Aarhus University is building an institution that combines in-depth professional competence with interdisciplinary collaboration, in close and flexible interaction with the world around us. Greater depth and coherence is created at Aarhus University.

Global challenges in areas such as climate, energy, security, health and economy have causes and effects that span subject areas. They require interdisciplinary solutions created on a platform of excellent core competences.

New times equal new demands from the world around us, and we intend to adapt to these. Aarhus University is therefore undergoing the most significant organisational change in its history.

The aim is to create a university that combines in-depth professional competences with interdisciplinary collaboration, in close and flexible interaction with the world around us. This will enable us to provide internationally competitive research, talent development, knowledge exchange and education – now and in the future.

Read more at www.au.dk/en/about/changes/

The globalised economy is deeply inter-connected. The challenges facing society and the business world are complex and require new types of collaboration between governments, businesses and civil societies. Future leaders require new competencies in order to navigate within this complex agenda. Societies require new knowledge in order to develop solutions to the great challenges facing us today and in the future.

In 2009 the school (then Aarhus School of Business) set strategic focus on “sustainable growth through innovation” aiming to integrate this focus in education, research, operations and external relations. As a result, Aarhus School of Business signed up for the UN initiative PRME - Principles for Responsible Management Education - and the UN Global Compact.

In 2011, the school was announced one of the most active participants in the UN initiative PRME and selected to participate in the development of a global Inspirational Guide to be presented at the UN PRME Global Forum in Rio, 14-15 June 2012.

A wide range of researchers from across the school have participated with new research activities ranging from sustainable supply chain, responsible investment, sustainable consumption to CSR, climate- and energy law, leadership to green business models.

A number of new programmes have been introduced, including the international full-time Sustainable MBA, BScB in Sustainability, BScB in Ethics, Master in Energy- and Environmental Law.

Students have initiated the “Aarhus Sustainability Network” and the school has placed focus on its own operations and developed a “green campus strategy” on decreasing its own CO2 footprint.

The merger between School of Business and Social Sciences in 2010 has strengthened this holistic perspective.

Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences is a broad business school with both classical business disciplines, economics, political science, law and psychology - thus bridging business and the public sector, money and politics, governance and human behaviour.

Dean, professor Svend Hylleberg:

“Leaders in business and public organizations must have a broad set of competences. The challenges of leaders are very complex and global. Therefore, leaders today and in the future must have very broad skills in order to be able to act in this environment. They need to have deep skills, be able to work across disciplines and be innovative to solve problems they have never encountered before such as climate change, hunger, poverty, lack of resources etc.”

A future perspective is to broaden the interdisciplinary approach to other parts of the university; Science, Health and Arts. This will enable the school to innovate even more and create future leaders with both a broad and international outlook and deep skills.