development contract - aau · that small and medium-sized enterprises in north jutland are willing...

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

1

D E V E L O P M E N T C O N T R A C T 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 7


2

Aalborg University contributes to growth and welfare in Denmark by making the

results of its research and other knowledge available to society through educati-

on, dissemination of research and cooperation with the surrounding community.

Aalborg University is a young university whose priority is to solve problems of

current social relevance. This takes place through the problem based learning

and teaching method PBL, as well as through interdisciplinary research and close

cooperation with companies, institutions and authorities. At the same time, with its

campuses in Aalborg, Esbjerg and the Copenhagen Sydhavn, the University is ma-

king an important contribution to the improvement of the social and geographical

balance in educational opportunities for young people in areas with an under-re-

presentation of an academically trained workforce. PBL is an essential tool for

Aalborg University in achieving its good results in the education of first-generation

academics (pattern breakers). With campuses in three of the country’s regions,

Aalborg University is a network University in which virtual communication plays a

key role in supplementing direct contact.

Aalborg University sees the development contract as a tool to contributing in spe-

cific areas to the enhancement of the knowledge base of continued social, cultural,

economic and technological progress in Denmark, taking into account the conditi-

ons set for growth and welfare by internationalisation and globalisation.

Aalborg University is required to prepare a new development contract for the

three-year period 2015 to 2017. This coincides with a major process of change,

which Aalborg University is facing. In the autumn of 2014, Aalborg University

embarked on a strategy process which will involve members of staff and students

extensively; this process will run over a year, and will this summer result in the

presentation of a new strategy for Aalborg University covering the period 2015 to

2020. The strategy must ensure the quality and stability of the University’s activi-

ties following a period of strong growth. The development contract and its imple-

mentation precede the new strategy. The objectives of the development contract

will be expanded and specified in the strategy, since the development contract is

based on the overall objectives of quality assurance and consolidation which will

constitute the central premises of the strategy.

Aalborg University takes as its starting point the Minister’s five obligatory objecti-

ves as well as three objectives chosen by the University. A total of 16 benchmarks

are listed below:

PREAMBLE


3

TARGET 1: BETTER QUALITY IN STUDY PROGRAMMES

In the forthcoming strategy for Aalborg University (2015-2020) pedagogical development through digitisation and

further development of the problem based learning have a high priority. AAU intends to secure a structure and a

culture which support our policy that study programmes at Aalborg University are full-time programmes, and which

maintain the high standard of Aalborg University programmes; this includes teaching methods adapted to student

learning and student interests, as well as to the demands on our graduates at bachelor and master levels expressed

by the surrounding community. A high proportion of tenured teaching staff coverage will be secured, ensuring that

the students, to the widest extent possible, will receive research-based instruction. Moreover, a clear educational

structure will be in focus throughout the University.

The proportion of tenured teaching staff at Aalborg University is high, with an overall DVIP/VIP (part-time academic

staff/full-time academic staff) ratio of 7.2 percent in the period 2011 to 2013. During the development contract pe-

riod, Aalborg University will ensure the continuation of the high standard of our study programmes with research

based teaching and tenured staff coverage. Challenges exist in particular at the Humanities and Social Sciences,

which employ external teaching staff from the business world on several of their courses. At Aalborg University, the

pressure on teaching capacity is still heavy, due to the large intakes of the past few years; this will also be the case in

our master programmes during the next few years. It will therefore be challenging for the University to maintain an

appropriate combination of teaching staff and at the same time introduce a cap on the proportion of DVIP.

BENCHMARK 1

Aalborg University will ensure research based training by reducing the proportion of part-time employed acade-

mic staff (DVIP) to a maximum of 7.9% of the total academic staff in each year of the period.

2015: 7,9 % 2016: 7,9 % 2017: 7,9 %

During the contract period, Aalborg University will move from a growth scenario to a consolidation scenario. A poli-

tical decision has also been made to increase resizing of degree programmes. As a consequence, Aalborg University

will examine its programme portfolio and set new conditions for sustainability and quality. This process and imple-

mentation will require a change of culture in the organisation.

BENCHMARK 2

In order to contribute to greater transparency in the education landscape and to ensure that all AAU study pro-

grammes are of a high academic standard, Aalborg University will review its programme portfolio during the

course of the new contract period, in order to continuously ensure the sustainability and quality in the programmes

offered, and to resize selected programmes.


