The Staff’s Column
The winds of change are blowing across SDU and the universities in Denmark
Right now, you’re reading the first breath of fresh air. A newsletter from SDU and a new way to talk to each other. As the newly elected chair of the University Council, I have been invited to write my first column. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so. But what exactly does the University Council do?
The University Council advises the University’s senior management on life at SDU and the development of the University. The University Council consists of students, technical and administrative staff, and academic staff. We provide input and debate and advise the Rector, University Director and deans. The topics cover a wide range of university policy issues, such as the University’s brand new strategy, quality assurance of programmes, SDU’s economy, as well as student environment and well-being, freedom of expression and talent development – to name but a few of many topics.
The master’s degree reform is challenging
The government whipped up a storm with the announcement that the master’s degree programmes were to be reformed. I was one of many who thought, ‘Oh no, another reform... and right after the regionalisation plan at that’. After a series of meetings at universities and protests from stakeholders inside and outside the universities, the politicians decided on a very comprehensive reform of the master’s degree programmes. In the University Council, we will follow the work closely and give SDU’s management as much input to the process as possible. However, it is inevitable that there will also be disagreement internally at SDU, because the reform will touch the very core of the University. Strong and academically comprehensive education programmes are something none of us want to compromise on! That being said, the world is changing and the major challenges of our time, such as climate change, rapid development of new transformative technologies, and a changing world order, call for interdisciplinarity and strong analytical skills. It will be our job to create programmes to solve these challenges. This will require more than the comprehensiveness of individual disciplines alone. I would argue that we need to utilise the reform to meet these challenges, because knowledge and education are essential for us to meet the challenges of today and the future.
Freedom of speech is being debated
Recently, the storm has intensified with the public debate on limiting freedom of speech. Where do you draw the line on ways of expressing yourself? And is banning book burning the way forward? At SDU, we have already discussed freedom of expression in the past months and therefore SDU issued its very own statement on freedom of research, freedom of teaching and freedom of debate and expression. It is essential that we stand strong and together in maintaining that freedom of expression is both a right and an obligation. I strongly encourage you to read the statement on researchers’ and students’ rights and, not least, duties to ensure a fruitful and challenging dialogue.
New SUND
But maybe we can find some shelter with our new neighbours at the Faculty of Health Sciences. What new opportunities does this provide for research and education? I have invited Henrik Dimke, Chairman of the Academic Council at the Faculty of Health Sciences, to share his thoughts and perspectives in the next column.
Mette Præst Knudsen
Professor and Head of the Centre for Integrative Innovation Management at the Department of Business & Management. Mette Præst Knudsen chairs the Academic Council at SAM and is the newly elected chair of the University Council.