The current Faculty of Business and Social Sciences will be divided into two separate units:

• The Faculty of Social Sciences (SAMF), which consists of the Department of Law, the Department of Political Science and Public Management, and the Department of Economics, as well as CPop and DDC.
• SDU Business School (SBS), which consists of the Department of Management and the Department of Business and Sustainability.

The new organisation will commence on 1 September 2026.

The current overall organisational structure will remain in place until then.

A steering committee has been established with overall responsibility for:

• progress and coordination.
• making necessary decisions until the new management is in place.
• creating a solid foundation for future management.

The steering committee consists of:

• Rector Jens Ringsmose (chair)
• University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind
• Dean Hanne Søndergaard Birkmose

Here and now:

• the decision does not affect your employment, place of work, or tasks.
• research, teaching, and administration will continue as before.

In the long term, changes may occur in:

• management references
• organisation affiliation and internal collaborations
• place of employment
• administrative workflows

Such changes will:

• be planned and communicated well in advance.
• be addressed in relevant forums and collegiate bodies.
• be carried out with involvement in focus and through an inclusive process.

Employee involvement is a key principle in implementation. This will take place through:

• involvement of faculty-, department-, and unit management.
• discussions in liaison committee, academic council, and other collegiate bodies.
• meetings and a dialogue forum where employees can provide input.
• representation in relevant working groups.

The steering committee has established an administrative working group tasked with organising how the existing administrative competencies at the faculty and departments can best be utilised.  

It is expected that the administrative organisation will be in place during spring 2026, and information about the process will be provided as soon as possible.

Members of the administrative working group are:

• University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind (Chair)
• Faculty Director Torben Durk Johansen
• Head of Education Annette Schmidt

The working group will analyse the possibilities of placing administrative tasks and resources at three organisational levels:

• Administration at SAMF and SBS, respectively.
• Administration in a shared administration centre serving both SAMF and SBS.
• Administration in the Central Administration.

The steering committee has established a working group tasked with exploring possible structures for the academic organisation at SBS, including a consolidation of the current research groups.

The working group consists of:

• Dean Hanne Søndergaard Birkmose (chair)

• Professor Domen Bajde, IVL
• Professor Nicole Richter, IVL
• Associate Professor Victor Martin-Sanchez, IVL
• Professor Per Freytag, IEB
• Professor Majbritt Evald, IEB
• Associate Professor Stephanie Sohn, IEB
• Vice-Dean Kristin B. Munksgaard

The working group will seek inspiration from other business schools and monodisciplinary faculties in Denmark, including the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Copenhagen, both of which are organised without departments.

Special attention will be given to ensuring that the future organisation takes geographical presence into account and ensures that research environments on all campuses are integrated into a unified structure.

As a point of departure, the academic organisation at the Faculty of Social Sciences will remain unchanged, consisting of the Department of Law, the Department of Political Science and Public Management, and the Department of Economics, as well as CPop and DDC.

Hanne Søndergaard Birkmose will continue as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the position of SBS manager is currently being advertised, with an expected start date of 1 April 2026.

The final management structure of the two units is determined in dialogue with the Rector.

A process is initiated with regard to:

• establishing a governance structure in regards to the Academic Council, Liaison Committee and Study Board structure
• reviewing councils, boards and committees at SDU where there is faculty representation.

The strategic ambition includes the following key objectives:

• expanding external visibility and profiling - nationally and internationally - with a clear identity and branding of SBS as a single unit.
• intensifying collaboration with external partners, including companies, public organisations, and international institutions, and building a reputation as the Region of Southern Denmark's business school.
• obtaining additional international accreditations, building on the recently achieved AACSB accreditation and pursuing ambitions for EQUIS and AMBA accreditations.

strengthening research and education quality through excellent research environments, strategic recruitment, and a stronger educational profile - both full-time and part-time.

Although the decision on the new organisation stems from a desire to realise the potential of SDU Business School, we have equally high ambitions for the Social Sciences area.

A new Faculty of Social Sciences will have the opportunity to rethink strategy, administration, and management structure, while also creating opportunities to redefine and brand the faculty's classic social sciences core. Also, the faculty can establish a more focused network of external stakeholders and partners.

The establishment of an independent business school will contribute to SDU's overall ambition to create value for and with society.

SBS will be positioned as a distinctive and visible business school in the Region of Southern Denmark delivering the highest international quality in research, education, and collaboration.

No, there are no plans for a merger with the Faculty of Humanities.

On the contrary, it is a clear ambition to maintain both a strong Faculty of Humanities and a strong Faculty of Social Sciences.

In July 2025, SAMF obtained the international AACSB accreditation based on the current organisation.

It is crucial that a new organisation meets AACSB requirements and creates the optimal conditions for obtaining re-accreditation. The decisive factor in the context of accreditation is not the formal organisational structure, but the existence of a clear and unified business school unit with strategic autonomy.

It is therefore not considered problematic to change the organisation, provided it contributes to achieving the goals and standards on which the accreditation is based. On the contrary, the new organisation is expected to support re-accreditation and further accreditations.

SBS plays a central role in relation to SDU's regional commitments and its presence across four campuses: Odense, Kolding, Esbjerg and Sønderborg.

It is therefore crucial to ensure both managerial and research presence across campuses, so that educational and research activities outside Odense are not given lower priority. As far as possible, the future organisation should ensure continued strong ownership and presence on the campuses.

This is a point of attention for the steering committee and the working groups.

No, the new organisation is not a cost-cutting exercise.

The purpose is to create stronger and more sustainable academic og administrative environments – not to downsize.  

Although there are limited opportunities for growth in the intake of full-time students, SBS still has significant potentials for development – particularly by strengthening quality, its profile, and relevance.

Maintaining economic balance or potential growth must come from other sources, such as:

• increase in external funding.
• improving quality of education to reduce drop-out rates.
• attracting more part-time students.