4

Aalborg University programmes are structured and offered as full-time courses in which students complete a bache-

lor’s and master’s degree in 4.8 years. This is one of the strengths of Aalborg University.

In order to maintain a short study completion time and meet the Ministry’s objectives regarding study progress, the

University must launch activities to maintain efficiency among the students. In view of the large intake and activities

in three campuses, Aalborg University sees it as a great challenge to maintain our short study completion time.

BENCHMARK 3

Aalborg University will maintain its maximum extension period of the prescribed study completion time of 1.2

months (within a margin of three months).


5

TARGET 2: GREATER RELEVANCE AND INCREASED TRANSPARENCY

A fundamental purpose of Aalborg University’s study programmes is that students must be able to contribute to the

development of society and must obtain appropriate employment. The relevance of the study programmes will be in

focus, in that the students will cooperate with private and public companies. Internships and project collaborations

open up new opportunities for businesses which have no tradition of employing academics, and companies will

gain experience with the recruitment of academic staff. This creates a synergy between innovative, qualifying study

programmes and the needs of the business community to hire a well-qualified workforce. We will ensure that the

study programmes completed by our graduates are continuously adapted to the needs of the labour market, and that

students and graduates will contribute with innovative and value-creating solutions to the surrounding community.

It is Aalborg University’s ambition to increase the proportion of externally financed PhD students; this will require

that small and medium-sized enterprises in North Jutland are willing to invest in and increase their cooperation with

the University. In 2010, 19.1% of the University’s PhD students were fully or partly funded by external sources, while

in 2013 the proportion was as high as 47.4%. Thus, the University has already experienced a significant change in

the financing of the PhD area. The University wishes to maintain and further strengthen this level during the contract

period.

BENCHMARK 4

Aalborg University will gradually increase the proportion of PhD students who are fully or partially funded by

external sources, including industrial PhD students, to 50% during the contract period.

Aalborg University will increase the proportion to 48% in 2015, 49% in 2016 and 50% in 2017.

2015: 48 % 2016: 49 % 2017: 50 %

Aalborg University bases its study programmes on problem-based learning and project work, which, among other

things, implies that some students are cooperating with the business community, solving problems based on relevant

issues. The University wants to document the extent of this cooperation and has developed a computer system which

will register the final projects prepared by the students. With the transition to digital examinations, the University wis-

hes to develop this system, so that in the future, it will register all student project work cooperation with the business

world and other external partners. In 2013, 37% of all final theses prepared at Aalborg University were completed in

cooperation with external partners; 42% of these were master’s theses.

BENCHMARK 5

Aalborg University wants to contribute to innovation in both businesses and in the public sector as well as contri-

bute to ensuring that our graduates gain qualifications and find employment within the areas of expertise that are

required by the labour market. For this reason, Aalborg University wants to ensure that in 2015, a minimum of 42%

of all master’s theses are prepared in cooperation with business enterprises or other external partners, and that

the proportion increases by one percentage point each year in 2016 and 2017.

2015: 42 % 2016: 43 % 2017: 44 %


6

Aalborg University wants to enhance graduate employability. Therefore, it is the ambition of Aalborg University, during

the entire contract period, to maintain the present proportion of graduate private sector employment of 60%; this is

a high proportion compared to the 52% average across the sector. It will be a great challenge to maintain this level,

since an increasing number of graduates are turned out for the labour market. This will require a focused effort in the

small and medium-sized enterprises in North Jutland and elsewhere.

BENCHMARK 6

Aalborg University will maintain an educational profile that supports a graduate employability rate of at least 60%

in the private sector each year during the contract period.

2015: 60 % 2016: 60 % 2017: 60 %


7

TARGET 3: BETTER COHERENCE AND COOPERATION

Aalborg University considers it a primary task to help raise the level of education in society. In this context, the

University will contribute to the ongoing and continuous upgrading of qualifications of the existing workforce; this will

take place through continuing and further education.

At Aalborg University, the number of students registering for continuing and further education has increased by 44%

during the period from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, which is the most recent registration year, the number of students

increased by 5% compared to the year before. During the contract period, the University will work for continuous

growth within the area of continuing and further education by ensuring stable and sustainable provision of study

programmes tailored to the needs of the business world.

