Meet your colleague: Tomas Homburg

By SUND Kommunikation, sund-input@health.sdu.dk, 5/30/2024

Can you explain what your work involves?

I mainly handle the naming content, which primarily involves mentioning newly appointed professors and their coverage in various media.

I also manage two open house events for bachelor’s and master’s programmes, along with the associated brochures for our programmes.

And finally, the Academy for Talented Youth, commonly referred to as ATU. ATU is a national initiative created by high schools. The purpose is to give high school students a taste of university studies, and to this end, we organise about eight events each year at the Faculty of Health Sciences (SUND). Additionally, there are, of course, a number of other tasks that arise along the way.

I transitioned from a full-time position to working only 15 hours a week a year and a half ago, when Sigurd Kristoffersen took over my role as Head of the Communication Department at SUND. The agreement with Sigurd was that I would retain some of the tasks that might not be directly related to his position, which focuses on research communication and also the marketing of our programmes.

How long have you been working at SDU? Have you been here "off and on"?

I have been employed in SUND Communication for 14 years.

What is the very best part about your job?

Now that I only work 15 hours a week, the tasks I handle are not very large. However, I have always enjoyed the variety of work here at SUND, and not least the extensive network, where the contact extends closely to the hospitals.

Could you share a work task you've completed that you're particularly proud of?

The significant moments have been when the department was expanded with a journalist, a web employee, etc., because new competencies were really needed. And when SUND received good press coverage. That was my big thrill during the time I was Head of the Department.

What is your educational background – how did you end up in this job?

I hold a Master of Arts with a major in Danish and a minor in History.

After my studies, I was a high school teacher for a few years and then employed at the Danish Refugee Council for several years. Gradually, IT and communication became more and more a part of my job, so eventually, I made an agreement with Vejle Hospital, where my wife was in a main training position as a doctor, to create a new position for me as an Information Officer at the hospital.

Those were a number of really fun and educational years, where we put Vejle Hospital on the map. There was a certain competition between the hospitals, which was quite entertaining to be a part of.

My time in the hospital world was probably also the reason why I got the position as a Communications Officer at SUND 14 years ago.

What other career paths have you considered?

Oh, that's a difficult question! I considered both studying theology and philosophy but probably deemed the studies too unprofitable back in the 80s.

What do you do in your spare time?

Now that I have a lot of free time, I get to do things in the house and garden that I didn’t have time for before. We also have an old summer house with my wife's siblings that requires some attention. But much of my free time is spent reading fiction, both new literature and works I haven't had the chance to read yet.

Have you seen/read/listened to anything good recently that you would recommend?

I always listen to "Star and Stripes" on P1. The now-defunct original Radio24/7 and "The Short Radio News" were also big hits.

But over the past six months, I have been reading James Joyce's "Ulysses" in Karsten Sand-Iversen's translation with my two brothers-in-law. It’s a book that many, including myself, have started reading several times but stopped. I think you need a few years under your belt before you fall for it and see what a great work it is and how much Joyce draws on other literature, etc. We also read analyses of "Ulysses" and all three of us are going to Dublin around June 16th, which is Bloomsday – the day depicted in "Ulysses," where the main character Leopold Bloom moves around Dublin. We will spend a few days following in his and other characters’ footsteps. Naturally, we will stay above a pub!

What is your favorite  place to visit or travel to?

Oh, that's also a difficult question, but we spend a lot of time on Endelave, where we have a summer house, and we end up in France every other year during the summer holidays. There's something about the country, the people, the culture, and the food that keeps drawing us back.

Do you have any special talents that others might not know about?

I'm actually quite good at cooking. Originally in the French style, but increasingly with inspiration from many other parts of the world.