OPINION: We need clear and transparent guidelines and procedures for handling sexism and abuse
Opinion
A recent report from the research and analysis center VIVE documents that sexism and unwanted sexual behavior are a sad reality for many PhD students at Danish universities. Universities must take responsibility and ensure that there are independent, safe, and trustworthy ways for PhD students to report incidents without fear of reprisals, write PhD student Signe Vogel and PhD student Sofie Abildgaard Jacobsen on behalf of the PhD Association – Health.
OPINION: Vice-dean: We must safeguard the free movement of research – PET’s campaign will not change this
Opinion
We must do everything we can to prevent adversary states gaining access to the research and advice on which the Danish government and parliament base their decisions. But, at the same time, we must safeguard the free movement of research. PET’s campaign will not change this, writes vice-dean Brian Vinter in his reply to an opinion piece published in Omnibus.
OPINION: PET campaign is troubling – Research should be freely disseminated, not protected
Article
Three AU researchers find the latest campaign by PET on “research security” quite troubling, and are also disappointed in seeing that it has received significant support among those with a position of leadership at Danish universities.
Column: What we lose on the stock market we take from operations – don’t we?
Opinion
Can it really be true that Aarhus University had to lay off staff because the stock markets fell? No, because the university’s financial reserves provide a buffer for precisely this kind of uncertainty, thinks Professor Peter Balling, who is a staff representative on the Aarhus University Board. The layoffs were a result of structural deficits, and with timely interventions along the management chain, they could have perhaps been avoided, he writes.
Point of view: When a data scientist runs the DHL Relay Run ...
Opinion
Associate professor Jacob Hesselvig Fredsøe did not only run the DHL Relay Run. Because he's a data scientist, he couldn't resist downloading the times of all participants to find out how Aarhus University performed overall - and even more importantly, how fast you needed to be to get bragging rights over your fellow AU athletes.
COLUMN: How to become a professor at Aarhus University – a student’s guide
Opinion
After 26 years at Aarhus University, Peter Bakker, associate professor of linguistics, offers a complete and first-hand guide to becoming a permanent member of staff at the university – perhaps even to attaining the coveted professor title.
COLUMN: Pro-rector: It would be irresponsible of us to ignore ChatGPT
Opinion
The artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has caused a stir in educational settings all over the world, and, in January, AU reacted quickly by banning the chatbot in all exam contexts. But how should AU approach artificial intelligence in the longer term? We should be neither overly optimistic nor overly sceptical, says pro-rector Berit Eika in this month’s column by the senior management team.
COLUMN: Dean of Health: Yes, the energy crisis is putting pressure on us, but our work and study environment must remain our top priority
Opinion
Although faculties are busy dealing with inflation, the energy crisis and declining numbers of school leavers – and political initiatives – this must not be at the expense of our work and study environment, claims Dean of Health Anne-Mette Hvas in her Omnibus column.
Life as an exchange student at AU: A flat hierarchy, humanity – and strict regulations
Opinion
Magdalena Mittermüller, an exchange student from Vienna, Austria learned much more than the curriculum during her year in Aarhus. She encountered a desirable work-life balance and respect and humanity between professors and students. And she also discovered that it takes a fair amount of vitamin D, plush sweaters and hot coffee to get through the freezing Danish winter.
FRED gives out slaps over the counter
Opinion
The Friday bar at the history department is not a place to start your night out; it reportedly only gets going later in the evening. But the bar staff keep themselves in top condition with vodka slaps. The small room adorned with historical figures is easy to feel at home in but difficult to squeeze your way through when it’s full.
