SDU and OUH are strengthening their strategic collaboration

This autumn, teaching has started at New SUND and marks a milestone in new OUH/SDU-project, which will be unique on Danish soil when the new OUH building is completed in a few years. And now the boards of OUH and SDU are forging an even closer strategic alliance.

There is already a well-developed collaboration, particularly between SDU’s Faculty of Health Sciences and OUH, and the ambition is to learn from this and use it to strengthen strategic collaboration across the entire University.

New joint vision

For some time, the two boards have been working on a common vision for a broad strategic collaboration between the University and the University Hospital – a vision that focuses on innovative research agendas, basic research, mission-driven research, innovative solutions and a strong community around education for the future, all in close interaction with the surrounding society and for the benefit of health.

In November 2023, the two boards will meet to approve the joint vision for OUH and SDU and the specific activities of priority that are to be initiated in this regard.

Next steps towards strategic collaboration

The strengthened strategic collaboration between OUH and SDU was further developed in October 2023, and an executive committee and a joint unit have now been established.

The head of the new unit and the collaboration between the two organisations is Anders Christian Frederiksen, who comes from a position as quality manager at UCL University College.

He looks forward to working on the progression of the new common strategy:

- I am excited about gaining insight into the obvious strategic overlaps between SDU and OUH, which we can bring forward in our work. I probably see myself as a kind of strategic zip fastener that in close collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders in the organisations makes the shared visions concrete, says Anders Christian Frederiksen, who took up the new post on 1 October.

Of Anders Christian Frederiksen’s appointment, Rector Jens Ringsmose says:

- The common strategic objectives of the OUH-SDU collaboration have the attention and support of both boards, and I am pleased that we have been able to attract a strong profile to help us prioritise and realise them.

Anders Christian Frederiksen holds a position of dual employment between OUH and SDU and has an office in the Rector’s Office at SDU.