d e pa rt m e n t o f g e o s c i e n c e s a n d
n at u r a l r e s o u r c e m a n a g e m e n t
university of copenhagen
I G N 2016
A Strategy for the Development of the
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN)
Faculty of Science at University of Copenhagen towards 2016
Contents
Preface....................................................................................................3
Chapter 1: Mission, Vision, Challenges and Values ...................................4
Chapter 2: Development of the Department as an organisation ...............6
Chapter 3: Education .............................................................................9
Chapter 4: Research .............................................................................. 14
Chapter 5: External collaboration with the private and public sectors .... 17
Chapter 6: Infrastructure ...................................................................... 19
Chapter 7: Dialogue and communication ..............................................23
List of abbreviations and acronyms ........................................................ 27
2
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Preface
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN) is a new Department established
on January 1, 2013 by merging of the Department of Geography and Geology (IGG) and the greater part
(approx. 85 %) of Forest & Landscape Denmark (S&L).
The Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) at the University of Copenhagen (KU) is a new faculty established on
January 1, 2012 by merging the former Faculty of Science (NAT) and the greater part (approx. 2/3) of the
Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE).
The University of Copenhagen has launched a new strategy 2016 – Strategy for the University of Copenhagen as has the Faculty SCIENCE 2016.
Based on these strategies and our own ambitions, visions, and dreams for our working life, we are proud
and pleased to present in this document our first strategy IGN 2016, which complies with the overall guidelines decided by the leader team of the Faculty.
It should be stressed that the target group for this document is the Department itself and the leader team
of the Faculty. The document is heterogeneous because it has been written by different authors and
because we have prioritized content over appearance. An abbreviated version will be produced later for
external use.
The process of formulating the strategy for IGN has been as follows: The Departmental Collaboration Committee (LSU), all 20 Research Groups, most study directors and the Department Communication Committee
(IKU) have provided input. Based on this, IGN’s leader team produced the first draft strategy, with different
teams responsible for writing each chapter.
This first draft was thoroughly discussed and commented upon at an all-staff IGN Conference on April 17 –
18 2013, where there were three rounds of sessions, making it possible for staff to discuss the strategy with
other colleagues and the authors of each specific chapter.
Based on feedback from this process, the teams responsible for each chapter produced the second draft
of our strategy (dated May 18), which was subsequently circulated to all IGN staff, our Scientific Advisory
Board, our Panel of Employee Representatives, the Board of Forest & Landscape Denmark, and the leader team of Geocenter Denmark, for further comment and discussed in our various sections, groups and
committees until June 6. On this basis the leader team of IGN finalized the strategy and submitted it to the
Dean on June 28, 2013. The strategy will be followed by an action plan in the second half of 2013.
We sincerely thank all who have participated in this intense process, hoping that they have found it fruitful
and the results worth the effort.
The leader team of IGN
Strategy 2016
3
Chapter 1: Mission, Vision,
Challenges and Values
Our mission and vision is an edited version of the mission and vision of our
Faculty focusing on our Department and our areas of responsibility:
Mission
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management will bring
together people from universities, research institutes, companies, public agencies and organizations by way of research, education, innovation and communication in order to create science at the highest level and to create, develop and
apply scientific knowledge for the benefit of society.
Vision
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management must be
seen by students, staff and partners as an institution that offers the best possibilities for solving the national and global challenges we face in Geology, Geography and Geo-informatics, Forest and Nature Management, Biomass Science,
Landscape Architecture and Planning.
National and global challenges that IGN can help solve
IGN can and will contribute to solving and/or adapting to the following national and global challenges in the 21st Century, most of which are driven also by
growth in population and consumption:
• Environment and climate change – adaptation and mitigation
• Earth systems evolution
• Natural hazards
• Migration, land-use conflicts, spatial change, urban development and urban
sprawl
• Earth materials and resource management
• Water resources
• Biodiversity and invasive species
• Energy supply
• Biomass production and refinery.
Specific challenges in the coming years for IGN
IGN will strive to:
• Carry out cutting-edge research at the highest international level in the
scientific disciplines encompassed by the Department
• Develop research based on excellence
• Offer teaching programs at the highest international level, so increasing student rolls from Denmark and abroad
4
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
• Further develop international collaboration on research and
education to improve quality and visibility
• Achieve a high national and international profile in research
and education through participation in national and international research and education programs
• Achieve a high profile in national and international science
outreach and development through active participation in
science management and planning organizations
• Fulfil our national responsibilities in the National Center for
Forest, Landscape and Planning (Forest & Landscape Denmark),
for which IGN is responsible and accounts for 85%
• Respect the diversity of IGN and also benefit from it in research
and education, given that IGN is probably the most diverse of
all university departments in Denmark in the areas of research,
education, outreach, cultures and values
• Achieve effective administrative support and infrastructure for
our main tasking: research, education and outreach
• Further improve physical and mental working conditions and
the study environment
• Achieve excellent opportunities for the professional and personal development of staff.
IGN will particularly be facing the following challenges in coming
years:
• The geographical separation of IGN’s academic Sections is
a barrier to full integration and for harvesting the synergies
which were the aim of the merger
• Particularly for the Geology Section, it is crucial to maintain
colocation with GEUS within the framework of Geocenter Denmark when IGN relocates from Øster Voldgade 10
• The Department will be confronted with more intense competition for financial and human resources.
Externally oriented values:
• Research at the highest international level based on academic
independence and freedom
• Attractive educational courses and facilities leading to relevant
competencies, qualifying students for attractive positions in the
public and private sectors, and facilitating international careers
• Cutting edge outreach to the public and private sectors and society at large based on topical, relevant, and reliable research.
Internally oriented values:
• Respect for our diversity, also because it is one of our strengths
in addressing national and global challenges, and for each
other
• Commitment and good opportunities for development – both
professional and personal
• Open, effective decision-making processes and clear, constructive dialogue and communication
• Ability of staff to influence their own tasking and working
hours and the dynamic development of IGN
• Responsibility for shared obligations and functions of the Department, Faculty and University.
Collaboration with other institutions
IGN will maintain and further develop good collaborations with
other departments in SCIENCE as well as other university departments and research institutions in Denmark (especially Geocenter
Denmark) and internationally. These collaborations will be made
more specific and will be strengthened in coming years.
Values
The following values of IGN were identified during the strategy
process, mainly by IGN’s leader team and the Departmental Collaboration Committee (LSU):
Strategy 2016
5
Chapter 2: Development of the
Department as an organisation
A new Department based on experienced and resourceful research
fields
As of January 1st 2013, the University of Copenhagen has a new, strong
Department, the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN), with about 450 employees, 2000 students and annual turnover
of about DKK 350m. IGN’s activities include: Research and development, BSc
and MSc courses and adult education/continuity training, servicing the publicsector, innovation, monitoring, consultancy and outreach as well as international development and environmental assistance. The Department encompasses the following research fields: Geology, geography and geo-informatics,
forest, nature and biomass, and landscape architecture and planning.
