NOVEMBER 2011

AARHUSUNIVERSITY RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

MERGERS AND COOPERATION STRUCTURES IN DENMARK

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN, AARHUS UNIVERSITY

WCU Shanghai

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN Nov. 2011NOVEMBER 2011

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RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

THE NORDIC KNOWLEDGE REGION

WCU Shanghai

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN Nov. 2011

NEW FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS IN DENMARK AND EUROPE

1998/99, Intergovernmental agreement: Governmental push for convergence of HE systems by 2010

1999, Bologna Declaration: Key principles adopted by Ministers of Education of 29 European countries

2003 – 2007, Danish sector reforms:• New University Act (2003)

(2011)• Reorganising HE&R institutions

(2007)• Modernising the funding

compact

2008, Aarhus University’s Strategy:• Research• Talent development• Knowledge exchange• Education

2010, The AU Academic Development Process:• Unified

management• Interdisciplinarity

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RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

NOVEMBER 2011

AARHUSUNIVERSITY RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

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UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE – ACT OF 2003Autonomy – from state institutions to autonomous bodies within the public sector

Accountability through the use of university performance contracts

Governing boards with a majority of external members• Safeguard the university’s interests as an educational and research institution and

determine guidelines for its organization, long term activities and development

Appointed leaders in university governance structures (rector, deans and department heads)

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AARHUSUNIVERSITY RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

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UNIVERSITY MERGERS – 2006/7

Before the mergers Denmark had: 12 universities and 13

government research institutions

As a consequence of the mergers, Denmark now has: 8 universities and 3

government research institutions

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AARHUSUNIVERSITY RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

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WHY MERGERS?

Background: OECD deemed Danish public research environment too

fragmented

Government ambition: more interdisciplinary cooperation in education; more flexible and relevant offerings of degree programmes for the Danish students; greater success for Danish universities in their applications for EU research funding; higher quality (in the sense of impact) of the Danish university research output; better cooperation between the universities and the private sector with respect to

innovation; more effective knowledge relationship between the public research sector and the sector

ministries.

What made it possible? Political pressure supplemented by free choice of merger-

partners (and not all were forced to merge) Took place in a time of increasing funding (2006: Globalisation

Agreement)

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AARHUSUNIVERSITY RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSENDANISH CITATION IMPACT

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Source: Comparing Research at Nordic Universities using

Bibliometric Indicators, A publication from the NORIA Net,

NordForsk 2011, p. 61

WORLD AVERAGE

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RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

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DANISH UNIVERSITY RANKS 2011

University of Copenhagen Aarhus University

Technical University of

Denmark

University of Southern Denmark

Aalborg University

ARWU 43 86 151-200 201-300 -

QS Ranking

52 79 150 311 362

THE 135 125 178 251-275 301-350

HEEACT 40 96 211 223 -

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RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

EDUCATION

RESEARCH

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

THE HUMBOLDT UNIVERSITYTHE TRIPLE HELIX UNIVERSITYTHE MODERN UNIVERSITY

PhDs

Post docs Students

Studies

Lifelonglearning

Contracts

Researchprogrammes

Research projects

Professors

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NOVEMBER 2011

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

WCU Shanghai

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN Nov. 2011

A SINGLE UNIFIED MANAGEMENT

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NOVEMBER 2011

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

WCU Shanghai

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN Nov. 2011

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

RECTOR LAURITZ B. HOLM-NIELSEN

RECTOR@ADM.AU.DK