Summer greeting from Dean Ole Skøtt: A heartfelt thank you and major steps forward

As we approach the summer holidays and the pace around campus starts to slow, it’s a good time to reflect on the first half of 2025 – a period that has been marked by real progress.

The University of Southern Denmark has reached its highest-ever position on the respected QS World University Rankings, now placed at number 303 globally. Even more encouragingly, SDU has made the biggest leap of any Danish university compared to last year. This ranking is widely used as a measure of universities’ global reputation and research strength, so this is truly a remarkable achievement.

It has also been an interesting first half of the year in terms of the faculty’s revenue. For the first time ever, our calculations show that we are set to surpass one billion DKK in 2025. This growth is partly driven by a significant increase in external funding, which has risen by around 37% from 2022 to 2025 – an impressive development.

Another positive development is that Odense Municipality is currently working on a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening its public health efforts. These recommendations come from the so-called Expert Council on Research in Prevention and Health Promotion, which includes strong representation from the Faculty of Health Sciences. By following these recommendations, Odense Municipality can lead the way in both creating and applying new knowledge about health – to the benefit of its citizens.

On the education front, we launched a new education strategy for the Faculty of Health Sciences last week. It sets a clear direction for how we will strengthen and develop our degree programmes – to the benefit of students, society, and the healthcare sector. This strategy will serve as an important guide in the coming years, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the thorough work behind it.

But it hasn’t just been about strategies.

In Esbjerg, we celebrated the graduation of the very first cohort of medical students – a historic and joyful milestone. And in Odense, yet another group of newly qualified doctors have said farewell to student life and are heading towards clinical practice.

In September, we’ll welcome the first cohort of psychology students in Esbjerg – another important step in strengthening the educational environment across the region.

We have also received the green light to establish degree programmes for both dentists and dental hygienists – with student intake expected to begin in 2027. This is not only an important expansion of our academic portfolio but also a direct response to a societal need, which we are proud to help meet.

Finally, we have entered into an important collaboration with the healthcare sector in Greenland to upskill nurses. This partnership holds both promise and purpose – and shows how we can think differently about education.

All of this – and much more – would not be possible without the dedication and expertise that each of you brings to your work every single day. That’s why I want to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt and sincere thank you to all of you.

Wishing you a wonderful summer – and see you soon!

Ole Skøtt
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark