Kirsten Busch Nielsen continues as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities

Since assuming the job of dean in 2021 – after eight months as acting dean – she has led the faculty through several major transitions.

In recent years, UCPH, and thus the Faculty of Humanities, has undergone a reform of university administration, the politically determined regionalisation of education, student intake regulation and the Master’s reform, as well as the upcoming co-location of Theology, Law, Humanities, and Social Sciences on Amager.

“I am very pleased that Kirsten has agreed to continue as dean. She approaches the role with a strong sense of responsibility and a persistent commitment to seeing the bigger picture. She is a skilled leader: academically grounded, attentive, and strategic — not only when it comes to her own faculty, but also in the collective effort to set direction for the university. This has been evident throughout several major transformation projects. In the coming years, Kirsten will, among other things, lead the university’s work on academic freedom,” says Rector David Dreyer.

Development rooted in academic excellence

In the coming period, work will continue to develop long-term and sustainable frameworks for research, education, and innovation at HUM. This includes the continued development of the humanities educational landscape and the realisation of plans for a unified physical and academic environment at South Campus. It also includes maintaining a strong and consistent voice that highlights the role of the humanities in interdisciplinary contexts — both within and beyond the university.

For Kirsten Busch Nielsen, it has been important to emphasise that humanities research is indispensable for its insights, perspectives, and contributions to solving challenges in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world — fully in line with the UCPH strategy. Therefore, it is essential for her that the faculty continues to safeguard the breadth of its disciplines, ensure high quality in research and education, and strengthen its commitment to bringing humanistic knowledge into play in the world around us:

“Humanities researchers have a special responsibility to contribute insight and insist on reflection, values, and coherence when facing society’s major questions. The humanities are obliged to help us understand and nuance everything from the climate crisis, technology, history, language, geopolitics, and society.”

Kirsten highlights the importance of leadership that recognises community and the constant exchange of knowledge taking place in classrooms and research environments at South Campus:

“As a university, we share a common mission: research-based knowledge that reaches out and helps guide the answers. This requires both continuity and change — and respect for the academic foundations that carry it all. I am grateful every day to be part of the Faculty of Humanities at UCPH. The theologian in me feels at home here. I look forward to the coming years and to continuing the collaboration with colleagues, students, and leaders — the entire humanities ecosystem whose work is so crucial for how we thrive as individuals, as a culture, and as a society.”