What should we have flagships for?
The concept of flagships was debated at the senior-VIP meeting in Foulum on 5 November 2015. The employees have not accepted the concept without reservations, but the criticism has been constructive and the questions relevant for the further process.
Lately, AGRO’s strategy for 2016-2020 has been discussed among the department’s management and staff. The senior-VIP meeting on 4-5 November 2015 in Foulum was no exception.
The whole second day of the two-day meeting was filled with talks and discussions about AGRO’s strategy and flagships. The relation of the flagships to the concept of agroecology was one of the topics discussed. Another topic was how the flagships can play a role in connection with the challenges laid out in the latest foresight report from the EU Commission’s Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR). (The 4th Foresight Report from SCAR will be described in further detail in a future issue of AGRO Biweekly. The strategy maps were also discussed, but the flagships were the subject that gave rise to the most debate.
Department Head Erik Steen Kristensen has been pleased to receive input from the staff.
- The senior-VIP meeting has provided us with even more food for thought. There was criticism, but it was constructive and I am glad to receive it. We have learned from it and are listening to what is being said before we make final decisions. At the moment, we are working hard to finish preparing the strategy, including the part about the flagships, he says.
A common critique from the staff has been that it is difficult to spot the idea behind the flagships.
- A very important role for the flagships is to profile the four scientific areas internally and externally, nationally and internationally. The flagships must be integral and inclusive which means that they must operate across the sections. It is a challenge to carry out so that it creates synergy in relation to what we do now, explains Erik Steen Kristensen, who also refers to the articles "The flagships are getting ready" and "Food for afterthought from junior VIPs" in a previous issue of AGRO Biweekly.
A long series of questions testify to the interest and commitment to understanding and wanting to help define the flagship concept. The senior-VIPs asked what the flagships are to be used for, what they comprise, how they harmonise with the division of the department in sections, which role the leaders of the flagships will play and much more.
Q. What are the flagships for?
A: The aim of the flagships is to increase our visibility with the goal of raising more funding and increasing recruitment of talented scientists and students. The flagships must contribute to profiling the department as a whole.
Q: To whom do we want the flagships to be visible?
A: The flagships must profile our research in relation to scientists, potential students, funders, policy-makers, companies, and authorities. They must also increase visibility internally within AGRO, ST and AU with the aim of focusing our research, promoting interdisciplinarity and creating a better understanding in other parts of AU and ST as to how talented we are and how much we can achieve. The flagships can also be used to play a role in ST’s new interdisciplinary centres. The fact that the concept of flagships has been the object of so much lively discussion in AGRO and has been uppermost in our minds contributes in itself to placing more focus on the four scientific areas.
Q: Is this an introduction of a new structure with new leaders?
A: The flagships are integrating across sections. There will not be a new management layer, but there will be a scientific leader of each flagship who will advance scientific views. The flagship leaders are appointed in accordance with their scientific capacity.
Q: How will allocation of funds be carried out, particularly for those who are not part of a flagship?
A: We have a management team for the whole of the department. Funds are allocated to projects and the main argument for extra allocation would typically be in relation to a policy support task and not a flagship as such.
Q: Why are not all the sections equally visible in the flagships? It is, for example, difficult to spot SYSTEM.
A: The four flagships are constructed across the sections. Research from SYSTEM is an integral part of all the flagships.
Q: The elements biodiversity, climate and sustainable food production are missing in the flagship name Climate-Smart Agriculture. It is important for the staff that they feel included in the strategy.
A: The name of that particular flagship will be changed so that it better connotes food and a system approach as an important part of the flagship.
Q: Plant characteristics are important, too. The plant aspect does not seem to be mentioned in any of the flagships.
A: Plants are an integral part of all four flagships.
Q: What does ’international’ mean in relation to the flagships?
A: The flagships must go beyond Denmark and Europe. This goes for publication, funding, participation in large consortiums, recruitment of talented scientists and students, collaboration with the industry, and policy support.
Q: What happens now?
A: The management is presently working on completing AGRO’s strategy for 2016-2020, including a description of the flagships. The next draught must be ready by 1 December and in the next issue of AGRO Biweekly I will explain things such as the choice of flagship names, etc. The strategy will then be discussed in the ST management on par with the strategies from other departments. We expect that the plans can be carried out from the spring of 2016.