IGN is thus a large, diverse Department with several important research
fields. We have chosen to organise ourselves in a structure with four scientific
Sections, the Forest and Landscape College (Skovskolen), a secretariat and
a leader team, see Figure 1. IGN also participates in two centres: Geocenter
Denmark and the National Center for Forest, Landscape and Planning (Forest
& Landscape Denmark).
At IGN we have further chosen to structure the research organisationally in
20 Research Groups (see box 1). Our Research Groups collaborate closely with
international colleagues, with foreign researchers being integrated into IGN
for periods ranging from a few days to longer sabbaticals. Our study program
covers one vocational program, six Bachelor degree programs (two of which
are professional bachelors) and ten Master programs (see box 2).
While striving for excellence in research and education, societal interaction
and international collaboration are core activities at IGN. Our vision is for our
knowledge to contribute to the greatest possible extent to resolving national
and global challenges in our research fields. This vision requires basic and applied research at the highest level.
In order to comply with this vision, IGN will ensure that the core services of
research, education, outreach and public-sector service have the best settings.
Besides creating a well-functioning organisational framework, we can do this
by creating a culture and a set of values that ensure that we constantly work
to cut out unnecessary processes, that we respect each other’s time, create
space for professionalism in all roles, ensure we have visible, competent management, speak openly and respectfully about differences, have the courage
to make decisions in order to ensure progress, and create an accessible admi-
6
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Figure 1. Organisation and members of the leader team of IGN.
Head of Department
Niels Elers Koch
3 Deputy Heads
of Department
Gertrud Jørgensen
Lars Krogh
Lars Nielsen
Secretariat
Head of Administration
Louisa Schønnemann
Bøttkjær
Geology
Head of section
Karsten Høgh Jensen
Geography
Head of section
Lasse Møller-Jensen
Forest, Nature
and Biomass
Head of section
Vivian Kvist Johansen
Box 1. Research groups and Research Group leaders at IGN:
• Basin Studies (Christian J. Bjerrum)
• Geophysics (Hans Thybo)
• Geochemical, Mineralogical and Petrological Earth Processes
(Robert Frei)
• Water Resources (Peter Engesgaard)
• Transformation of Cities and Landscapes - Geoinformatics (Lars
Winther)
• Environment and Society in Developing Countries (Ole Mertz)
• Dynamic Geomorphology and Quarternary Geology (Aart
Kroon)
• Terrestric Ecosystem Analysis (Henrik Breuning-Madsen)
• Spatial Change and Planning (Henrik Vejre)
• Landscape Architecture and Urbanism (Ellen Braae)
• Landscape Technology (Marina Bergen Jensen)
• Socio-Environmental Studies (Frank Søndergaard Jensen)
• GIScience and Geodesign (Hans Skov-Petersen)
• Forest Genetics and Diversity (Erik Dahl Kjær)
• Biogeochemistry (Per Gundersen)
• Trees and Forest (Hanne N. Rasmussen)
• Ecology and Nature Management (Inger Kappel Schmidt)
• Forest Resource Assessment and Bioenergy (Karsten RaulundRasmussen)
• Tropical Trees and Landscapes (Lars Graudal)
• Biomass Science and Technology (Claus Felby)
Landscape Architecture
and Planning
Head of section
Gertrud Jørgensen
The Forest and
Landscape College
Head of section
Anders Bülow
Box 2. Study Programs at IGN:
VET (Vocational Education/Training):
• Forest and Nature Technicians
BSc:
•Geology-Geoscience
• Geography and Geoinformatics
• Natural Resources
• Landscape Architecture
• Forest and Landscape Engineering (professional
bachelor program)
• Urban Landscape Engineering (professional bachelor
program)
MSc:
•Geology-Geoscience
• Geography and Geoinformatics
• Landscape Architecture
• Forest and Nature Management
• Agricultural Development
• Nature Management
• Landscape Managment
• Climate Change, Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation
• Sustainable Forest and Nature Management
(SUFONAMA)
• Sustainable Tropical Forestry (SUTROFOR)
Strategy 2016
7
collaboration between employees and management in the entire
organisation, e.g. through the Departmental Collaboration Committee (LSU) and the Departmental Council (Institutrådet).
nistration that does not dominate but supports the core activities
of the organisation. With close relations with our colleagues and
relations with our collaborators inside and outside the University,
we shall ensure our self-worth and constantly develop ourselves
and contribute on a high, professional level.
In our work we shall always be aware of the fact that our organization is at four different geographical locations with very
different settings. This adds an extra dimension but also adds an
extra challenge in developing our Department professionally and
in terms of substance, towards common goals. We hope to bring
together the Sections of the Department (except the Forest and
Landscape College) at a single location at the latest in 2018. It is
crucial for our self-determination and for our identity as a single
Department.
We shall make IGN a Department where employees and students
thrive, develop and contribute, and where our research and
educational programs are recognized and respected in society and
by our international collaborators. This will be achieved through
intentional prioritization of staff meetings at all our geographical
locations, making management decisions visible and transparent,
strengthening administrative services, emphasizing the role of
Section/Research Group leaders, focusing on the mental and
physical working environments, good research outreach, increased
self-worth from our educational program as well as openness and
8
IGN will:
• Ensure that our core services, i.e. research, education, outreach
and public-sector service, are supported by competent, readily
accessible administration that has clear roles and clear priorities
in tasking in order to support the Department’s individually accountable scientific Sections
• Proactively support professional integration and collaboration
amongst staff from the teams based at different locations, e.g.
professionals from the Forest and Landscape College more
involved in research and development projects and researchers
more involved in applied education
• Create facilities to support integration between the different
geographical locations within the Department, e.g. flexible
desking for short term visits for inter Sectional/ locational meetings, teaching, etc.
• Focus on ensuring that responsible, visible management is present at all levels where decisions are made through openness
and dialogue with employees and students in all groups
• Develop our educational and teaching environments academically and physically in order to attract talented, committed
students, also increasingly from abroad
• Create the best settings for fundamental as well as applied
research, supported by good, up-to-date infrastructure
• Increase awareness of our research outcomes and educational
programs, nationally and internationally, in collaboration with
the media and the Faculty (SCIENCE)
• Create physical, virtual and mental meeting places and platforms to ensure the framework for continuous professional and
personal development
• Work to create the tranquillity for scientific absorption, time
for involvement and trust as well as openness to collaborators
within and outside the University
• Ensure that with respect for diversity, we develop professionally
and personally towards common goals
• Work for on-going development, definition and refinement of
our roles in order for us to continuously ensure the optimal use
of all professional and human competencies
• Work for good, trusting co-operation with the Faculty
(SCIENCE) whilst also creating space for local departmental development so as to develop as a Department on our own terms
and in our own right
• Invite the Scientific Advisory Board of IGN to review our programs and organization.
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Chapter 3: Education
Educational programs at IGN
IGN is responsible for a large, diverse teaching portfolio. It is differentiated thematically as well as in academic scope, and several
programs are taught in co-operation with other SCIENCE departments. Around 2,000 students attend the Department’s courses
each year.
