Hedda10 - Aagaard - merger process of Aarhus

Danish University Mergers
The case of Aarhus University

KAARE AAGAARD
DANISH CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN RESEARCH AND
RESEARCH POLICY – AARHUS UNIVERSITY


Mergers of public research institutions:
 For decades an issue on the Danish political agenda
 Growing pressure for change after 2000
 2001: The Danish Research Commission
 2002/2003: The Danish Council for Research Policy
 2004: OECD
 2004: Minor mergers - from 25 to 17 GRIs
 At the same time major merger processes in other
political areas (municipalities, hospitals, university
colleges etc.)


The national decisionmaking process:
2006 Globalisation Strategy as initiation. The primary aims
of the mergers to:
 Strengthen Danish research and university education –
also in an international context
 Increase the universities' proportion of business
collaboration and innovation
 Increase the universities' ability to attract international
research funding, including EU-funding
 Enhance services for the public authorities

Very fast process (Feb. 2006-Oct. 2006) and very limited
central analysis – more emphasis at solutions than
problems


National Result: From 25 to 11 institutions with effect from 1/1-2007

Three major universities (2/3 of the sector in both research and
education)
 KU: KU, DFU and KVL
 AU: AU, ASB, DPU, DJF and NERI
 DTU: DTU, RISØ, DFVF, DRC, DFIU and DTF

Five smaller and very different universities (AAU, SDU, RUC, CBS
and ITU): 2 universities with small GRI-mergers (AAU, SDU) and 3
non-merged universities (RUC, CBS, ITU)

4 Non-merged GRIs (NFA, SFI, The Kennedy Centre, GEUS)

In general most institutions were integrated as independent units within
new universities – few reorganisations and few geographical transfers
of staff


 AU 2006: A traditional multifaculty university
 AU 2007: Integration of 2 small universities and 2 large GRIs - 40%
increase in turnover and an increase from 5 to 9 main academic
areas:
Humanities (HUM)
Health Sciences (SUN)
Science (NAT),
Theology (TEO)
Social Sciences (SAM)
The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF)
The National Environmental Research Institute (NERI)
The Aarhus School of Business (ASB)
The Danish School of Education (DPU)

 Result: A large, very diverse and very geographically spread out
university


Horsens: DJF (Forskningscenter
Geographic overview 2007-
2011
Askov: DJF (Askov Forsøgsstation)


New AU in brief
 Responsible for 27% of total research performed in the public sector
 9,500 publications (80% scholarly/scientific and 20% public
dissemination)
 38,050 students (7,000 new) /1,610 PhD students
 Approx. 85 Bachelor’s programmes and 125 Master’s programmes
 Academic staff: 5,970 employees - Technical/administrative staff:
5,007 employees

Revenues:
 Teaching DKK 1.3 billion
 Basic research DKK 1.9 billion
 Competitive funding DKK 1.7 billion
 Public sector consultancy DKK 0.3 billion
 Other DKK 0.5 billion
 Total: DKK 5.7 billion (0.760 billion Euros)


Phase II : Internal reorganisations – initiated march 2010

External challenges:
 Increased domestic and international competition for research funding
 Increased competition for the most talented researchers and students
 Increased focus on strategic research
 Increased understanding of the key societal role played by our universities
 Increased complexity of global challenges
Internal challenges:
 Increased demand for efficiency
 Increased demand for concrete synergy effects from the mergers
 Need to break down ”silos” to increase collaboration and communication
 Need to create greater scope for strategic leadership

Solution: New organisational structure with fewer main academic
areas, fewer departments, simpler administrative structure –
approved in march 2011 - implemented by 1/8-2011


AU 2011: From nine to four main academic areas


Reduction of number of institutes/departments/centres

 Arts: From ten to four (DPU: From independent
university to independent faculty to institute)
 Business and Social Sciences: From 11 to seven
(ASB: From independent university to independent
faculty to part of merged faculty)
 Health: From 10 to five
 Science and Technology: From 24 to 12 (DMU and
DJF from large GRIs to independent faculties to national
centres)

In total: From 55 to 26 - Rationale at all levels: Fewer
units equals fewer borders


Integration of the large GRIs
 DMU and DJF: From large GRIs to faculties to National
Centres

 Portals for authorities, businesses, interest organisations and
the public to the expertise of Aarhus University within
nature, environment and energy on the one hand and food
and agriculture on the other

 In reality the former GRI’s are now shut down and all staff
integrated completely within different departments

 A couple of other national centres are also under construction
(education, forensic medicine)


Future challenges within AU
 To settle and find continuity

 To convince the ministries to continue to use and fund
the activities of the former GRIs

 To maintain bottom up dynamics in very large units with
substantial distance from top to bottom

 To foster real interdisciplinarity within the university


Trends in the national landscape
 Phase II has also been initiated at the two remaining
large universities (KU and DTU), but in less radical forms
 In general no standard across universities and ministries
with regard to how the former GRIs are organised and
funded – but funding is under pressure everywhere
 Future mergers or extended collaborations with
University Colleges?
 Continued pressure upon the non-merged institutions
(both universities and GRIs)

Hedda10 - Aagaard - merger process of Aarhus

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