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Wanted: More international applicants to academic positions

If young research talents and the level of competitiveness are to be maintained and strengthened, then more profiles – also from abroad – need to apply for academic positions at Health. The faculty management team will therefore discuss how to specifically attract more international members of academic staff.

More international names need to be found in the pile of applications when a vacant academic staff position at Health needs to be filled.

Health thus follows the path laid out by the Committee for Research and External Cooperation for how Aarhus University can strengthen its recruitment of international young research talents and elite researchers. The aim is to maintain and strengthen AU's young research talents and competitiveness – with the last item being measurable by e.g. the amount of external financing. 

Which academic staff profiles can attract funding?

Recruitment, including international recruitment, will be the theme of the management seminar in May when AU's senior management team meets at the Sandbjerg Estate. With this in mind, the faculty management team at Health have discussed which questions would be good for the department heads to consider before the seminar.

"It could be relevant to look at which academic staff profiles appear to be able to raise funding for research at Health. Is it our Danish or international academic staff who attract funding at present? Is it possible to say anything about which job category they belong to? Do we utilise our international network optimally for recruitment purposes? And do we have knowledge that can be used to help make the job advertisement visible in the right places," says Vice-dean for Talent Development at Health, Lise Wogensen Bach.

The figures available from AU HR currently show that very few of the positions at Health attract many applicants, including international names, while many positions only attract a few – and as little as only one – applicant. 
The faculty management team points out that data from the area needs to be very carefully utilised and interpreted as there are some very special conditions at Health which influence the figures – including the fact that the clinical positions must be filled by applicants who speak Danish.

Contact:

Vice-dean for Talent Development Lise Wogensen Bach
Aarhus University, Health
Mobile: (+45) 2548 8522
lwb@au.dk