The Department is responsible for BSc programs in Landscape Architecture, Geology-Geoscience, Geography & Geoinformatics and
it also contributes significantly to the Natural Resources program.
As for MSc programs, the Department is responsible for GeologyGeoscience, Geography & Geoinformatics, Landscape Architecture, and Nature Management, and it contributes considerably
to Forest and Nature Management and to the Erasmus Mundus
programs for Sustainable Forest and Nature Management and
Sustainable Tropical Forestry. IGN is a leading partner in the new
Climate Change MSc program (CCIMA), and contributes to the
SLUSE collaboration and BSU.
Based at the Forest and Landscape College (Skovskolen), IGN also
runs professional bachelor programs in Forest and Landscape Engineering and Urban Landscape Engineering as well as vocational
education and training in Forest and Landscape Technician.
We also offer adult training, such as Guide to Nature & Outdoor
Activities, Nature Interpretation, and part-time Master’s and diploma programs in Rural Development, Outdoor Recreation & Park
Management.
Our educational programs are in a process of continuous development, including the establishment of new specialization lines,
contribution to and development of new educational courses. But
our priorities also include consolidating existing activities and not
least closing down existing activities if appropriate.
To encourage the allocation of financial resources to relevant teaching activities, the Department has decided that teaching-based
funding should be transferred directly to the Section performing
the teaching.
Strategy 2016
9
Links between research and education in the BSc and MSc program have clear profiles, which should be maintained and strengthened so as to differentiate them from other programs. The programs are built on research-based subfields, and we also prioritise
supporting, strengthening and developing these subfields, whilst
ensuring that research is utilized in teaching. The Research Groups
are crucial for the development of such interconnecting clusters of
research and teaching.
The Department faces the prospect of a number of staff retirements during the next five years. Based on input from the Research Groups, the Department’s research committee will prepare
a plan for staff recruitment to counteract this for the leader team
to decide upon. Professional bachelor and vocational teaching
activities are not research-based per se, but close co-operation
between the Forest and Landscape College and the University Sections will further enhance the academic quality of these programs.
IGN will:
• Strengthen Research Groups as a basis for planning researchbased teaching
• Engage non-permanent staff as permanent staff where financially feasible in order to strengthen long-term planning of
research-based education
• Ensure that teaching demands are reflected in the plan for staff
development, alongside research demands
• Investigate the possibilities for increasing the teaching load for
researchers in the ‘Forest, Nature and Biomass’ Section, which
for historical reasons has had very little teaching
• Actively seek synergy between academic research and vocational programs.
Candidates with high employability
High employability is an essential goal for all our education
programs. Whilst always ensuring that academic standards are
maintained, we pursue candidate employability through cooperation with potential employers in both the private and the public
sectors. This is key feature of the Department’s education program
of which we are proud and will develop further.
IGN will:
• Continue and strengthen existing cooperation with private
companies and the public sector. This applies to joint teaching
of courses, prioritising for example in-practice courses, BSc and
MSc theses carried out with partial supervision from private
and public enterprises
10
• Consult with the Faculty-based Panels of Employee Representatives to further develop education programs as well as
specialised advisory boards to further develop specific courses
• Develop one or more courses focused on entrepreneurship
embedded in thematic courses.
Teaching competencies
Excellent education requires excellent teaching, so the didactic
competencies of teaching staff are of utmost importance. The
term didactics is used to refer to the theory and methods of how
different solutions in planning and undertaking teaching may influence the student’s learning. We attach great priority to teaching
staff having high didactic competencies both for teaching ordinary
courses and for thesis supervision.
Every course is evaluated by the students in a web-based survey.
These surveys are an important means for monitoring teaching
quality and didactic competencies. At present they show that
the general level is good, but that some improvement is possible.
Apart from formal education, competencies might be strengthened through teamwork, a goal that would be best served by the
Research Groups.
IGN will:
• Ensure that all new staff at postdoc level and at the Forest and
Landscape College are entitled to follow a full didactic postgraduate teacher training course in line with Faculty of Science
policy (universitetspædagogikum)
• Formulate a common departmental guideline for reporting
the results of students’ course evaluation reports as well as a
‘follow-up’ policy
• Work to achieve higher response rates in students’ course evaluations
• In co-operation with the Faculty of Science, on-the-job training
courses with specific didactic themes will be offered to junior
and senior staff
• Teamwork between teachers is strongly encouraged as a means
of informally building competencies and to ensure regular
implementation of courses.
Student environment
The physical and social study environment is crucial for students’
commitment to the study program and thus for reduction of
student drop-out. It is important that students have access to
space where they can work by themselves or in groups, and where
to some extent they can feel at home. The Department is blessed
with good student facilities at all four addresses, and it is essential
that this situation is maintained. The considerable investments
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
made in recent years must be followed up by adequate maintenance and future development.
sessed and pursued, both to ensure efficient use of resources and
to develop new potential.
Access to rooms and areas not only includes ‘free space’, but also
access to facilities specially designed for our educational program.
Several of these rely heavily on computers for GIS and Computer
Aided Design; geology students also need access to specimens,
microscopes and laboratory facilities; landscape architect students
need studios and a laboratory for solid 3D modelling; and the
Forest and Landscape College needs a well-functioning machinery
and car pool and facilities for outdoor life.
The two professional bachelor programs especially (in forestry and
urban landscape management) could benefit from closer collaboration with similar university programs, just as these programs
could provide relevant practical courses for university students.
In addition, teaching rooms and lecture halls must be maintained
or improved with respect to AV-equipment, etc.
In this context, it is also important that IGN is in constant contact
with the various student organizations in order to listen to their
demands and wishes, but also in order to explain and prepare
them for changes in the building facilities and areas allocated to
students if needed.
At the Faculty and University levels, we wish to continue our
involvement in the existing inter-departmentally based education
programs and contribute positively to collaborations with other
universities where relevant. CCIMA is a recent example of interdepartmental co-operation in which IGN staff play a pivotal role.
IGN wishes to participate actively in such initiatives but we also
stress that communication and inclusion of potential stakeholders
is essential and that there is careful evaluation before implementation.
IGN will:
• Work actively for inclusion of the study environment in future
building plans
• Allocate resources for educational and student facilities where
these are not the responsibility of the Faculty of Science and
identify staff to be responsible for the various facilities and to
give them a mandate and budget line to operate within
• Develop a specific strategy for developing new learning facilities and the study environment at the Forest and Landscape
College in corporation with SIGNAL architects
• Apart from the Department’s Study Committee (Undervisningsudvalg) and the Board of the Department (Institutråd),
where students are already represented, we will invite students
to participate in program committees (Studieretningsudvalg)
for Geography/Geology, Landscape Architecture and Nature
Management. VILU will invite student organisations to annual
meetings
• Develop the student introductory week with a common framework for the Department in cooperation with the Faculty
and student organisations.
