Newsletter from the Rectorate April 2012 · 27. April 2012
Status for applications in quota 2 in the Danish Coordinated Enrolment System (KOT - kvote 2)
The university is pleased to announce that we continue to experience record high application numbers for bachelor and professional bachelor programmes at Aalborg University. AAU has received the largest number of quota 2 applications so far via KOT (the Coordinated Enrolment System). The 4,907 applications constitute an increase of 14.3 % compared to last year, when record high application numbers were also seen. At the same time, an increase of 12.9 % was seen in the number of applicants who listed AAU as their first priority, in total 1,395 first priorities. All three campuses in Aalborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen are experiencing this increase. As will appear from the lists below, the area of Social Sciences and the area of Engineering and Science in Aalborg have seen the largest increase in both first priorities and applications in general.
| First priorities | 2012 | 2011 | Difference in percent | Difference in numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUM Aalborg | 334 | 371 | -10.0 % | -37 |
| HUM CPH | 83 | 59 | 40.7 % | 24 |
| Social Sciences | 369 | 275 | 34.2 % | 94 |
| Eng/Sc Aalborg | 225 | 164 | 37.2 % | 61 |
Eng/Sc Esbjerg | 39 | 25 | 56.0 % | 14 |
| Eng/Sc CPH | 127 | 117 | 8.5 % | 10 |
| Medicine | 218 | 225 | -3.1 % | -7 |
| In total | 1395 | 1236 | 12.9 % | 159 |
| Quota 2 applications | 2012 | 2011 | Difference in percent | Difference in numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUM Aalborg | 1173 | 1087 | 7.9 % | 86 |
| HUM CPH | 248 | 206 | 20.4 % | 42 |
| Social Sciences | 1266 | 914 | 38.5 % | 352 |
| Eng/Sc Aalborg | 525 | 393 | 33.6 % | 132 |
| Eng/Sc Esbjerg | 88 | 60 | 46.7 % | 28 |
| Eng/Sc CPH | 278 | 246 | 13.0 % | 32 |
| Medicine | 1329 | 1386 | -4.1 % | -57 |
| In total | 4907 | 4292 | 14.3 % | 615 |
In 2012, free access has been announced for qualified applicants for all bachelor and professional bachelor programmes at AAU – except for Law, Economics and Business Administration, Medicine, Psychology and Human Informatics in Copenhagen. Not unexpectedly, the largest number of applications has been seen for these five programmes with restricted admission.
The Admissions Office expects that a considerable number of Danish applicants, particularly for programmes with free access for qualified applicants, will send their quota 1 applications by the deadline on 5 July 2012. It is therefore not possible to use the quota 2 application numbers as a precise indicator of expected quota 1 applications for the individual programmes this summer. Of the total application numbers for quotas 1 and 2, quota 2 applications constituted 32% in 2011 and 28% in 2010.
Open House at the university
The increase of interest in AAU-programmes was also reflected in the annual Open House events. On 24-25 February, Open House events were held at our campus in Esbjerg. On 6 March the event was held at our brand new campus in the Sydhavnen harbour front area in Copenhagen, and the following day at the main campus in Aalborg. It is difficult to calculate the total number of visitors, but we counted the number of people who attended the presentations on our study programmes. These numbers indicate an increase in the number of visitors in all three campuses:
- AAU, Aalborg: Number of visitors = 2042 (9 % increase compared to 2011)
- AAU, Esbjerg: Number of visitors = 232 (15 % increase compared to 2011)
- AAU, CPH: Number of visitors = 750 (50 % increase compared to 2011)
In addition to study programme presentations and guided tours, visits to a number of university facilities and laboratories were also arranged.
AAU had offered free mobile bus-ticketing for all visitors within the North Jutland region, and 362 people used this option. The bus option was also tested in other regions, and 58 people signed up. However, no keen interest in bustransport was registered for the planned routes in the Copenhagen and Esbjerg areas, so these were cancelled and replaced by minibuses/taxies.
Careers Fair
On 6 March 2012 the careers fair attracted over 2000 visitors to over 65 stands, which represented both large well-known and international companies and minor North Jutland companies, which are increasingly trying to attract North Jutland graduates. Several North Jutland municipal districts were also present and represented and introduced job options in municipal offices as well as in various enterprises in their geographical areas. This initiative received a very warm welcome from visitors at the fair.
As a new initiative, 300 fair visitors were offered the possibility of starting their day at the fair in the company of former special forces soldier B.S. Christiansen, who made it obvious to his audience that only they can take charge of their own education and careers.
Re-structuring of the IT-organisation at AAU
Aalborg University has asked PwC to conduct an analysis of the university’s IT organisation, and on this basis a report has been prepared which includes a number of recommendations. The management has taken note of the report and decided to meet the recommendations to establish a shared standardised IT platform, a shared IT support system and a shared development department. These will be gathered in one location under an IT CEO in cooperation with an IT council constituted by users represented by the managers of the main areas.
Applications for new study programmes
This year AAU expects to apply to ACE Denmark for the approval of five bachelor programmes, ten master programmes, and four part-time master programmes as listed below:
- Part-time master Clinical Sexology (Aal.)
- Bachelor and master Interaction Design (Aal.)
- Bachelor and master Matematics engineer (Aal.)
- Master Environmental Science and Technology (Aal.)
- Master Materials Engineering (Aal.)
- Master Business Development and Applied Entrepreneurship Method (Aal.)
