By Susanne Clement Justesen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.
Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.
Photo: Colourbox

Research institutions and the business community are calling for research and even more knowledge on AI, so AAU must also take action to be at the forefront. At the same time, a common framework and organization of AI efforts must be created across AAU as a whole. Researcher mobility across research environments, countries and sectors must also be strengthened so that AAU can continue to be an attractive research institution and workplace. These are the three new goals under Knowledge for the World 2022-26 in 2025.

Clear direction and high value creation

The goals stem from AAU’s vision where the university with its mission-oriented approach will set a clear direction and create value through new knowledge about - and for - the world.

In this context, setting a clear framework means that Knowledge for the World must not only be a strategy document, but also have well-defined, concrete goals in the six selected focus areas covering the entire strategy period from 2022 to 2026: Education, Research, Knowledge Collaboration, Communication & Profiling, Organization & Management and Administration & Service.

Prioritized goals for 2025

Each year, the Executive Management decides which strategic objectives the departments and units will work on. The goals prioritized for the coming year are as follows:

• Education: Strengthening of lifelong learning by offering more and new types of attractive continuing and further education programmes
• Research: AAU involves and collaborates with regional, national and international parties on mission-oriented research
• Research: AI Labs – Research on AI in interdisciplinary environments (new goal in 2025)
• Knowledge Collaboration: Strengthening research opportunities through mobility (new goal in 2025)
• Organisation & Management: Organisation and strategic framework for AI at AAU (new goal in 2025)
• Administration & Service: A unified administrative organisation (in 2025 with a focus on digitalization and AI in the administrative area)
• Administration & Service: A strong security culture at AAU

Relevant and meaningful strategy

An essential prerequisite for creating high quality in AAU's core activities is that all staff contribute to the implementation of Knowledge for the World. Therefore, the Executive Management has been tasked with organizing the involvement of staff in each of their lines. This work was initiated in early September. In addition, heads of department and units will be part of the process of presenting the goals for 2025 to their staff, so that they know what the goals of Knowledge for the World will mean for their particular department or unit.

"It is important to me that the strategy is relevant and meaningful for all staff members. At AAU, we work every year to select the most strategically important goals. I would therefore like to emphasize the importance of staff members seizing the opportunity to contribute proposals related to the goals for 2025. You can do this when the managements of departments and units invite you to meetings of the Academic Councils or staff meetings in the autumn," says Rector Per Michael Johansen.

Preferred partner

With the chosen strategy process, the Executive Management tries to create the best conditions for all staff to contribute to AAU being a preferred partner once the vision is put into effect, and concrete solutions to the complex societal challenges must be created - regionally, nationally and globally.

Further information

If you have questions about goals and descriptions of goals as well as the process plan for Knowledge for the World, you may contact Mikkel Høj Svendsen, Project Manager at mhsve@adm.aau.dk.