SDU Business School management

What are you most looking forward to as you take up your post as Director of Studies at SDU Business School?

Christian Elmelund-Præstekær:
- I’m really looking forward to helping create high-quality degree programmes that students will find rewarding. What motivates me to take on the role of Director of Studies is seeing our talented graduates succeed in their jobs and careers, which is based on the fact that they have gained valuable experience here. 

I look forward to working with a pedagogical focus and getting closer to our students’ everyday lives. As SDU Business School does not cover as broad a range of subjects as the current Faculty of Social Sciences, we will be able to focus more clearly and develop all our programmes more easily, ensuring that no one gets lost in the crowd.

How do you see the opportunities for strengthening collaboration with the business community and other external stakeholders?

Christian Elmelund-Præstekær:
- We educate for the business world. That is why interaction with the outside world is important for the business and economics field. However, our programmes, our campus cities, our lecturers and our subjects are diverse, so we need a differentiated approach to business partnerships. At the same time, we need to take a closer look at who our employers actually are, because SDU Business School must continue to be an attractive partner. 

Where do you see SDU Business School’s key strengths?

Christian Elmelund-Præstekær:
- In the short term – for the remainder of 2026 and perhaps a year beyond – the focus will be on the reform of the cand.merc. and business master’s programmes. Added to this is the profiling and development of the HA in Psychology programme in Esbjerg. In the longer term, we have the accreditation work involved in fulfilling our Triple Crown ambition.

Generally speaking, we need to learn to ‘embody’ the accreditation and integrate ongoing quality assurance work into the way we run our programmes. This will be evident, amongst other things, in new initiatives aimed at enhancing the learning outcomes for students. It is important to me that we integrate such initiatives directly into our day-to-day operations and regularly assess whether they are having the desired effect. 

In this context, I intend to focus specifically on the major challenge we face with the excessively high drop-out rate on the HA programme. We have taken an important step with the HA reform, but this mainly concerns the framework. We must also take an interest in the content and, for example, discuss in greater depth what constitutes good educational quality and how we can develop it.

Looking a few years ahead – what do you hope that you and SDU Business School will have achieved?

Christian Elmelund-Præstekær:
- I hope that SDU Business School will have a clear and ambitious educational profile, where quality, relevance and strong links to the business world go hand in hand. Through the proactive use of new opportunities for business graduates, I see SBS as pioneers, because we demonstrate how, through collaboration with businesses, we can co-create high-quality programmes, and how the interplay between practical experience and in-depth academic expertise creates pedagogical synergy.

At the same time, our programmes will be attractive and in high demand, and we have strengthened our position in further and continuing education with a competitive MBA, a clear role in the Danish boardroom sector and strong partnerships for bespoke skills development. It’s interesting when we co-brand, as we’re already doing with Børsen for the board training programme. We’d like to continue working on this.

What do you do when you’re not working?

Christian Elmelund-Præstekær:
- I have three children and am chair of the school board at their independent school, and I’m also involved at a political level in the development of independent schools through a board position at the Independent Schools Association. My passion for road cycling has now been replaced by running.

I live in a disused country house near Faaborg. I think that says something about me as a person. I feel that I live amidst our cultural heritage, and this sense of place is very important to me. The building dates from the cooperative era around 1900 and forms part of the foundation that has shaped modern Denmark, our economic structure and the welfare state. 

What are you most looking forward to when you take up your post as Vice Dean for Research at SDU Business School?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
- Getting even closer to the research groups and helping to develop them. And to refocus on my own research, both with colleagues at SDU and internationally. Research is the foundation, and is therefore essential for creating value for and with society in education, business partnerships and innovation.

What do you expect to spend most of your time on?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
- Helping to get SDU Business School off to a good start as part of the incoming management team. We have some really strong academic environments and an attractive programme portfolio, which provide a good foundation.

Where do you see SDU Business School’s key strengths?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
- It may not sound particularly spectacular, but our research foundation is strong. We have a solid academic standard across the board, whilst also boasting several international centres of excellence, which we need to develop further and do a better job of promoting. That is precisely what requires a strong foundation, as long-term quality is created by robust academic environments.

How do you see the opportunities for strengthening collaboration with the business community and other external stakeholders?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
- As a business school built on strong existing academic environments within business economics, strong links with the business community are part of our DNA. We have graduates who are in high demand, an attractive range of continuing professional development programmes, and the latest addition to our portfolio is the board training programme we offer in collaboration with Børsen. We must continue to expand our strategic relationships within both the regional and national business communities. A business school with a strong research base is a natural partner in creating value through innovation and growth. We have a broad portfolio of disciplines that can help to promote the region in a wider sense. The Region of Southern Denmark is strong in technology, but we naturally contribute commercial expertise in management, behaviour, market understanding and organisation – all of which are essential for scaling innovation, for example.

Looking a few years ahead – what do you hope that you and SDU Business School will have achieved?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
- Our ambition must be to be the ones people call if they want a strong academic perspective on a business-related problem. That we are known nationally and internationally for having a curious, ambitious and strong research culture within a supportive collegial environment, and that we are the preferred place in the country to study business and commerce. We should not be known for our size, but for the quality of the value we create.

What do you get up to when you’re not working?

Dannie Kjeldgaard:
Spending time with my family, preferably at our holiday home; swimming (I’m quite proud, for example, that I’ve been swimming outdoors throughout the winter); playing tennis for fun, reading fiction and all sorts of news (although I buy more books than I actually get round to reading).