Co-operation inside and outside IGN, SCIENCE and KU
The recent merger between the now former institutions ‘Forest
& Landscape Denmark’ and the ‘Department of Geography &
Geology’ has led to an increasing need for internal cross-program
collaboration. In the fields of geography, nature management and
landscape architecture, new possibilities should be identified, as-
Strategy 2016
11
• Give room for cross-cutting thematic seminars open to all teaching staff and students.
The free or open market concept with respect to supervision of
MSc theses and BSc projects calls for administrative support from
faculty administration. At the Departmental level, we need to
strengthen and harmonize study administration, while still being
open to differences based on local traditions.
IGN will:
• Establish ad-hoc groups to explore the potential for synergy
between educational programs in the context of the redesign
planned for BSc and MSc programs
• Further strengthen inter-departmental collaboration and coordinated communication on inter-departmental education
programs. For example, by inviting the study director for Forest
and Nature Management, (based at the Department of Food
and Resource Economics (IFRO)) to have a seat on our study
committee
• Monitor and follow up on co-operation with the Natural History Museum of Denmark regarding the Geology program
• Collaborate with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) on
a MSc program in Arctic Technology
• Collaborate with the Zealand Institute for Business and Technology and Roskilde Technical College on the Bachelor program in
Urban Landscape Engineering
• Establish dual location parallel, local study administration services
12
International co-operation
The University of Copenhagen has witnessed increasing interest
in recent years from and uptake of ‘international students’, not
only from Europe but also of overseas students. The Department
welcomes this development and considers it an asset that contributes to constant awareness of improving the quality of teaching
and education. Strengthening and raising the profile of existing
clusters in the principal subfields of the MSc program curricula is
thus a core priority for catering for international students, not only
as short time students, but also as full degree course students.
As part of this, establishing and maintaining contacts with other
foreign universities will be a key priority so as to build robust student exchange agreements. We see an opportunity to direct the
initiative towards new markets, such as the BRIC countries, as set
out in current Faculty plans.
IGN will:
• Continuously develop Master programs to cater for full degree
course foreign students
• Develop Bachelor and Master semester packages (windows) for
visiting students
• Develop teaching as a means for international recruitment
• Develop information material specially designed to be easy
for students or researchers to take with them when travelling
abroad
• Review the relevant University co-operation agreements to ensure the most appropriate agreements in Europe and overseas,
both for incoming students and for our own students to travel
to
• Support English accreditation and if necessary upgrading of
qualifications in English amongst teachers.
Vocational and adult training
Adult training is a relatively large activity, comprising both ECTS
awarding programs and seminars, conferences, etc. Adult training
must be financially viable but it also contributes to increased
interaction with practice, which can be utilized in other contexts.
To ensure high quality, it is important that the University regards
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
teaching continuity education/training programs as important and
it is essential that Faculty administrative procedures support these
activities. Graduate Diploma and Master courses are the main
platforms for qualifying and quality-assured education, both for
regular courses and open seminars integrated in programs. Both,
however, stand upon a fragile financial basis and their existence
and content should be assessed in the near future to ensure a solid
basis for long-term planning. Further development of the program
with topical themes is essential, if possible in connection with
research outreach. Likewise, new teaching methods and organisation should be tried out.
The Forest and Landscape College has a large number of diverse
adult training activities at different levels and with different profiles. The College will emphasise developing these activities further.
The College currently has the only national licence to provide adult
vocational training programs in forest and nature management.
On an annual basis, more than 1500 professionals attend this
specific activity.
IGN will:
• Offer topical or specialized courses in response to current challenges in society within the framework of existing programs
• Evaluate the viability of continuing education programs annually
• Test new types of adult training, such as e-learning-based courses and collaboration with private partners
• Further develop seminars, conferences and other activities
directed at practitioners
• The Forest and Landscape College will focus on further development of adult education.
Recruitment of new students
The Faculty of Science is responsible for general student recruitment activities. The Department will supplement the Faculty’s
efforts where it is appropriate by specific knowledge of the culture
surrounding the educational programmes and the contact with
the current students. Some activities relate closely to external
communication work (see Chapter 7).
IGN will:
• Actively participate in open-door events, contribute to uni-
versity web pages, offer visits and workshops for high school
students, etc., within the framework offered by the Faculty of
Science
• Carry out the urban design competition ‘Design din By’ (Design
Your Town) for 15-24 year-olds
• As a test case, make a ‘drop-out- analysis’ for Landscape
Architecture BSc and the transition to MSc Landscape Architecture
• Continue efforts to achieve increasing student admissions to
the geology program through our cooperation in Geocenter
Denmark and with selected high schools with a geoscience
profile.
New courses, programs or other teaching activities
We constantly develop our teaching activities. A range of initiatives is already underway or in the planning phase. A number of
program initiatives are in the pipeline.
IGN will:
• Launch a professional bachelor program in Natural and Cultural
Interpretation in collaboration with UC Metropol and the Forest
and Landscape College
• Participate in an MSc program on Global Development initiated
by the Faculty of Social Sciences
• Redesign the Geography BSc and MSc curriculum in order to
bring it into line with the current research and support labour
market demands for skills and competencies
• Redesign the Geology BSc and MSc curriculum to achieve progression and avoid redundancy in subfields and also promote
synergy between subfields
• Develop new subfields in Geology such as resource/energy
geology or strengthen the subfield of water resources
• Revisit the Landscape Architecture MSc curriculum in order to
better integrate international students and homogenize the
qualifications of new students
• Decide on a new education theme of ‘planning’ in the field
between Landscape Architecture, Nature Management and
Geography, possibly connected to one of these programs as a
subfield.
Strategy 2016
13
Chapter 4: Research
Research activities at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management include both basic and applied research, and they span a wide range
of topics from studies of the composition and dynamics of the Earth to forestry
and biomass, water resources, urbanization, remote sensing, landscape architecture and planning and management, and societal studies.
The Department includes 20 Research Groups (cf. Box 1 in Chapter 2), which reflect the broad spectrum of research topics of the Department. Each researcher
is a member of at least one Research Group, and only a few are members of
more than one Research Group. Research groups are formed by employees who
share common research fields, methods or laboratory facilities, and the department continuously assesses the Research Group structure in the light of ongoing
and planned research and education activities.
In order to facilitate the involvement and influence of the individual Research
Groups and for the sake of transparency, all Research Groups are represented
by their Research Group leader on the Department’s Research Committee. The
Research Committee has a central role in developing and implementing the
Department’s research strategy and plans for recruiting academic staff.
About half the Research Groups formed recently (1 February 2013) after the
establishment of the Department. The process of forming new Research Groups
in some of the Sections of the Department gave the researchers the opportunity
to organize themselves in groups reflecting the current national and international state of the different research fields.
The Department hosts a centre of excellence funded by the Danish National
Research Foundation (CENPERM), a VKR centre of excellence (HOBE), and
coordinates a number of EU-FP7 collaborative projects all with participation
of researchers from different in-house Research Groups as well as researchers
based at other national and international research institutions.
