The University of Copenhagen Annual Commemoration Ceremony
Friday 20 November 2015
PROGRAMME
Fanfare
Welcome address by the Chair of the Board
Speech by the Rector
University of Copenhagen Student Choir
Student Council Speech
Woodwind quintet Carion
Commemorative lecture
Teacher of the Year Award
Innovation Prize
International Study Environment Award
Conferment and proclamation of honorary doctorates
Proclamation of doctorates
Presentation of gold and silver medals
Hellige Flamme (Holy Flame)
Fanfare
Reception
~
Fanfare
Composed by Uffe Englund (b. 1970)
University of Copenhagen Wind Players
Conducted by Bjarne Thanning
~
Welcome address by the Chair of the Board
Chair of the Board Nils Strandberg Pedersen
The Chairman opens by commenting on the dreadful events in Paris and other recent terror attacks.
The chairman then shifts to the university agenda by mentioning some of the main characteristics of
an excellent university. They include an international outlook, modern infrastructure, high quality in
education and the ability to attract the best minds. Right now the University of Copenhagen together with the Danish education and research sector at large – is subject to substantial budget
cuts in the government’s budget proposal for 2016. This represents a major change in policy insofar
as Danish governments and the Danish Parliament since the Globalisation Agreement more than ten
years ago have made research and education a top priority. Unfortunately, it is not realistic to
assume that the cutbacks will not have consequences for the quality of the university’s core
activities. Therefore it is necessary that Parliament and the government are committed to removing
rigid regulations as many of the areas where bureaucracy could be avoided are paved with
government rules. The University of Copenhagen will continue its commitment to produce
knowledge to the benefit of society and hopes that the shift in policy will be reversed.
~
Speech by the Rector
Rector Ralf Hemmingsen
The Rector compares space travel with research. Both ventures are unpredictable by nature but at
the same time very productive. NASA wanted to put a man on the moon and invented a range of
new technologies in the process. Researchers from CERN set out to discover the inner dynamics of
the atom and developed the Internet as a by-product. The Rector says that the task of the university
should not only be to map the outer space but also to discover the inner core of human existence. He
does so by referring to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel “The Little Prince” from 1943. The little
prince embarks on a journey into space where he meets adults who virtually live on their own planet
and are obsessed with figures and restricted to the narrow boundaries of their own occupation. By
contrast, the little prince is endowed with those qualities that are key to research and education:
Imagination and “non-linear thinking”. Of course funding is also imperative to success. Some years
ago, President Obama said that the US faced a second “Sputnik moment”, requiring government
investments in research and education. Obama was hinting to the first moment in 1957, when the
Soviet Union launched the rocket carrying the Sputnik satellite, pushing the US to make the
necessary investments to “beat” the Soviets in the subsequent “space race”. Denmark experienced
its own “Sputnik moment” some 12 years ago when the then Prime Minister Anders Fogh
Rasmussen returned from a field trip to China where he had seen the “take-off phase” of this great
new knowledge economy. Since that moment, consecutive governments of all strands in Denmark
have made universities a top priority. However, the new Danish government has proposed a budget
with massive cutbacks in research and education funding, which will make it difficult for the
University of Copenhagen to reach out for the stars of the universe – and get closer to the core of
the university.
~
University of Copenhagen Student Choir
Conducted by Brian Grønbæk
Nocturne
Lyrics and music: Evert Taube (1890-1976)
Arrangement: Brian Grønbæk
Rolling in the Deep
Lyrics: Adele (b. 1988) and Paul Epsworth (b. 1974
Arrangement: Niels Nørgaard (baSix)
Performed by Anders Ørsager (baSix) and the University of Copenhagen Student Choir
~
Student Council Speech
Political Science student Alexander Thorvaldsen (President)
The speech by the President of the Student Council – Alexander Thorvaldsen
Our university faces historical cuts in funding for education and research. Moreover, students are
now enrolled in a new regime, the study progress reform – in Danish the fremdriftsreform – that
dictates speed over learning and quality in education. In this new era of education, it is more costly
to take risks with our study programmes or to choose a path beyond the ordinary. It leads to a vision
for higher education where speed and cost efficiency is given more value than academic drive and
curiosity.
