Sys Christina Vestergaard has since 2004 been engaged in communication in higher education and for the past five years as Head of Communication and Press at the rector's office at Aarhus University.
Danish universities are undergoing significant politica! changes. Higher Education [universities in particular] were tor decades perceined to be the most important 'helper' in our society with our graduates and our research. But the current politica! narrative and majority position in our country is that universities produce too many students with university master's degrees. Reforms, budget cuts and intake reductions are now high on the agenda.
Similar trends are now seen in various European countries, in which the human brain, innovation and bright ideas, traditionally, are also the main raw materiai.
In Denmark, the universities have made our voice heard. We have engaged in the public debate - but there are not many ears. The biggest experiment in the framework of our master's degree programmes ever will happen. The first new programmes are expected to be ready from summer 2025.
Is Denmark the first - and only - country to get less smart? Did we as universities fail in this process? Could we have done something different - from a communication point of view? In this presentation, I will give you insights in the new reality Danish universities are facing and the consequences for a university as Aarhus University. I invite participants to discuss these current politica! and societal trends we as communicator's are to take into account in our strategies.