Many other projects with external funding constitute the basis for much of the
Department’s research. The largest of these projects have structures resembling that of a centre of excellence with a large number of researchers involved, extensive PhD education, and substantial amounts of state-of-the-art and
high-end laboratory facilities. These other large projects include among others
Bio4Bio, B21st and the DanSeis instrument centre.
The Department has an ambition to host additional centres of excellence. The
number of centres of excellence should reflect the size of the Department and
the Department should therefore aim to form two such new centres within the
14
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
next four years. Members of the Department’s Research Committee are expected to play a leading role in identifying research
topics and groups with the potential to establish and host new
centres of excellence (see “Development of research activities“
later in this chapter).
Much of the research conducted at the Department has immediate or long-term societal impact and involves decision-making
in political forums or in private companies. In this context, the National Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning financed partly
by the Danish Ministry of the Environment plays an important role
and involves about two thirds the entire staff of the Department.
Further, the Department has access to collaborative networks
with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland through
Geocenter Denmark.
Development of research activities
The Department strives for excellence in both basic and applied
research. The four Sections Forest, Nature and Biomass; Landscape
Architecture and Planning; Geography; and Geology host the different Research Group activities that constitute the pillars of the
Department’s research. These core research topics covered by the
Department are reflected in the Research Group names listed in
Box 1 of Chapter 2.
Centres and groups conducting excellent research often form
where excellent researchers from different research environments
and disciplines meet to develop new cross-disciplinary ideas and
hypotheses with potentially very considerable impact on future
international scale research. Establishment of new cross-disciplinary research projects is thought of as a bottom-up process where
results depend on the initiatives taken by individual researchers.
Several Research Groups have already expressed interest in
strengthening activities across Research Groups and taking new
interdisciplinary research initiatives. The list below shows examples
of research topics that different Research Groups are interested in:
• Climate change
• Development of GIS/remote sensing
• Migration, urbanization and spatial change
• Improved forestry
• Urban and regional development
• Urban and landscape design, planning and management
• Cultural heritage
• Coupled human-environment systems
• Mining impact
• Value chain analysis
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Local livelihoods and global change
Landscape changes and impact
Bio-carbon capture and storage
Water and land use changes
New farming practices
Optimized methods for hydrocarbon exploration
Interplay between deep and shallow earth processes, topography and sea-level.
A common denominator for the research activities at the Department is that laboratory work (either in the Department, at a
related institution or at a field installation) and fieldwork are important. Research centres and new research projects often involve
the establishment of new laboratory facilities, and the Department
has built strong expertise in this respect by close collaboration
between scientific and technical staff. The Department’s Research
Committee is in the process of mapping and evaluating the current state of the Department’s ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ laboratory facilities
to create a foundation for optimising and strengthening laboratory facilities. Further, this work will form the basis for a plan for
their relocation. A significant part of the Department’s laboratory
facilities are expected to be moved at the latest in 2018 when the
Geography and the Geology Sections are expected to move from
their current address.
IGN will:
• Develop and strengthen core research activities in the Research
Groups through hiring strategies and associated professorship
plans with the emphasis on excellence
• Nourish and support new (cross-disciplinary) research activities
with the aim of establishing new centres of excellence
• Develop a plan for moving and establishing laboratory facilities
to strengthen laboratory use, collaboration and service.
Recruitment
Permanent scientific staff constitutes the backbone in research development and new teaching activities. New initiatives to strengthen recruitment of strong permanent scientific staff and talented
young researchers will be developed. In this process, the focus will
be on continuously assessing whether the ratio of permanent/nonpermanent staff (including PhDs) is balanced in the light of the
research and teaching activities going on in the different Sections
and groups. Further, it is recognized that excellent, internationally recognized researchers constitute a cornerstone in building
Research Groups that have the potential to attract funding and for
building new centres of excellence, and such researchers should be
attracted in larger numbers.
Strategy 2016
15
IGN will:
• Launch an international academy initiative (inspired by the Niels
Bohr Institute) in order to attract excellent leading international
experts who can stay at IGN for shorter (~6 months) or longer
(2–3 years) periods to lead and establish new research ideas
and projects. Our ambition is to launch a scouting program
related to the international academy which should result in one
or more endowed professorships
• Facilitate generational changes in research staff by employing
young talents that can develop new research fields and courses
and by opening new positions at assistant and associate professor level
• Attract young international talents in greater numbers to the
Department via the postdoc program, including Marie Curie
grants. To this end, the growing number of PhD students at
the Department (currently around 150) forms an excellent basis
for scouting for in-house talents who should be encouraged to
apply for postdoc positions and assistant professorships both at
IGN and internationally.
PhD education
PhD education has a strong position in the Department’s research
activities, and many research projects depend heavily on the work
and the quality of PhD students. Thus, continuous development
and strengthening of PhD education is an important focus point,
and careful recruitment of strong international talent is of the
utmost importance. PhD students play a central role in several
research projects, including new interdisciplinary activities. The
Department will continue its tradition of having an annual PhD
conference where PhD students and other academic staff can
meet and share ideas across disciplines.
The Research Groups at the Department are committed to taking
an active part in strengthening PhD education, either by themselves or in collaboration with other groups at the Department or at
other institutions. Several groups of the Department already have
a strong tradition for organizing PhD courses, and the experience
of these groups is that international PhD courses provide valuable
input, facilitate new international collaborations for staff and PhDs
and strengthen PhD students’ research skills. In addition to the
Department’s high-level PhD courses, our focus is also directed
at PhD courses involving a change of scientific environment to
foreign research institutions.
The strongest research talents among MSc students often seek
16
independence in their research projects, and pre-defined PhD
projects relying on external funding may be regarded as unattractive by some of these talented researchers. Hence, some of the
very strongest talents must be carefully nourished if they are not
to be lost.
IGN will:
• Attract strong BSc and MSc level students from abroad by
internationalising courses in order to increase the number of
talented students who can potentially apply for a PhD
• Further develop high-quality PhD courses with international
guest lecturers and international PhD participation, funded
either from the Faculty’s grants for international PhD courses or
from other national or international sources
• Consider offering fully financed PhD stipends to rare, very talented candidates, giving them the opportunity to design their
own, independent research projects.
Fundraising
About two thirds of the Department’s finances rely on external
funding, and external funding for research activities will become
increasingly important for our development.
There is a long tradition of applying for external funding from
national agencies, private funds, ministries, regions and municipalities. There has been an increase in collaboration with private
companies on funding research activities (including financing
PhD projects, postdocs and assistant professorships), knowledge
sharing/transfer and teaching initiatives.
Different Research Groups in the Department have been successful in attracting funding from the EU research grant system.
Much attention is directed towards the coming Horizon2020 program, which appears to contain focus points that should appeal
to several of the Department’s Research Groups. The Marie Curie
program is seen as a potentially good source for financing and attracting new international research talent.