- Master Risk and Safety Management (Esb.)
- Part-time master Building Physics (Cph.)
- Bachelor and master Sustainable Design and Innovative Processes (Cph.)
- Bachelor and master Experience Technology (Cph.)
- Master Experience Technology (Aal.)
- Part-time master Social Work (Aal./Cph.)
- Master Criminology (Aal.)
- Bachelor Politics and International Relations (Aal.)
- Part-time master Police Science (Cph.)
- Master Welfare Innovation (Aal./Cph.)
AAU has entered into a new working relationship with the police, which means that AAU is applying for a master programme in Criminology and a part-time master programme in Police Science, as will appear from the above list. The police are also interested in learning more about Aalborg University’s PBL model.
New joint accreditation system
The ministry has now initiated a dialogue on a possible future accreditation system for universities and other institutions of higher education. The proposal suggests that the present programme accreditation is replaced by institutional accreditation. The result of this new model will be that both the accreditation of new study programmes and internship accreditation will be discontinued, whereas the university must be accredited every six years. In return, the introduction of pre-qualification of new study programmes has been proposed.
During the past few years, AAU has been preparing the university’s quality system for institutional accreditation, and we are now looking forward to discussing a future model with the ministry.
First round in the contest for the New Aalborg University Hospital
Since January, an assessment committee and professionals from the hospital and the project department for the New Aalborg University Hospital have studied and evaluated the six project proposals. The assessment committee includes representatives from the Regional Council, the hospital and regional managements, employees, Aalborg Municipal District and Aalborg University, as well as specialist judges from the Academic Architect Association and the Danish Association of Consulting Engineers.
On 13 March, the regional council received the judges’ report for approval. The first round has now been completed, and it has been decided that the consortia Indigo and Curavita will proceed to the second round of negotiations. During the spring they will have the possibility of optimising their proposal as regards architecture, functionality and economy. In the material a proposal has been prepared which provides space for students from the health sciences. The region expects that the ultimate winner will be announced before the summer holidays begin.
Status of moving into Sydhavnen harbour front premises
The activities of moving AAU-Cph into new premises in Sydhavnen harbour front area are progressing according to plan. As of 1 February, Center for Communication, Media and Information Technologies (CMI) has moved in at Frederikskaj 12, and the students are now at Frederikskaj 10A. This building houses 130 students distributed across mobile group sections on two floors. One of the floors accommodates a new programme in Management and Informatics in the Construction Industry, which has 47 students.
For the remaining moving process an approved area distribution plan is available which will, as of 1 September, integrate the academic environments and the business enterprises which have rented offices from AAU. In close collaboration with Nokia, a number of AAU events have already been held in the premises, and with great success - for instance Open House. Prospects are very promising for a new and inviting environment at the future AAU-Cph.
AAU on Demand extremely popular
AAU on Demand, which is AAU’s newly established corps of student teachers who are offering teaching to upper secondary schools, has already been called out a number of times since the scheme was launched in the autumn of 2011.
Upper secondary pupils in North Jutland have encountered subjects ranging from economy, land surveying and law to medicine and physical education. AAU on Demand’s teachers have given lectures under headings such as “Spot a fraud”, “Become a perfect manager – the road to the fat pay check”, “Local authorities say I will have two windmills and a motorway in my garden” and “Help, I’m a consumer!” At the same time, the upper secondary pupils have had the opportunity to extend their knowledge about studying at AAU. In November, 10 students from AAU spent two days on providing pupils at Ribe Katedralskole (upper secondary school) with a thorough introduction to PBL and group work together with students from AAU in Esbjerg.
Feedback on all visits has been extremely positive, both from the pupils and from the teachers in the corps. 85 student teachers from all four faculties are involved in the scheme. Before being employed under this scheme, the students must complete a mandatory teaching workshop, which will provide them with basic knowledge of teaching of and communication to the upper secondary pupil target group. Many students are interested in joining AAU on Demand, so there is a waiting list in several programmes. The next series of visits will include the following upper secondary schools: Aalborghus Gymnasium, Nørresundby Gymnasium, Viborg Katedralskole and many more.
Successful Pedagogical Day
The annual Pedagogical Day at AAU was held on Wednesday 14 March. Three separate activities were offered at each campus, Aalborg, Ballerup and Esbjerg, and all were focusing on the PBL model at AAU. A total of 190 staff took part.
At campus Aalborg there was a specific focus on “The Aalborg PBL model – possibilities and challenges”, and at Esbjerg campus the theme was “Computing in the clouds – how can digital technologies and innovation be used to conduct and further develop problem based project organised teaching and learning at the university?” At these two campuses a number of presentations were also offered which dealt with issues within the framework of the overall themes.
New Matchpoint at Café KUL in Nordkraft
During the past few years, AAU has established a number of Matchpoints at the business support offices in the municipal districts in North Jutland as well as in Innovations Centres abroad with the aim of providing possibilities for enterprises and the university to meet.
AAU has just established yet another Matchpoint – this time at café KUL at Nordkraft. The focus of this Matchpoint is slightly different since its aim is for young people in the Aalborg Municipal area to meet university students and thus gain an insight into studying and start thinking about futures studies and work. Café KUL belongs under UngAalborg (YoungAalborg), which is a project run by the Aalborg Municipal district with the aim of informing young people about the options of further education. AAU has established a student counselling service in the student café, and various events will also be held during this year.
Best regards
Finn Kjærsdam and Inger Askehave