BENCHMARK 7

Aalborg University will make an effort to boost the competences of the workforce by increasing the number of

resource-releasing student places under our programmes of continuing and further education by 3% each year of

the period.

2015: 2035 students in continuing

and further education





Problem-based learning is Aalborg University’s special strength. We will extend this as well as other research-ba-

sed teaching methods to other institutions of education and research. We will continue to focus on our cooperation

with the university colleges regarding education, research and development. Moreover, Aalborg University wishes

to contribute to the development of evidence-based study programmes through research on and dissemination of

evidence-based knowledge of problem based learning.

At the end of 2013, Unesco decided to place a new Unesco Centre in problem based learning in Aalborg. Together with

the University’s PBL Academy, which is in charge of the development of the University’s PBL-model and PBL-prin-

ciples, the University will, as part of its new strategy, further expand the existing knowledge of and research within

PBL. Therefore, this will be included in the pedagogical competence development of AAU teaching staff. This effort

will form part of the University’s new strategy and will involve various research environments across the faculties.

BENCHMARK 8

Aalborg University will set up a joint centre for all the University’s research on problem-based learning in order

to gather and develop cutting-edge research in innovative learning methods, which can be used by institutions of

higher education at all levels.


8

TARGET 4: ENHANCED INTERNATIONALISATION

Aalborg University graduates must be prepared for the global labour market, and during their studies they must

integrate global knowledge, which they can then feed into the Danish labour market. The University finds it essential

that Danish students go abroad to expand their qualifications, and that the most talented international students are

retained for the Danish labour market after graduation. This may be encouraged by establishing international re-

search environments, offering students career options both at the University and in the Danish business community.

In 2014, 18.2% of all AAU graduates completed a study, project or internship stay abroad as part of their education.

Increasing this percentage during the contract period will pose a challenge for Aalborg University. One reason is

that study programmes within the Humanities, particularly the language programmes, will be resized. Language

students represent the highest share of students who take part of their studies abroad. Aalborg University will meet

the Government’s internationalisation action plan by working to ensure that students of technology and science to

a larger extent take part of their studies abroad. The University wishes to increase the proportion by 2 percentage

points per year during the contract period.

BENCHMARK 9

Aalborg University will enhance internationalisation by increasing the proportion of graduates who go for study,

project or internship stays abroad as part of their education by 2 percentage points a year.

2015: 20 % 2016: 22 % 2017: 24 %

Aalborg University keeps a focus on internationalisation and the recruitment of talent from abroad. Of the 223 postdocs

recruited by Aalborg University in the period 2011-2013, 49% were recruited from other universities. Part of the Univer-

sity’s future strategy is to increase research performance by focusing on mobility and the recruitment of international

teachers and researchers. This will enable us to join international networks and gain inspiration from other research

environments. Thus, the University’s ambition is to raise the proportion of externally recruited postdocs in the period.

BENCHMARK 10

Benchmark 10: In order to increase the pool of talent, Aalborg University will recruit at least 50% of its new postdocs

from outside of Aalborg University in 2015 and increase by two percentage points each year in 2016 and 2017.

2015: 50 % 2016: 52 % 2017: 54 %

Today, Aalborg University offers language courses and language coaching sessions to enhance the English language pro-

ficiency of academic staff, but no systematic monitoring takes place. In the future, Aalborg University wishes to secure the

quality of English used as a medium of instruction by introducing certification of the English competences of the individual

member of staff. Our intention is to include English language certification as an obligatory element in the university course

in pedagogy for assistant professors. This offer will be extended to include all academic staff members.

BENCHMARK 11

AAAU will ensure the quality of English used as a medium of instruction by incorporating recognised certification

of the English language and communication competences of the individual member of staff as an obligatory ele-

ment in the university course in pedagogy for assistant professors. It is our goal to implement the system in 2015,

and to ensure that half of all assistant professors will attend the certification course in 2016, and all assistant

professors from 2017.

2016: Half of all assistant professors 2017: All assistant professors


9

TARGET 5: INCREASED SOCIAL MOBILITY – MORE TALENTS IN PLAY

Aalborg University attracts a large proportion of students who will be better educated than their parents, the so-called

pattern breakers. The University wishes to ensure that irrespective of their backgrounds, talented young people

should learn about the programmes offered by the University through various bridge-building initiatives, encouraging

them to enrol at university.

