By Bo Jeppesen, Rector's Office
Photo: Lars Horn

Just like AAU has a prorector for education, the university now also gets its own Pro-rector for research. The new Pro-rector for research will have extensive strategic responsibility for AAU's continued development in the research area, just as he or she will take over several of the internal operational and development tasks that the rector has previously handled.

This means, among other things, that the Pro-rector for research will be AAU's representative in Universities Denmark's Research Policy Committee and will be the chair of AAU's Strategic Council for Research and Innovation (SRFI), which is responsible for the strategic development of research, innovation, research training and business collaboration.

“The appointment of a Pro-rector for research gives me the opportunity as rector to get closer to the AAU organisation – as has happened with the new initiative with dialogue meetings with the departments' staff. At the same time, it gives me the opportunity to ensure that AAU is more visible on the international and security policy scene. International research collaborations, including with the EU's new mission letters, will be of greater importance in the future,” says Rector Per Michael Johansen.

The Pro-rector for research will report to the Rector and will not have direct personnel management responsibility for the approximately 2,250 researchers or the approximately 700 technical and administrative staff associated with the research. As before, personnel management is vested in deans, heads of departments, deputy directors and heads of secretariat.

With the new Pro-rector for research, Aalborg University will not be expanding the number of top management positions, as the university has had a vacant manager number since the establishment of the SSH Faculty.

The position is expected to be advertised as soon as possible in terms of. employment in the first half of 2025.