Newsletter 56 from the Head of Department

INTERNAL NEWS

The preservation of Aarhus University has been adopted - one of our buildings is included

The Danish Palaces and Culture Agency has decided to protect the Universitetsparken, Vennelystparken and 26 nominated university buildings. The conservation includes, among other buildings, our building 1613 – the one that houses the clinics with the large windows facing Nørrebrogade.

The conservation has been under consultation since the autumn of last year, and the university as a whole has expressed concern about the consequences during and after the decision. However, I am happy to work in such fine and iconic buildings that have been assessed as worthy of preservation, and I trust that we will still get our work done constructively with regard to any necessary changes or adaptations in the building, if necessary.

You can read more in the article "Preservation proposal for AU approved in full".

RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND TEACHING

University lecturers' competence development is in focus with Health's new teaching strategy

Health has got a new teaching strategy that will ultimately make university teaching better and create greater coherence in university education for both lecturers and our students. The new strategy also includes a description of the expected competences at the different scientific position types and levels, and as teachers you will therefore also experience that the opportunities for and requirements for pedagogical-didactic competence development will increase.

One of the tools is a so-called teaching portfolio, which you must complete and maintain, expectedly from autumn 2023. The idea is that the portfolio should also be used for the staff development dialogues and recruitment/changes of job position, so that we can maintain that good teaching skills are important and must be maintained.

The teaching strategy supports a new tightening of the University Act (In Danish), which requires that employees in scientific positions and in other positions with teaching obligations must continuously maintain and develop their acquired pedagogical and didactic competences, as well as prepare and continuously maintain a teaching portfolio.

You can read about how we at Health are going to work with pedagogical-didactic competence development and teaching portfolios from vice-dean for education Lise Wogensen Bach in the article: "Development and teamwork will strengthen the degree programmes at Health", and then we will follow up afterwards specifically for IOOS.

Come to MatchPoints and learn more about the global health of the future

This year, it is the Faculty of Health that stands for the academic theme at the Aarhus University's annual MatchPoints conference, which takes place on 11-13 May 2023. Global Health is the headline when researchers, health actors and NGOs discuss the major challenges and solutions within inequality in health, chronic disease and mental health, pandemic preparedness, climate change and sustainability, - all in a global perspective.

Everyone is welcome, but participation requires a ticket, which can be purchased at MatchPoints.au.dk - the entire program can also be found here. You can also get a taste of some of the conference content in the article "Health is askew".

Birgitte Lüttge is retiring - a new clinic manager is expected to be employed from August

After many years of employment at Aarhus University and the past four years with us, clinic manager Birgitte Lüttge is retiring as of 1 July 2023. Even though Birgitte will be difficult to replace, we are making the attempt, and therefore the position of clinic manager at IOOS will be advertised this week. If all goes well, we expect the new clinic manager to take office from August 2023.

Birgitte has a lot of holiday that needs to be completed, and therefore she has her last working day just before Whitsun. Those who have the opportunity and desire can join us in saying goodbye when we hold a farewell reception on Tuesday 23 May at 14.30-16.30 in Asklepius, room 1613-109 – a detailed invitation will follow. Birgitte has lifted the post of clinic manager in an exemplary manner and has contributed to the necessary and forward-looking development of IOOS, and not least steered us safely through a difficult time during the pandemic.

In the period from Whitsun until the new clinic manager takes office, Mette Provstgaard, Jan Ulrik Rasmussen and I will take over the necessary tasks over the summer.

Peter Svensson participated in the TV2 News about patients' self-payment for orofacial pain

Professor Peter Svensson, Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, participated in the TV2 news on Sunday 12 March. The feature was about how some patients can get financial help for dental bills from the regions if they suffer from special diseases, while (many) others cannot. Peter Svensson has treated the participating patient, and as a pain researcher he problematizes the fact that people with pain in the arms and legs can be treated at public expense, while those with orofacial pain have to pay for it themselves.

The feature itself is behind a paywall, but the supplementary article can be read on TV2's website.

The weekend when Jan Wolff jumped into the water and saved a drowning person

Finally, you get a real-life heroic feat that has come to my attention and deserves great recognition. Just over a week ago, Professor Jan Wolff from the Section for Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology was cycling along the waterfront in Copenhagen when he noticed a group of people standing and looking out over the water. He stopped to see what it was about and it turned out that there were two persons struggling in the water. Jan jumped into the water, grabbed one of the persons and pulled him to the dock, where he with the help of passers-by got the man onto land, performed first-aid until the rescue team took over. We don't know how the man ended up in the water and how he feels today, but how crucially important it is in our society that we as human beings can trust that other people will come to help when the need is greatest.

Best wishes,

Siri