Dean of ST visited AGRO
ST’s dean, Niels Chr. Nielsen, visited AGRO in Foulum and Flakkebjerg, where he expanded on his thoughts regarding ST's future.
Dean of ST Niels Chr. Nielsen visited AGRO in Foulum and Flakkebjerg on June 12 and 13, 2017, where he explained the deanship’s visions and plans for the faculty’s future.
When the dean took up his post in 2013 his goal was that ST should be a world class faculty. Even though the first years of his deanship were faced with challenges such as financial cutbacks and layoffs, he pointed out that the same goal is still valid.
To be more concrete, ST must, via excellent research, education, business collaboration and policy support:
- Be among the 50 best faculties in the world by 2025
- Enjoy global recognition for significant societal impact
- Be known known by the business community as a key collaborative partner
- We must to a greater extent be citizens of the world and address global challenges. The deanship has therefore prepared an ambitious strategy that prepares us for the future, Niels Chr. Nielsen explained.
In addition to an overarching strategy for ST, each department and centre in ST has also prepared strategies. AGRO’s strategy has, among other things, resulted in our four research flagships.
The aim is to contribute to solving global challenges, including satisfying the world’s needs for food, clean water and sustainable energy. ST must do this by having an even more targeted focus on a range of important areas.
All of this means that the faculty is on its way into an exciting period. One of the new and interesting initiatives is the establishment of seven new thematic centres with a focus on the following subjects:
- Circular bioeconomy
- Integrated materials research
- Water technology
- Digitalisation, big data and data analysis
- Natural foods
- Climate change
- Integrated life science
The centres will focus on collaboration and synergy across ST’s departments. The first step on our way to the future has already been taken with the successful inauguration of AU’s interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Bioeconomy (CBIO), which took place in Foulum on May 23, 2017.
New engineering degree programmes on the way
Niels Chr. Nielsen also mentioned that he desires an expansion of the faculty’s technically oriented research.
- There is a huge demand for engineers, technical researchers and scientists. ST will therefore expand its engineering area significantly, he said.
The plan is to establish 10 new bachelor programmes in engineering, attract 500 new students and hire 220 new VIP. There will also be increased activity in the area of digitalisation. A new degree programme, Digital Science, will be established, and the aim is to attract 260 new students and hire 24 new VIP.