IGN will:
• Continuously seek funding from national agencies, private
funds, ministries, regions and municipalities
• Increase collaboration with and funding from private companies by building on already established networks, building new
networks, and drawing on the experience already gained in
on-going projects
• Improve performance in fundraising via the EU system by
seeking funding from the Horizon2020 and the Marie Curie
programs.
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Chapter 5: External collaboration
with the private and public sectors
IGN’s objective is to be a preferred partner for collaboration on research, education, development and innovation in our research areas for both private industry
and public sector authorities.
IGN has a strong tradition for close collaboration with the private and public sectors for the benefit of research projects, knowledge transfer and for attracting
funding coupled with collaboration with industry.
Collaboration with industry is an essential part of our research, knowledge
transfer, innovation and external funding. Already within the Department there
are strong ties and collaborations with a number of Danish companies. A strong
asset in collaborations with private industry is close personal contacts between
researchers at IGN and the industry. These contacts are entry points for new collaborative projects and applications. Development of new products and processes in some cases lead to IPR/patents.
IGN is participating in Geocenter Denmark, which is a collaboration between
GEUS, IGN, Department for Geoscience at Aarhus University and the Natural
History Museum of Denmark, with activities in research, teaching, advice and
outreach at a high international level.
Our research projects have provided the Department with strong relations with
regulators, reflecting a variety of areas and several public authorities, ranging
from ministries to municipalities. These partners are mainly national but IGN
also has collaborations with authorities in other countries as well as international
authorities.
IGN has a long tradition for a close collaboration with the Ministry of the
Environment, by way of the Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning
(Forest & Landscape Denmark). This involves on-going close dialogue at multiple
levels with the Ministry and inspiration for research projects with direct application to questions and problems within this area.
IGN sees “Research-based public-sector services” by Universities Denmark
as a basis for collaboration with public sector institutions. The principles for
research-based public-sector services focus on three pillars: Quality and integrity,
Transparency and Freedom of expression and freedom of research. In relation
to research-based public-sector services, we will update our code of conduct to
ensure quality assurance and quality control, our review processes, contracts and
Strategy 2016
17
project management, documentation and publication/outreach in
order to meet public-sector services’ expectations for relevance,
format and punctuality.
To be able to provide high quality advice to public-sector services
and meet the demands in the contract with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Landscape Denmark should possess academic
competencies in the research areas described in the contract.
A constant focus on maintaining and developing competencies
in relation to the demands of the Ministry of Environment (and
eventually other parts of the public sector) will be essential for a
continuing high level of activity and quality, based on credibility,
objectivity and integrity of research and related public sector
services. If possible, research competencies from other research
institutions at home and abroad will be involved.
IGN draws upon the University and Faculty strategies and code of
conduct for innovation and public outreach.
18
IGN will:
• Explore future collaborations with the best research environments at other universities in Denmark and abroad
• Continue and further strengthen close cooperation with the
Ministry of Environment, as laid out in the Danish Centre for
Forest, Landscape and Planning
• Update the code of conduct for quality assurance and quality
control in relation to research-based public-sector services
• Constantly focus on maintaining and developing competencies
for public-sector services for staff working with these
• Continue and further strengthen the close cooperation established in Geocenter Denmark
• Contribute to the processes relating to Horizon 2020, INNO+
and similar processes to enhance future matchmaking and to
attract funding
• Maintain and strengthen field stations, long-term field trials
and field testing as instruments for dialogue and interaction
with the private and public sectors, and seek involvement in
international networks for these
• Continue to use targeted advisory and strategic groups, including both public and private partners as well as NGOs
• Stimulate interaction between students with private and public
sectors by inviting guest lecturers for teaching and seminars,
stimulating student projects in private industry and public
agencies
• Communicate and disseminate our research results using
various types of communication aimed at the private and public
sectors, both in Denmark and abroad when linked to co-operation in other countries
• Participate in public debate, and when relevant, will contact
leading newspapers, TV stations, etc., for more broad outreach
• IGN will draw upon support for the legal issues relating to IPR
from the Tech Trans Unit of the University of Copenhagen.
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Chapter 6: Infrastructure
General considerations
In accordance with the strategy of the SCIENCE Faculty, IGN wishes to ensure
that suitable, efficient infrastructure is in place to support the ambitions of the
Faculty and the Department for future research and teaching activities.
This requires investment in state-of-the-art research facilities, teaching laboratories and buildings as well as the adaptation and consolidation of well-functioning administrative support procedures. A ubiquitous precondition for effective
infrastructure is an IT support organization and systems that efficiently support
communication, administration, advanced and extensive data processing as well
as the special requirements for facilitating teaching.
The biggest infrastructural challenge for IGN
It is important for realizing the synergy in the merger between Forest &
Landscape Denmark and the Department of Geography and Geology to bring
the academic Sections together so that they can share the same facilities. It is
equally important, especially for the Geology Section, to share facilities with
GEUS. This is the fundamental challenge for IGN, and it needs to be resolved in
the best possible way and quickly, since it has been decided that IGN will have
to move out of Øster Voldgade 10 in the near future. Moving to new facilities
requires funding and careful planning to avoid the loss of valuable research time,
especially in the laboratories. We also need to focus on ensuring that we always
have adequate teaching facilities and an attractive study environment.
Field stations
On behalf of the SCIENCE Faculty, IGN is responsible for the following field
stations: Skallingen, Salten Skov, Eldrupgård, the Arboretum in Hørsholm and
in Greenland, Denmark House in Ghana and Sermilik in Greenland. IGN wishes
to optimize and develop the use of these field stations for the benefit of the
University of Copenhagen.
Research infrastructure
IGN uses a wide variety of specialized research laboratories in all Sections.
These ranges from geo and biochemical laboratories via graphic and modelling
laboratories to greenhouses and laboratories for outdoor activities and these will
continue to form the basis for future research and teaching activities. IGN wishes
to support the necessary renewal and expansion of facilities based on in-depth
assessments of their relevance and potential. Expensive equipment is most often
beyond the financial resources of the Sections and the Department and it will
therefore be necessary to attract external funding for this purpose. Strategic
Strategy 2016
19
initiatives in this domain should be considered in a national as
well as an international context and in accordance with the overall
strategy of the Faculty.
In the field of Geology, future potential initiatives include portable
XRF and gamma-ray measurement as well as expanded isotope
geochemical laboratories and associated analytical facilities. Access to vehicles for data acquisition in the field is important. There
should also be focus on strengthening computation, interpretation
and data storage facilities in order to handle large datasets, such
as time series acquired as continuous observations with mobile
seismographs and hydro-laboratories.
In the field of Geography, IGN wishes to explore the possibilities
for expanding access to field stations and equipment (e.g. cars),
especially in developing countries, to facilitate the strong presence
of researchers and students from the Department. Continued
access to arctic field stations will also be in focus to support the
numerous teaching and research initiatives in this region. Access to
and possibilities for analysing large datasets (incl. personally sensitive register data) impose specific requirements on IT hardware
and software and these will be addressed by IGN.