According to Statistics Denmark (2011), 82% of all students enrolled at Aalborg University will become better educa-

ted than their parents, which is the largest proportion of pattern breakers in the Danish university sector. It may be-

come a challenge for Aalborg University to maintain this proportion as a result of the tighter admission requirements

expected in the future.

BENCHMARK 12

Aalborg University will continue to recruit a large proportion of students who will be better educated than their

parents by conducting targeted recruitment initiatives in geographical areas with a small proportion of academics.


10

TARGET 6: INCREASE IN INNOVATION AND RESEARCH

COLLABORATION WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

One of Aalborg University’s core areas is to contribute to innovation in the business community by encouraging

university researchers and students to cooperate with partners outside of the University. The University will therefore

seek the possibilities of establishing research collaboration with the surrounding community; this will take place

through external financing and through the publication of research articles in cooperation with industry and other

partners outside of the university world.

Aalborg University will make an effort to establish financially binding cooperation agreements with business enter-

prises and public institutions. During the period 2010 to 2013, Aalborg University entered into 833 financially binding

cooperation agreements each year. As regards entering into financially binding cooperation agreements, it is a

challenge for Aalborg University that North Jutland has a majority of small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore,

it is necessary for the University to increase its focus on attracting EU funding and on cooperating with the largest

private foundations.

BENCHMARK 13

During the contract period, Aalborg University will, as a minimum, enter into 2,700 financially binding cooperation

agreements with private, public and international partners, the proportion gradually increasing over the period.

2015: 850 2016: 900 2017: 950

In Frame Programme 7, Aalborg University was involved in a total of 130 contracts. Aalborg University wants to

increase its innovation activities and cooperation with the surrounding community by focusing on our involvement in

partnerships in projects under the EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020.

BENCHMARK 14

During the development contract period, Aalborg University will aim to become a partner in 60 new Horizon 2020

projects; of these at least 50% should also include business partners. The projects should accumulate gradually

during the period with 15 projects in 2015, 35 in 2016 and 60 in 2017, as a minimum (accumulated numbers).

2015: A minimum of 15 2016: A minimum of 35 2017: A minimum of 60


11

TARGET 7: RESEARCH DISSEMINATION

At Aalborg University, standards in research should be high. This is documented by a large number of research

publications seen in relation to the research funding received, and by extensive international cooperation.

In 2013, 24.2% of all AAU publications in Web of Science were published together with one or a number of co-authors

from industry, organisations or authorities not affiliated with universities or university hospitals. In addition, 49% of

all AAU publications in Web of Science were co-written with authors from universities and other partners outside

of Denmark. The University’s ambition is to continue increasing its research collaboration with both industry and

international business partners.

BENCHMARK 15

Aalborg University will ensure that in 2017, a minimum of 25.7% of all its scientific articles in Web of Science are

written with co-authors from industry and other partners from outside of the university world; moreover, that a

minimum of 50.5% of all the University’s scientific publications in Web of Science have co-authors from universiti-

es and other partners from outside of Denmark.

Publications in WOS with co-authors from the industry and other partners outside of the university world.

2015: 24,7 % 2016: 25,2 % 2017: 25,7 %

Publications in WOS with co-authors from the universities and other partners outside of Denmark.

2015: 49,5 % 2016: 50 % 2017: 50,5 %


12

TARGET 8: STUDY ENVIRONMENT

A good study environment is essential for the job satisfaction of teaching staff and the students’ satisfaction with

their conditions of study. The University promotes an ongoing dialogue with the students regarding their study en-

vironment in terms of academic contents as well as the social and physical environments. This takes place through

decentralised surveys on the study environment each semester, using semester evaluation forms. The university

supplements these surveys by a centralised educational barometer in order to achieve an overall impression of

student well-being at all AAU campuses.

In 2013, Aalborg University conducted a centralised study environment survey among all its students; this showed

a student satisfaction rate of 76.8%. The University wishes to raise the student satisfaction rate to 80% by 2016.

The University considers this to be a challenge, since the students are being exposed to increasing pressure by for

instance the study progress reform and the quality reform.

BENCHMARK 16

In the autumn of 2016, Aalborg University will measure the satisfaction among its students by using a centralised

education barometer. It is the University’s target that a minimum of 80% of the respondents indicate their educati-

onal well-being in the education barometer.

2016: 80%

development contract - aau · that small and medium-sized enterprises in north jutland are willing...

Documents