Let us change that vision today. No matter if we spend our days in the study halls, at offices or in
laboratories – we are all here to achieve excellence in our work. The university should not just be a
place where students and researchers hurry home from class, but a place of joint thought and
flourishing academic life.
At the moment we can only cross our fingers that the tables will turn. Dear Minister. We need you
as a companion in our shared effort to create new insights and understandings – not just as an
inconvenient obstructer.
The university is the place to discover all the questions we did not even know we needed to answer.
Not just a place that delivers employable and obedient foot soldiers for an already defined slot in
the labour market.
~
Woodwind quintet Carion
Sechs Bagatellen für Bläserquintett
Composer: György Sándor Ligeti (1923-2006)
~
Commemorative lecture
Professor Lise Arleth, Niels Bohr Institute, Faculty of Science
A view into tiny biological structures with neutrons and x-rays
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, dear Minister, dear Board, dear Rector, dear students,
honoured colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
Let me start by thanking the organisers for inviting me to give this talk. It is a very great honour and
it makes me both humble and proud to think about those who have been standing at this chair before
me.
My name is Lise Arleth. I am professor in experimental biophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute here
at University of Copenhagen. The title of my talk is “A view into tiny biological structures with
neutrons and x-rays”.
Internationally, the Niels Bohr Institute is primarily known for theoretical physics. However, we
also have a proud tradition for biophysics. In the first half of the previous century, the Niels Bohr
Institute hosted George de Hevesy. Hevesy was a Hungarian radiochemist, i.e. a chemist working
with radioactive substances. Radiochemistry was one of the most important new research fields at
that time. Hevesy was one of many excellent scientist, with Madame Curie being the most famous,
who worked with the characterisation, understanding and application of radioactivity in many
different contexts.
The version of the history about radioactivity that most of us know best is the one that culminated
temporarily with the development of the nuclear bomb during 2. World War. However, fortunately,
the research also led to many much more peaceful and useful applications of radioactivity and
nuclear energy.
Hevesy’s research focused on the peaceful applications. In the first part of his career his research
focused on identifying new elements. In collaboration with the Danish chemist Dirk Coster, he
identified element number 72 and chose to name it Hafnium after Copenhagen.
However, the achievement that gave Hevesy the Nobel Prize in 1943 and which obtained a much
larger importance in our time, was his foundational research to apply radioactive tracers to study
chemical and biological processes. One of his first test systems was a bean plant. By means of
radioactive tracers, he could measure how specific nutrients were taken up through the roots and
transported up to the different parts of the plant. Hevesy used a physical method to study biological
systems. Thereby he founded biophysics at NBI.
As physicists, our research is most often fundamental. When a phenomenon have been observed a
few times and supported by a theoretical explanation, then we move on to new horizons. We then
count on good engineers, medical doctors or others to see the results in a broader context and
develop specific applications. Hevesy’s methods and results quickly matured to a level where
research in biological applications of radioactivity was down-prioritised at the Niels Bohr institute.
Instead the research was adopted by other research communities and today the most important
application lies within medicine where our ability to see how our kidneys function (or the opposite)
or how a cancer tumor develops, depend critically on the use of radioactive tracers for medical
imaging. The principle of the method is similar to the one developed by Hevesy to study his bean
plant, but the application is of course much more important.
One of the important new horizons of modern biophysics is what life looks like and how it
functions, both at the cell level but also deeper down at the molecular level. We try to understand
the smallest biological structures, find out how the molecules look, how they move and how they
interact with each other. Ultimatively, we try to understand how the different parts play in concert
and form the foundation of life.
