A word from the Dean
Dear all
And then the university was shut down again. This required a rapid restructuring of our educational activities and research in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It provides extra work pressure at a time when we are all getting increasingly tired of COVID-19.
Now it is at least as important to think about good well-being, and I hope that the upcoming holiday means that there will be an opportunity to relax and care for each other.
I would like to thank all staff and students again for making the extra effort in connection with the shutdown and for adjusting well to the various announcements that are coming at a rapid pace during this time.
Fortunately, a lot of positive things are happening at the faculty, and two new 1-year master’s programs were just approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research: The Master of Environmental Chemistry and Management and the Master of Climate Adaptation.
Thank you to the many employees who have helped getting the programs passed by the ministry, which has been a demanding job with challenging time constrictions.
I would like to encourage everyone to support the forthcoming work getting the programs developed and started up, before the first class begins September 2021.
A very important element will be to attract students to the programs, as there is a very short time for marketing and this type of 1-year master's program is completely new in Denmark.
In the field of attracting external funds from the public and private funds, things have gone well this autumn. Just in recent weeks, several small and large grants have been awarded to our researchers.
I am especially pleased that SDU Science is involved in data science and data-driven research, where several departments are represented in the same project. Precisely this type of interdisciplinary projects has a high priority in our future strategy.
Finally, I am very much looking forward to the upcoming LIVE SESSIONS, where researchers across the faculty will present their research concerning sustainability. I hope it can lead to even more exciting, interdisciplinary research in the long run.
It has so far been an easy year for us, neither as an employee nor as a manager. Many things work very well, but there is also a lot that we miss out on by working in the virtual world. Luckily, the approval of vaccines around the world brings hope for 2021.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Marianne Holmer, dean