT is, as a faculty, as well as four strategic focus areas that the faculty wishes to prioritise in the coming years: collaboration and management, career development, recruitment and internationalisation.

The aim of the strategy is to ensure that the faculty can contribute even more with new knowledge and to solving topical societal challenges through research and education of the highest quality and through collaboration with the surrounding society.

Dean Kristian Pedersen appreciates the many good discussions and inputs that the strategy process has yielded and is pleased to be able to now send the draft strategy for consultation.

"It's been extremely inspirational and useful to hear the ideas and wishes of employees and students. I'm incredibly pleased to be able to send this draft strategy for consultation, which is the product of a concerted effort. Now I'm looking forward to hearing what staff and students think we should focus on first. I hope that everyone will contribute to the discussions in the respective bodies at the departments and faculty," says Kristian Pedersen.

The deadline for submitting consultation responses to the faculty is Friday 12 March at 12:00 noon.

Submission of consultation responses is via the consultation parties.

To consultation parties are:

• Departments and centres
• The Academic Council
• The Faculty Liaison Committee (FSU)
• The Faculty Occupational Health and Safety Committee (FAMU)
• Administration Centre Nat-Tech
• Students, who will be involved via an online general meeting with the Dean

FACTS:

The faculty strategy is based on the AU strategy 2025.
The faculty strategy establishes a link between the AU strategy and the departments' own strategies.
The strategy first describes a core narrative about who NAT is, as a faculty, what characterises us, where we come from and the direction in which we want to go in the coming years.
The strategy also comprises a series of objectives and strategic initiatives best achieved and implemented across departments, and which the faculty wishes to prioritise in the coming years.
The objectives and the strategic initiatives are grouped under four focus areas: collaboration and management, career development, recruitment and internationalisation. The strategy is an expression of the faculty's priorities and complements the initiatives that are initiated based on Aarhus University's strategy.

• Read the draft strategy (pdf)