Most of the molecules that we need to study are unfortunately much too small to be photographed
or filmed with standard methods. General light based microscopes do also not suffice. We need to
use more advanced methods.
Two of our most important sources of information at this short length scale are X-ray and neutron
scattering. Many of us were therefore extremely happy when a group of European governments
back in 2009 decided that they would join forces and establish the European Spallation Source
(ESS), which is a new very large joint research facility for neutron based structural investigations.
They decided that the equipment should be based in Lund, Sweden with Sweden and Denmark as
co-hosts. At the same time, the Swedish government decided that they would significantly upgrade
the powerful X-ray Source they already have in Lund and establish the Max-IV synchrotron right
next to ESS.
The Max-IV synchrotron already opens next summer. The Swedes have chosen to turn it on exactly
at midsummer. That is, June 21st 2016 at 13:08:55. ESS is not planned to be ready until from 2020,
so we have to be patient a few more years. We already have such X-ray and neutron facilities
several places in the world and Danish scientists are frequent users of these. However, ESS and
Max-IV will become the most powerful facility for neutron and X-ray based structural
investigations on molecular length scales. All this, only one hours drive from Copenhagen. As a
biophysicist, I am particularly excited about the potential applications of ESS and Max-IV within
Life Science. However, the many chemists, physicists and engineers whose research goes into the
development of new smart materials, e.g. to squeeze even more functionality into our future mobile
phones, they are equally excited.
X-rays and X-ray crystallography have until now been our most important source information about
biological structures at the molecular level. X-ray crystallography was developed when a couple of
physicists, the Bragg’s (father and son), a little more than 100 years ago found out that if you send
X-rays though a crystal then a diffraction pattern will emerge on the other side. From the diffraction
pattern it was possible to deduce the structure of the molecules in the crystal. The method gave
them the Nobel Prize, but the potential of the method was not unfolded until visionary chemists,
biologists and later medical doctors adopted it. It was hence X-ray crystallography that Watson and
Crick applied back in the 1950’es to determine the structure of DNA. It was X-ray crystallography
that in the 1960’es could tell us exactly what the insulin molecule looks like. This is crucial
information in the development of improved medicine for the treatment of diabetes. It was again Xray crystallography that revealed the structure of the so-called GPCR-receptor a few years ago. The
GPCR-receptor is a membrane protein, i.e. a protein that is located in the cell membrane. It is one of
the most important targets for medical molecules and the knowledge about its structure now makes
it possible to develop better and more precise acting pharmaceuticals. All three discoveries were so
important that the scientists behind were honoured by Nobel Prizes.
The big advantage of X-ray crystallography is that the method allows us to see details as small as
about 1Å, i.e. 0.1 billionth of a meter or the same as the distance between two neighbor atoms in a
molecule. The big disadvantage is that you literally need a gigantic or “terrantic” number of
molecules to align themselves nicely and in order in a crystal. This is highly non-trivial. The
problem is that most biological molecules are flexible and change conformation while they
function. Many excellent structural biologists, also at KU, try to crystallize increasingly large and
advanced biological structures. Meanwhile, many of us physicists concentrate on developing good
alternatives to X-ray crystallography that to a larger extent allow for investigating how small
biological molecules move. Preferentially without having to fixate the molecules in a crystal lattice.
Neutrons can be applied for many of the same purposes as X-rays, plus several additional. They are
definitely more tedious and expensive to produce, but they also give us extra opportunities that
make it all worthwhile. In the context of biological molecules, the main advantage is that neutrons,
opposite to X-rays, are very sensitive to the light and hydrogen rich parts of biological structures.
