HoD News - 17 January 2019

Dear colleagues,

I believe this is last call for wishing you all a Happy New Year.

The year has had a busy start. The relocation of sections and research groups has now been completed. Moves are never popular, but it is my impression that the current relocation went very smoothly, and I thank everybody for contributing to completing the moving process with a good spirit. One should always be careful to name particular persons for their efforts, but I do want to thank Christel once again for so carefully and efficiently monitoring the logistics during the move. Thank you.

The allocation of offices in sections and research groups should provide the necessary office space in the sections to welcome new colleagues. Mainly due to successful attraction of new research grants to the department, we will welcome more than 15 new colleagues to the department during the coming year. This number does not include the expansion of NCRR that is expected in 2019 with more than ten new colleagues. We look forward to welcoming all our new colleagues.

Before Christmas and in the first week of January, recruitment teams have interviewed job market candidates in Naples and Atlanta. Many seminars are now scheduled for the next 3-4 weeks, and I am glad to see the great support that members of the department show in participating in interview-meetings, job-seminars, and dinners. I meet with most of the candidates, and I am very glad to receive feedback from job market candidates feeling very welcome at the department during their visit.

There is now an official call for junior positions at the ECON homepage. I equally encourage local as well as international applicants to apply for the open positions. Recruitment of new colleagues should show a good balance of local and international candidates.

In the management team we will soon continue the work with an updated plan for the future course coordination that was initiated at the residential meeting in Horsens in November. We plan to have an updated proposal ready by the end of February, and we wish to have an open discussion in the sections during the first two weeks of March. The section heads will invite you all to a meeting to discuss the updated proposal in order to provide feedback to the management team. Subsequently, the final adjustments will be made and the practicalities will be implemented such that the new scheme for course coordination can take effect on 1 June 2019.

Unfortunately, the head of the administrative section has been hit by illness the past few months. Meanwhile, as a temporary solution, Anja Zimmerdahl from the Dean’s Office at Aarhus BSS has agreed to contribute to the management tasks of the administration on a part time basis, which is much appreciated. Anja will be present at Fuglesangs Allé one day each week, and she will be the reference person for colleagues in the administrative section. Also, Anja will provide the contact to other administrative units and departments within Aarhus BSS, and she will participate in meetings on our behalf. Other tasks in the administrative section will be solved on an ad hoc basis. I appreciate the help that so many of you already offer in this respect.

Niels Haldrup