Changing of guard
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.
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 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.
Topics
Contact
Director for Communication
Jasper Steen Winkel
UCPH Communication
University of Copenhagen
Telephone: +45 28 42 62 75
Email: jsw@adm.ku.dk
The University's nomination and appointment bodies
The nomination body consists of:
- Merete Eldrup, Chair of the Board of the University of Copenhagen (chair)
- Mikkel Leihardt, Director of the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Sciences, appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science as the Ministry's representative
- Pia Quist, Professor at the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen, and internal member of the University Board, appointed by the University Board
- Birgitte Vedersø, independent consultant and external member of the University Board, appointed by the University Board
- Niels Ploug, Head of Section, Statistics Denmark, appointed by the appointment body
- Anne Skriver, Vice President, Chr. Hansen A/S, appointed by the appointment body
The nomination body is appointed ad hoc and dissolved upon appointing the new external board members.
The appointment body consists of:
- Christian Grøndahl, chair, appointed by the University's Board of Representatives
- Vibeke Krag, appointed by the University's Board of Representatives
- Jan Hove Sørensen, appointed by the University's Board of Representatives
- Lars Tyge Nielsen, appointed by the University's Board of Representatives
- Maj-Britt Kaltoft, appointed by the University's Board of Representatives
- Anders Milhøj, appointed by the University's General Collaboration Committee as an employee representative
- Agnete Raaschou-Nielsen, appointed by the University Board
- Anders Nørrekær Mortensen, appointed by the Student Council as a student representative
Read more
Read more about the University Board.
Read more about the University’s nomination and appointment bodies. (in Danish only)