Neutrons also provide a unique opportunity to vary the contrast of our sample through substitution
of the normal light hydrogen with “heavy hydrogen” also known as deuterium. If you study a
membrane protein, i.e. a protein that is located in a cell membrane, and investigate it with X-rays,
the data will reflect all the different parts of both the cell membrane and the membrane protein at
the same time. In principle this should be useful, but in practice it is very challenging to extract the
relevant information from the obtained data. If the same sample is investigated with neutrons it
becomes possible to enhance the different parts of the sample one after the other. Through
deuteration of the different parts of the cell-membrane and the membrane protein, the signal from
each part can be turned up or down in a controlled fashion and then the entire structure can be
resolved. Neutrons are hence both very senstitive to hydrogen and enable contrast variation. These
are the central reasons that ESS has a huge potential also in Life Sciences. The fact that ESS will
have Max-IV as its closest neighbor, just makes it all even better because it allows us to use X-rays
and neutrons in combination and get the best out of both techniques.
What will ESS and Max-IV then be used for in the future? The facilities are developed to be used
for a very broad set of applications. I am personally convinced that they will enable both Nobelprize level research as well as important industrial applications. I am just not able to foresee where
and within which field of science.
The area that I and many other international scientists are interested in developing is about seeing
how small biological molecules move when they function. An important target is membrane
proteins that are an extremely important group of proteins responsible for almost all communication
and exchange of nutrients between the cells. Membrane proteins are also the specific target for
about half of all medical molecules. Unfortunately, membrane proteins are both very small and very
challenging to study while they are located in their natural environment in the cell membranes.
They are also extremely difficult to crystallise which obviously adds complication to protein
crystallography. So in practice we know very little about them. This means that modern methods to
develop medicine still to a large extent rely on trial and error rather than rational considerations. In
my own research group we try to develop methods for seeing how tiny biological molecules look
while they function. The goal is to obtain molecular movies. These are quite challenging
experiments, but fortunately both ESS and Max-IV will provide some unique opportunities that
should allow us to move significantly forward in this direction. However, I still foresee that the
project will keep several of us busy during the next many years.
I hope to have convinced you that ESS and Max-IV contain some really interesting and unique
opportunities. Not least because the facilities will be placed very close to Copenhagen. History,
back from both Hevesy and the development of X-ray crystallography, shows that physical methods
do not obtain a broader impact until visionary chemists, biologists, medical doctors and other
scientists help unlock the opportunities and develop applications in relation to their own research.
In the same way the methodological development to be driven by ESS and Max-IV, will require a
lot of pioneering work from physicists and require that we keep a close eye on the demands of the
future users. But it will also require a significant amount of courage from the future users and
require more than visionary chemists, biologists and other scientists to identify the most genious
applications. I hope that together we will be able to stand up to this challenge and contribute to
unlock the great potential that the facilities will provide.
Max-IV is just around the corner while ESS still lies a few years ahead of us. Now is a good time
for KU Scientists to start investigating the opportunities that we already have at at the international
X-ray and neutron scattering facilities such that we are ready when the facilities in Lund open.
During the last few years, KU has systematically supported a number of cross-disciplinary activities
in the field. This has given us a very good start. However, in order to harness the huge potential
provided by the facilities, then it is necessary with more, larger and more long-lasting initiatives. And of course not only here at KU.
Thank you for your attention.
