Ulrik Uggerhøj to continue as head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Department of Physics and Astronomy have been through a period of adjustments of both manpower and activities, but now the framework for the department's future is in place. Therefore, the task now is to focus on the organisation of the department in order to fit with the new framework, while at the same time ensuring broad involvement, as well as defining strengths and establishing stronger ties with external partners.

"The department must find its strengths and prioritise its education and research efforts strategically. There's a huge and exciting development task ahead of us, and I'm pleased that Ulrik has agreed to lead the further development of physics and astronomy over the next five years," says Birgit Schiøtt, dean of Natural Sciences.

Involvement and development

It was Ulrik Uggerhøj himself who asked for the position of department head to be advertised. After a challenging period in which the department has diminished, we need a department head with a clear mandate to lead the development of the department. He has now got it.

"I'm really looking forward to getting started on my second period as head of department. Department of Physics and Astronomy IFA is a great place to work with highly skilled, friendly and ambitious employees in all functions, both academic staff and technical-administrative. We will spend the coming years developing as a department so we can be even stronger," says Ulrik Uggerhøj.

He predicts that within the next few years, we will likely see significant developments, particularly in Denmark, in areas such as quantum technology, space research, nuclear power, and high-performance computing – all topics to which IFA can make significant contributions, and where the institute's contributions will be noticed both nationally and internationally.

"We need to strengthen our research areas, improve our educational efforts further, increase external funding and forge even stronger relationships with our external partners. These are exciting tasks to which we must find good solutions. Fortunately, I'm not alone. I look forward to discussing the opportunities and developing the department together with the many competent employees.

There are a lot of complex tasks on the table in front of the reappointed head of department. Therefore, Ulrik Uggerhøj wants to expand the management of the department:

"The management of IFA will be expanded so that it will be broader in scope and include more people. I'm sure that it will strengthen IFA if there are more of us to discuss the background for the important decisions in future."

Ulrik Uggerhøj's appointment as head of department was due to expire at the end of January 2025, but his appointment has now been reappointed until early 2030.

About Ulrik Uggerhøj:

Professor Ulrik Uggerhøj has been affiliated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Aarhus University as a researcher since 2000, as deputy head of department since 2011 and as department head since 2018. He was educated in Aarhus and at the joint European research centre CERN near Geneva, where he spent a total of five years and where he later conducted the majority of his research. Ulrik Uggerhøj is co-author of more than 140 scientific articles and has written several books on the theory of relativity.

Ulrik Uggerhøj was born in 1968 and is married to doctor Malene Uggerhøj, with whom he has 3 children.

Contact:

Professor Ulrik Uggerhøj
Phone: 2338 2373
E-mail: ulrik@phys.au.dk