University of Southern Denmark, DENMARK

The University of Southern Denmark was established in 1998 through a merger involving Odense University, the Southern Denmark School of Business and Engineering and South Jutland University Centre.

On 1 January 2006, Odense University College of Engineering was incorporated into the University of Southern Denmark, establishing the Faculty of Engineering.

On 1 January 2007, the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the Business School Centre in Slagelse were also incorporated into the University of Southern Denmark. NIPH retains its status as a national public health institute and will remain in Copenhagen. The Business School Centre will be a department within the Faculty of Social Sciences and forms SDU’s campus in Slagelse.

In 2006, the university celebrated its 40th anniversary, as the former Odense University was founded in 1966. You can find out more about the origin of the university in a special issue of Ny Viden (only available in Danish) published in connection with the anniversary.

Research, teaching, communication and the transfer of knowledge at the University of Southern Denmark are grouped into five academic faculties:

    * The Faculty of Humanities
    * The Faculty of Science
    * The Faculty of Social Sciences
    * The Faculty of Health Sciences
    * The Faculty of Engineering

The faculties are supported by:

    * The University Library of Southern Denmark, which provides relevant information for researchers, teachers and students at SDU. In addition to library services for SDU staff and students, the library also provides services for other interested external users, the business community and other libraries. Read more about the library's services.
    * Joint services, which consists of all the administrative and service units that support the academic environments.

The Board of Governors is the supreme authority at the university and is responsible to the Minister for the activities and overall resources of the university. The Board looks after the university’s interests as an educational and research institution and establishes guidelines for its organisation, long-term future and development. The Board enters into development contracts with the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, and it has formulated the mission and vision of the University of Southern Denmark. The Board appoints the Rector, and, on the recommendation of the Rector, also appoints the Pro-Rector and a University Director. The Board holds around four meetings per year.

The Board of Representatives acts as the university’s liaison with partners, the business community, the public sector and cultural institutions – regionally, nationally and internationally. The Board of Representatives consists of 42 members, who, under the terms of the statutes, will observe the activities of the university and be kept informed about matters affecting the university. The Board of Representatives discusses the university’s research, courses and other activities on an overall level and can submit remarks on these areas to the Board of Governors. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Board of Representatives are members of the joint committee, which appoints the outside members of the Board of Governors. The Board of Representatives holds around three meetings per year.

Day-to-day management of the university is handled by the Rector within the framework established by the Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors, the Board of Representatives and the day-to-day management are supported by the Management Secretariat.