Welcome back
Most of us are back after a rainy summer break and getting ready to welcome our new students.
Dear staff
I hope that everyone has had a good summer with the opportunity to relax despite slightly fewer hours of sunshine and much more rain than usual.
In any case, the month of July is always exciting, as we first keep track of the number of applicants for our programmes, then how many are offered admission and finally how many accept their spot.
We can be quite satisfied with the intake of new students this year at a time when the youth cohorts are decreasing and the young people are taking more gap years than before. The vast majority of programmes thus maintain the status quo in admissions and our new programme attracts new students.
Data Science is now the faculty's largest master's programme and the bachelor's programme in Artificial Intelligence is off to a great start with a team of 30 after a very short marketing period.
Finally, Pharmacy has attracted over 100 students. It is gratifying that the students want to improve their skills in the natural sciences. There is a strong need for natural science skills and not just for engineers, which I sometimes think is focused on just as much.
Many of the global challenges require competences represented in our programmes, as the technological solutions do not yet exist or are far from always appropriate in relation to e.g. nature-based solutions.
It is of course also gratifying that we can maintain the number of students on our programs for financial reasons. The intake corresponds well with the faculty's budget. In addition, we have a financial potential in improving the implementation of all educations.
At the same time, we are very successful in taking home external funds, where FKF can be particularly content after taking home two out of seven NERD grants at national level from NNF before the summer.
There are also several large grants on the way. I cannot name them all here, but it is very positive to experience such great support for our research. It testifies to visionary research of high quality.
It is my experience that our faculty has come through the past difficult six months with financial challenges. The creation of new programmes and an extra effort to attract students has borne fruit and is leading to a stabilization of the economy.
In some places, tasks have been moved around and only a few functions have actually been discontinued. Many initiatives have been taken to strengthen working and social relations, and I receive positive feedback that everyone is contributing to ensuring a good working environment.
That is why I am also personally very happy about joining the summer party next week with over 200 registered, where we will celebrate the faculty awards to employees, among other things. I will not be sad if the Danish summer weather will take revenge and deliver a sunny day for everyone.
Marianne Holmer, dean