In the field of Forest, Nature and Biomass, important infrastructure support includes easy access to greenhouse facilities, larger
cultivation spaces and growth chambers. It also includes an upto-date DNA lab to support the transition from mainly markerbased research to more genomic research, bioinformatics and easy
access to genomic platforms. Some of the future initiatives relating
to plants and biomass are expected to include access to massspectrometry, NMR and 3D microscopy facilities, potentially at
Faculty level. A crucial part of the infrastructure is the approx. 500
long-term field trial sites scattered across the country and studied
for up to 150 years. These represent an investment of more than
DKK 1bn and require both maintenance and renewal to reflect
new research issues. Another core data source is continuing forest
monitoring and related permanent observation plots. Access to
databases and documentation - and updating these - are crucial
elements with strong dependency on IT. New facilities for analysis
of growth rings will be valuable for the analysis of historical
growth data in response to climatic extremes. In a cross-Section
perspective, there will also be a strong focus on the facilities for
soil and water analysis.
In the field of Landscape Architecture and Planning, access to
well-equipped graphic and modelling laboratories is crucial for
20
research and for teaching. This includes hardware and software
for geo-databases, documentation and access/search facilities.
Infrastructure related to field-based climate research is available
with the current infrastructure of field experiments in both Denmark and Greenland. This should be strengthened through continuing and enhanced instrumentation and measurements, allowing
for research that covers a large span of the research areas of IGN
– including soil, atmosphere, climate and biosphere interactions.
Data processing, data registers and IT support
Research with a strong demand for high volume computing
and security should be supported by dedicated hardware and
software established within the Department, if possible, or by
access to large scale computational systems within the Faculty
of SCIENCE or other institutions. This includes an exploration of
the possibilities for improving the processing capabilities of large
volumes of for example seismological, forest inventory, georadar,
GIS and remote sensing data. Collaboration with SCIENCE-IT
must be further developed and improved regarding the level of
service provided. It is imperative that IGN strengthens its internal
IT service for research activities if necessary by employing our own
IT specialists. In this context, the Department will seek to influence
the process of establishing new, local IT support satellites initiated
by SCIENCE. Research groups with a heavy demand for computationally expensive numerical modelling are challenged by the
fact that local IT systems may be insufficient. The Department will
seek to further develop collaboration with the Faculty and other
institutions on scientific computing for large high-performance
multi-core systems with huge memory and storage capacity. An
increased focus on data documentation, storage, backup and metadata will ensure higher value for the data resulting from research
at the Department.
Teaching support
It is seen as a strong point for the Department to have up-to-date
equipment available to support group teaching efforts based
on advanced software products. This includes Remote Sensing
software, GIS, CAD, databases and statistical analysis tools, model
tools, as well as a broad range of geophysical equipment. IGN will
further encourage and support the establishment and maintenance of well-documented databases and registers of spatial
data (e.g. digital maps) and non-spatial data for future access and
use by researchers and students. Continued on-line access to the
“researcher database” (individual-level data) at Statistics Denmark
will be ensured as well.
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
IGN will collaborate with SCIENCE-IT to gain effective support
procedures related to hardware and software installation, network
connections and speed, and related tasks. It is considered of very
high priority to ensure a fast and efficient response to acute IT problems related to teaching activities. Teaching especially depends on
fast, efficient local IT-support, as the teaching structure (in blocks)
exerts heavy pressure on the time available for teaching.
•
•
IGN will continuously monitor the need for dedicated rooms
for various types of teaching activities, including rooms for
thesis work. We shall work with SCIENCE-IT to ensure that all
IT-equipment is maintained and updated on a regular basis. It is
recognized that rooms used for teaching should be equipped with
projectors and other equipment that can adequately and effectively support the teaching process, even when many students are
present. The availability and maintenance of rooms with sufficient
capacity is essential for teaching.
The Forest and Landscape College is used as a facility for further
education and meetings for the whole University and as a test
facility for the basic forestry and landscape courses as well as for
education relating to outdoor recreation. Here there is a need for a
well-functioning machinery and car pool and facilities for outdoor
life. The campus at Frederiksberg has unique possibilities for acting
as a study area and living lab for landscape architect students for
plants, planting design, etc. In co-operation with the technical
department of the SCIENCE faculty and with respect for the history
of the area and its multifunctional character, IGN wishes to develop
(parts of) the Frederiksberg campus to support this goal.
•
•
•
•
relocation of facilities from Øster Voldgade to Frederiksberg
with a focus on laboratories, teaching facilities and study environments
Secure efficient infrastructure to support IGN’s ambitions for
current and future research and teaching activities by supporting the necessary renewal and expansion of research facilities
based on in-depth assessments of their relevance and potential
Set up strategies for obtaining external co-funding for equipment
Implement effective IT support infrastructure targeted at teaching and research activities by collaborating with the IT service
of the Faculty of Science to eliminate gaps in service provision
Ensure that all types of teaching activities are supported by
dedicated space, equipment, hardware and software
Maintain close collaboration between IGN staff and SCIENCE-IT
to ensure that all IT equipment is maintained and regularly updated and that effective procedures and support for communication, data processing, IT acquisition, etc., are established
Set up teaching facilities based on the requirements expressed by teachers and students and ensure the quality of these
facilities is frequently reviewed.
Administrative procedures
Effective and supportive administrative procedures are seen as an
important infrastructural component. Researchers face increasing demands for making applications for external funding and
for financial management of on-going projects. In this context,
IGN’s goal is to acknowledge - and identify suitable solutions for
- the expressed general need for strong, professional support by
administrative staff both at the Section and departmental level.
High priority will be given to establishing and maintaining effective
administrative processes for teaching activities, including course
planning and all interactions with students and teachers.
IGN will:
• Facilitate the colocation of the spatially dispersed academic
Sections of IGN in order to fully benefit from the merger by
initiating a process of detailed planning for the effective
Strategy 2016
21
22
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Chapter 7: Dialogue and
communication
Work on dialogue and communication is highly prioritized at IGN, as it supports
other targets in IGN’s strategy. The challenge will be in establishing communication processes at the new department based on the good work that has
characterised the two former departments to date.
Dialogue and communication are tasks for everybody at the Department.
Communication personnel and others can help add quality to this work with
their specific expertise, for example by dynamic collaboration with researchers.
Carrying out this tasking makes it necessary to join forces throughout IGN and
establish close, good collaboration with SCIENCE-KOM and KU-KOM. Communication work is coordinated by IGN’s Communication Committee (IKU). In the
strategy period, competencies will be mapped and the division of roles will be
described and implemented.
Internal dialogue and communication
The aim of IGN’s internal dialogue and communication is to strengthen dialogue, knowledge-sharing and job satisfaction among employees and students
by engagement and cooperation based on dialogue, and further, by giving
everybody easy access to relevant, current and reliable information, which must
be easy to understand.
Intranet
The “IGNnet” intranet must communicate news and information about special
conditions at the Department and must be employees’ entrance to KUnet.
