The Dean's Summer Greeting

The saying "There is a first time for everything" has defined my working life since I started as dean in May. From the first faculty management meeting and university management meeting, to touring the departments, attending Folkemødet on Bornholm, a study trip in the Netherlands, and now sending out the dean's summer greeting.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to say thank you very much for the warm welcome I have received at the faculty. As you know, Aarhus University is my home turf, but the perspective from the dean's office is new. I am impressed by the great commitment, dedication, and drive that I have experienced in my first visits and meetings.

Thank you to all of you who, in your own way, contribute to making the faculty a great place to study, an inspiring place to research, and a benefit to the society around us. We make a difference, and our knowledge is needed.

It will also be needed in the future, which is why it is not without anticipation that I and the rest of the faculty management look forward to working on the upcoming master's reform.

Last week, the government’s Master's Committee published an interim report that gave an insight into the preliminary discussions. The report does not provide any clear conclusions, so we cannot deduce how the master's reform will be implemented at Nat.

In addition, there is also sector sizing at the bachelor's level on the way. The work to determine the internal distribution of sizing at Aarhus University is ongoing, and the university management expects to be able to provide more information after the summer holidays.

Therefore, we are also planning an information meeting in August for all faculty staff. Here we will share as much as we know at that time, especially about the further process. You will receive an invitation in your inbox later. Until then, you can refer to the slides from the open hearing that the ministry invited earlier this month, which will summarize the main points.

Rector Brian Bech Nielsen spoke on behalf of Danish Universities about the Master's Committee's interim report and the challenges in an article on Altinget’s website. Omnibus has also written about the sizing of universities.

Thus, an eventful autumn awaits in many ways. Fortunately, it begins in the best possible way with the arrival of new, excited students who have chosen good natural science programs, and they need to be well supported in their studies.

I also look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at NAT Get-together on August 9th. If you haven't already signed up, you can do so here.

Finally, I wish everyone a well-deserved summer vacation.