Since the #pleasedontstealmywork campaign was launched in February this year, neither AU union representatives nor chairs of the AU Research Practice Committee or the PhD Association have been made aware of any specific cases of research theft at the university. But many are keen to point out that research theft may still be taking place. Until now, only a few cases of plagiarism and data misuse have been brought before the Research Practice Committee.

Aarhus University’s new declaration on the freedom of expression is intended to support researchers and students and to establish a set of core values that the university can draw on in future cases involving freedom of expression and freedom of research, says Brian Bech Nielsen, who acknowledges that he could have acted differently in a case from 2016.

In February, Aarhus University carried out a WPA survey to evaluate staff satisfaction and well-being. Eighty-six per cent responded that they were generally satisfied with their jobs. But the WPA shows no progress when it comes to stress and offensive behaviour – and something must be done about this, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen stresses.

AU’s current rector, Brian Bech Nielsen, will remain in his post for another five years following a unanimous decision by the appointment committee to re-appoint him. Chair of the Board Connie Hedegaard remarked that Brian Bech Nielsen enjoys great respect both within and outside the university.

SU should no longer be something the state gives to Master’s students, and half the country’s Master’s programmes should be reduced from two years to one year. These are two of the proposals from the Reform Commission, which also recommends imposing a grade point average cut-off of 9.0.

Joint union representative and chair of the student council are concerned about the consequences for students and staff. Head of department looks forward to welcoming students to Foulum. The rector considers the agreement a mixed bag of good and bad – mostly bad – but acknowledges that politicians have respected AU’s institutional plan.

A broad parliamentary majority has just signed off on the relocation agreement. Some of the highlights of the agreement where AU is concerned include a new veterinary medicine programme in Foulum and increased funding for the dentistry programme. A total of 6.4 percent of student places nationwide will be either relocated or cut; for AU, the total is somewhat lower, at 5.6 percent.

Laurids Kawauchi, fourth-semester student on Russian Studies, managed one month in Saint Petersburg before his exchange programme was abruptly brought to an end by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When Denmark sent weapons to Ukraine and the West threatened Russia with SWIFT sanctions, he knew it was time to get out.

For the past few years, AU has organised well-attended workshops on the occasion of International Women's Day. In 2019, we met in the beautiful surroundings of the Aula. Unfortunately, Corona restrictions led to the cancellation of the Diversity Event in 2020, but in 2021, we had an exciting and again, well-attended online event. Now, in 2022, as the world re-opens to all manner of possibilities, there will be no celebrations at AU to mark International Women's Day.