Additionally, the intranet must effectively communicate relevant news from KU
and SCIENCE as well as announcements from staff. This is aimed at reducing the
number of emails to everyone. IGN’s aim is for all relevant internal information in
the future to be available at IGNnet.
The new structure will be completed in the strategy period, and IGNnet will
be anchored in employees based upon ongoing support from the secretariat.
News coverage for the specific courses must be improved on both existing and
new platforms, including SCIENCE’s official education pages for students on the
intranet, which are to contain all relevant information for the students.
Meetings
Common meetings for all staff, Section meetings and Research Group meetings
must support the internal level of knowledge and give frequent opportunities
Strategy 2016
23
for dialogue with the Leader Team. Dialogue will also be held
through the Collaboration Committee, the Department Council,
the Research Committee, the Teaching Committee, etc. Heads of
Section/ Research Groups do have a special responsibility for the
internal direct communication to, and dialogue with, staff and
students in the Sections and the Research Groups.
In the strategy period, the format and frequency of meetings are
to be adjusted in order to get as many as possible to participate
in the meetings, among other things by ensuring the high quality
and relevance of meetings and by avoiding having too many
meetings. The opportunity for dialogue should be an active tool in
these meetings.
People – parallel language backgrounds and social activities
IGN promotes and supports dialogue and communication in Danish as well as in English. Social activities play an important role in
the internal communication and take high priority.
In the strategy period there will be a conference for staff once a
year, and a Christmas lunch with a revue.
IGN’s internal communication and dialogue are to support
SCIENCE’s action plan for communication and dialogue.
External communication
IGN’s external communication must give decision-makers, including authorities and specialists, access to relevant, current and reliable knowledge within IGN’s fields of research in order to ensure
that research is of value to society. In addition, the aim is to attract
students to IGN’s study program and to promote the Department
to a wider audience in order to establish a good reputation.
Communication is to be in Danish and/or English depending on
the target group.
Communication to decision-makers
Communication of research results must be targeted, reliable, independent and of a high, scientific quality. The tools are specifically IGN’s website, the extension service (Videntjenesten), Geocenter
24
Denmark’s website, “Geoviden” journal, IGN leaflets, articles in
journals and scientific events.
One of the challenges in the strategy period will be meeting the
needs of the world around us and to adjust our form of communication and content to current needs. The ‘Videntjenesten’ extension service, for example, must be further developed to ensure
that the model constantly meets the needs and wishes of users for
its content and technology.
Recruiting students
Recruitment must be implemented in co-operation with SCIENCEKOM and must raise awareness of IGN’s study program whilst
stimulating relevant, potential students’ interest, for example by
telling the good stories and presenting a picture of the job market.
The tools especially include: www.studies.ku.dk, movies, contact
with high schools, internships and various social media.
In the strategy period, recruitment will be strengthened nationally
and internationally, based on IGN’s extensive knowledge of our
own study program and students. Close contact with high schools
will be optimized by combining the many previous activities.
Profiling for a broader audience
Visibility will be largely based on IGN’s activities but must also be
supported by a more strategic focus on communication. The tools
will especially be: the website, our researchers’ involvement in the
public debate and contact with the media. Standardised design
must ensure a uniform mode of expression and a distinct communicator.
In the strategy period, the focus will especially be on making IGN
well-known as a new department in relation to current and future
collaborators, and at the same time it should continue to support
the renowned brands of “Geocenter Denmark” and “Forest &
Landscape Denmark”.
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
The website
The website is the core of IGN’s external communication and should service all
our target groups. It should give an overview of IGN’s core services.
In the strategy period, IGN will develop a new, shared website with a targeted
structure, content and graphic expression. It must be updated and adjusted
continuously to the needs of our target groups and technical developments. The
website must provide high quality communication with the focus on usability
and optimization for searching.
IGN will:
• Give top priority to internal and external dialogue and communication
• Map the competencies of the members of the IGN’s Communication Committee (IKU), and describe and implement role allocation
• Complete the structure of the “IGNnet” intranet, and anchor it with employees based upon ongoing support from the secretariat
• Improve news coverage for specific courses for existing and new platforms
• Adjust the form and frequency of internal meetings to increase the number
of participants, and use the opportunity of dialogue as an active tool in these
meetings
• Promote and support internal dialogue and communication in Danish as well
as in English
• Hold a conference for all staff once a year, and a Christmas lunch with a revue
• Further develop the extension service (Videntjenesten) to ensure that the
model continuously suits the needs and wishes of users for content and technology
• Strengthen the recruitment of students nationally and internationally, based
on IGN’s extensive knowledge of our own study program and students, and
by optimising close contacts with high schools by combining many previous
activities
• Make IGN well known as a new department in relation to current and future
collaborators, and at the same time continue to support the renowned
brands of “Geocenter Denmark” and “Forest & Landscape Denmark”
• Develop a new, shared website, which must provide high quality communication, targeted in structure, content and graphic expression, and must
be updated and adjusted constantly to the needs of our target groups and
technical developments.
Strategy 2016
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26
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
List of abbreviations and acronyms
B21st
Biomass for the 21st Century
Bio4Bio
Strategic Centre for Bioenergy
BSU
Building Stronger Universities in Developing Countries
CCIMA
MSc Program in Climate Change, Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation
CENPERM
Centre for Permafrost dynamics in Greenland
DanSeis
National Center for Seismic Instrumentation
DKK
Danish Crowns
DTU
Technical University of Denmark
EUD
Vocational Education Training
EU-FP7
Research projects under the 7th framework program in EU
GEUS
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
HOBE
Villum Kann Rasmussen Center of Excellence of catchment hydrology
IFRO
Department of Food and Resource Economics
IGG
Department of Geography and Geology
IGN
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
IKU
IGN Departmental Communication Committee
INNO+
Innovation Catalogue developed by the Ministry of Higher Education
IPR
Intellectual Property Rights
KU
University of Copenhagen
KU-KOM
University Communication Office
LIFE
Faculty of Life Sciences
LSU
IGN Departmental Collaboration Committee
NAT
Faculty of Natural Sciences
S&L
National Center for Forest, Landscape and Planning (Forest & Landscape Denmark)
SCIENCE
Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
SCIENCE-IT
SCIENCE Faculty IT-support
SCIENCE-KOM
SCIENCE Faculty Communication Office
SLUSE
Sustainable Land Use and Natural Resource Management
SUFONAMA
Sustainable Forest and Nature Management
SUTROFOR
Sustainable Tropical Forestry
VET
Vocational Education Training
VILU
Vice Department Head for Education
VKR
Villum Kann Rasmussen
XRF
X-ray fluorescence
Strategy 2016
27
Strategy 2016
The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN)
is a new Department established on January 1, 2013 by merging of the
Department of Geography and Geology (IGG) and the greater part (approx.
85%) of Forest & Landscape Denmark (S&L).
Publisher
The Department of Geosciences and
Natural Resource Management
Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C
Tlf. +45 35 33 15 00
ign@ign.ku.dk
www.ign.ku.dk
Editors
The leader team of IGN
Layout
Inger Grønkjær Ulrich