~
The 2015 Teacher of the Year Award
will be presented to Assistant Professor Anders Rønn-Nielsen
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Faculty of Science
The owl is donated by Royal Copenhagen and decorated by Mette Winkelmann (b. 1971)
~
The 2015 Innovation Prize
will be awarded to the Qatar Archaeology and Heritage Project led by head of department Ingolf
Thuesen
Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Faculty of Humanities
The jar with the titel Heritage is made by ceramic artist Lene Regius (b. 1940)
~
The 2015 International Study Environment Award
will be presented to International Student Mentor Program (ISMP) Faculty of Science
led by mentors Rezkar Jaafar Mohammad and Ghislaine Calleja
~
Conferment and proclamation of honorary doctorates
Honorary Doctorates
Teology
Professor
Dale B. Martin
Department of Religious Studies, Yale University, USA
Humanities (Philosophy)
Professor
Gilles Kepel
Paris Institute of Political Studies, France
Humanities (Philosophy)
Humaniora (filosofi)
Professor
Sianne Ngai
Department of English, Stanford University, USA
Science
Professor
Amira Klip
The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
Science
Professor
Cathie R. Martin
John Innes Center, UK
~
Proclamation of doctorates
Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)
Ulla Overgaard Andersen
Michel E. H. Boeckstyns
Stig Brorson
Morten Bundgaard-Nielsen
Christina Christoffersen
Jesper Dammeyer
Per Hölmich
Martin Blomberg Jensen
Marie Nørredam
Lars Haukali Hvass Omland
Henrik Reinhard
Naja Hulvej Rod
Juliane Theilade
Simon Francis Thomsen
Mette Thomsen
Tim Tolker-Nielsen
Zeynep Tümer
Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil)
Peter Fibiger Bang
Isak Winkel Holm
Sofie Kluge
Doctor of Dental Science
Nuno Vibe Hermann
Doctor of Psykologi
Søren Kyllingsbæk
~
Presentation of gold and silver medals
Gold medal winners
Raja Majid Afzal
Louisa Jane Holt
Peter Poulsen Jacobsen
Kristoffer Maribo Engell Larsen
Frederik Bitz Møller
Andreas Højbjerg Nielsen
Tobias Mosbæk Søborg
Silver medal winners
Anna Gundlund Lorentzen
Jannik Skadhauge Sano
Director Ib Henriksen’s Foundation provides travel grants for gold and silver medal winners.
~
University of Copenhagen Student Choir
Hellige Flamme (Holy Flame)
Excerpt from the cantata at the University’s Annual Commemoration Ceremony to mark the
Reformation in Denmark
and the change of rector at the University in 1839. Music by C.E.F. Weyse (1774-1842),
lyrics by J.L. Heiberg (1791-1860)
~
Fanfare
University of Copenhagen Wind Players
~
Reception
~
PAINTINGS IN THE CEREMONIAL HALL
(See photos of the paintings in the Danish programme)
Physicist Hans Christian Ørsted addressing the third meeting of Nordic natural scientists, held in the
University’s new main building in 1847. The motif depicts the scientists’ 14 July excursion to
Roskilde on the newly opened railway. Painted in 1896 (1)
On the night of 10–11 February 1659, students at the University helped defend Copenhagen from
the Swedes. Painted in 1890 (2)
Hans Tausen protects Bishop Joachim Rønnow from an angry mob in front of the bishop’s palace
on 14 July 1533, after Rønnow had banished Tausen from Sealand and Scania. After the
Reformation in 1536, Tausen taught Hebrew at the University. Painted in 1876 (3)
Inauguration of the University in the Church of Our Lady, 1 June 1479. The first Chancellor of the
University, Bishop of Roskilde Oluf Mortensen, presents the teachers to King Christian I. Painted in
1871 (4)
King James VI of Scotland visits Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe on the island of Hven on 20
March 1590, after marrying Christian IV’s sister, Anna. Painted in 1878 (5)
Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld and Frederik III in Bishop Jesper Brochmand’s house around 1647.
Schumacher, here 12–13 years old, was brought up by the bishop and later educated at the
University. Painted in 1888 (6)
Ludvig Holberg – Danish playwright and professor at the University for many years, Rector 1735–
36 – attends a rehearsal for his play Erasmus Montanus. Painted in 1892 (7)
ARTISTS AND YEARS PAINTED
1: Erik Henningsen (1855–1950), 2 and 7: Wilhelm Rosenstand (1838–1915),
3, 5 and 6: Carl Bloch (1834–1890), 4: Wilhelm Marstrand (1810–1873)
Cover photo:
Ornamental detail from the ceiling in the ceremonialhall, by Georg Christian Hilker(1807-1875)