New director at the Aarhus University School of Engineering
On 1 July 2012, Conni Simonsen takes up her position as the new director of the Aarhus University School of Engineering. She succeeds Thomas Vosegaard, who has been the acting director since February 2012.
2012.05.24 |
On 1 July 2012, Conni Simonsen takes up her position as the new director of the Aarhus University School of Engineering. (Photo: AU Communication)
The new director of the Aarhus University School of Engineering is a woman with considerable experience.
Conni Simonsen (56) graduated with an MSc in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). She is currently rector of the Copenhagen University College of Engineering, as well as being chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and a member of the Board of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation. She is very familiar with the engineering situation in Aarhus, and her previous posts include being deputy chair of the Board of the Engineering College of Aarhus until 2010.
Earlier in her career, Conni Simonsen was vice president of Grundfos Management, managing director of Ericsson, and a member of both Vækstfonden and the Accreditation Council.
This combination of a strong corporate profile and experience in developing degree programmes makes her the natural choice for the job, according to Dean Brian Bech Nielsen, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.
“Conni Simonsen is the right person to successfully carry into the future the School of Engineering’s practice-oriented study model and long tradition for collaboration with the business sector, and I’m convinced that she can continue to ensure positive development in the field of engineering in Aarhus, with growth in the number of students and strong business collaboration,” he says.
Major challenges in sight
Conni Simonsen takes over the post of director exactly six months after the amalgamation of the Engineering College of Aarhus with Aarhus University, and she looks forward to making the most of the opportunities this provides for developing the degree programmes.
“It’ll be my job to create the best possible conditions for managing the engineering degree programmes in accordance with the demands of the job market. We have to be at the forefront of industrial innovation requirements and ensure that the coming generations of both BSc and MSc graduates are provided with a strong competence profile that is internationally competitive. I look forward to accomplishing this task along with the staff at the School of Engineering, in close collaboration with the Department of Engineering,” she says.
Engineering is currently anchored in two organisational units at Science and Technology. The Department of Engineering was established in 2011 and gathers all research activities in the field of engineering. At the end of last year, the former Engineering College of Aarhus amalgamated with Aarhus University, and now unites eight BSc degree programmes, three technical Bachelor’s degree programmes and eight MSc degree programmes.
Conni Simonsen succeeds Thomas Vosegaard, who has been acting director since 2012. He continues his work as a professor and director of studies for the graduate engineering degree programmes at Aarhus University.
CONTACT
Dean Brian Bech Nielsen, Science and Technology, Aarhus University +45 2338 2349, dean@science.au.dk
