Season’s greetings from the Rectorate of SDU

First and foremost: Thank you for a fantastic year, in which SDU has once again created outstanding results. A year that has been characterised by new ground-breaking research, excellent educational activities, the recruitment of talented new colleagues, a large inflow of external funding and, not least, a positive development in SDU’s reputation.

Let me give you an example of how our reputation has improved. I recently received an email from the head of the board of a Danish foundation. He was very keen for me to call him as soon as possible. I complied with his wish – and we had a good and very pleasant chat. The message from the head of the foundation’s board? In short: ‘In the foundation, we have noticed that SDU is demonstrating an incredibly positive development, and for this reason we are considering sending funding in your direction’. After a short and intense application process and a meeting with the foundation’s board, it ended up exactly as intended. SDU is now set to receive a large donation of DKK 50 million from the foundation.

The new funds from the foundation are of course a cause for great joy (and gratitude). We can now initiate activities that otherwise would never have seen the light of day. Activities that will contribute to strengthening SDU even further in the coming years. It is valued, and it is a duty.

The motive behind the donation is another very important reason why I was in high spirits that evening as I drove home after the conversation with the head of the foundation: ‘In the foundation, we have noticed that SDU is demonstrating an incredibly positive development...’

In a way, the message should not have come as a surprise, because SDU actually is on a very positive development track. Our research is in a strong position, we are starting to admit students with better qualifications and we can celebrate a rapidly growing number of successes in our innovation activities. SDU will never be the largest university in the Kingdom, but we are well on our way to becoming an even stronger university when measured by quality. And that is – as some of you undoubtedly already know – exactly our overall strategic ambition: to raise the quality of what we do, so that we can contribute with even more value creation ‘for and with society’.

Of course, the rationale behind the donation is positive in the sense that SDU’s positive development is being noticed: that it is recognized that our research, education and innovation activities are gaining strength. And why is this so important? Because a strong reputation contributes decisively to our ability to continue our steady development. Potential grant providers, future employees and students, as well as potential investors, are not only interested in how we are actually doing when they decide ‘in favour of SDU or not’. They are also acting and making choices based on our reputation. How we are perceived and assessed in what Emile Durkheim called ‘the collective consciousness’.

SDU’s ability to make great progress in these years is above all due to you, SDU’s immensely skilled, dedicated and committed employees. On behalf of the entire Rectorate, a very great and heartfelt thank you for your efforts in the past year. Collaborating with you has been a great pleasure and has made it meaningful and fun to spend a large proportion of our waking hours at our campuses.

It is thanks to you that the sun continues to shine on SDU – despite the grey days of winter.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Kind regards from

Jens Ringsmose, Rector

Helle Waagepetersen, Pro-Rector

Thomas Buchvald Vind, University Director

P.S. You can read more about the donation mentioned here:
Large donation from the Otto Mønsted Foundation paves the way for a new student entrepreneurship centre at the University of Southern Denmark