24 October 2023

Two reappointments and two new University Board members

University Board

Merete Eldrup will continue as chair of the University Board with Jan S. Hesthaven to continue as an external member. Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen and Ulla Tofte are joining the Board as new external members.

Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen and Ulla Tofte
Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD, and Ulla Tofte, Director of the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, are new external members of the Board of the University of Copenhagen.

Two new external members

The University of Copenhagen's appointment body body has appointed Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen and Ulla Tofte as new external members of the University Board, each for a four-year term.

Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen is Deputy Secretary General of OECD and was previously Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen.

Ulla Tofte is Director of the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle and was previously Director of M/S Maritime Museum and the commercial foundation Golden Days. She holds an MA in History and Danish from the University of Copenhagen.

The two new external board members will join the Board on 1 January 2024, replacing professional board member Agnete Raaschou-Nielsen, who will step down from the board as of 31 December 2023, and former Director of the National Gallery of Denmark Mikkel Bogh, who resigned from the Board as of 1 June 2023 to take up the Directorship of the newly established Centre for Practice-based Art Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

The chair of the appointment body, Christian Grøndahl, is pleased with the new appointments:

"The composition of competences among the whole board has been our main concern. From a very strong field of applicants, we have chosen distinctive candidates who cover the breadth of the University’s diverse research and educational profile and who match the University's strong position in a Danish and an international perspective."

   

Merete Eldrup

Merete Eldrup has chaired the University Board since 1 January 2020. She has been reappointed as chair for the period up until the end of 2027. Photo: Søren Svendsen.

Merete Eldrup to continue as Chair of the Board

The appointment body has also reappointed Merete Eldrup as Chair of the Board for the term 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027.

Merete Eldrup holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen and has had a long career in public administration and the private sector. In addition to being chair of the University Board, she chairs the Board of Nykredit and holds other board memberships.

“Merete Eldrup is an exceptionally strong candidate, and we’re delighted that she has accepted to take on another term as Chair,” says head of the appointment body, Christian Grøndahl, DMSc, co-founder and CEO of SNIPR Biome.

"I look forward to continuing as Chair of the Board of the University of Copenhagen. From 2024, we will be implementing the University's new strategic plan, which focuses on innovation, the best ideas and lifelong learning,” says Merete Eldrup, reappointed as Chair of the Board.

Jan S. Hesthaven to continue as board member

At the same time, the appointment body has reappointed board member Jan S. Hesthaven, Dean of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.

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