Update: Rector, guests caught up in ash chaos

University of Copenhagen’s commander-in-chief, Rector Ralf Hemmingsen, is one of the thousands of international travellers trapped abroad in the wake of the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Rector is stuck in China, where he attended the yearly IARU (The International Alliance of Research Universities) meeting last week.

The secretariat of the university management is unclear about when Ralf Hemmingsen can get back to Denmark. They hope for Wednesday or Thursday, but Monday next week is just as possible, the secretariat explains to the University Post.

They are in contact with Rector Ralf Hemmingsen, who attends meetings via Skype and other communication technologies, the secretariat explains.

University director Jørgen Honoré is in Copenhagen.

Postponed lectures

Planned visits and guest lectures to the University of Copenhagen are also being cancelled as the Icelandic volcano continues to disrupt travel in Europe.

The latest cancelling is from the Center for Internationalisation and Parallel Language Use who had planned a prestigious visit from New Zealand, namely John Read, lecturer from the University of Auckland Thursday.

The cancellation is due to »volcanic reasons«, the CIP writes in a short statement.

Saxo Institute’ planned guest lecture Stay Frosty: on bureaucratic states of detachment with Oxford sociologist Paul du Gay tomorrow Wednesday has also been postponed due to the volcano.

Some guests already in Copenhagen

Other lectures are going ahead.

Some guests happen to have been in Denmark before the travel disruptions.

A planned lecture by Steve Jones on internet research at the Film Studies and Media Studies department Tuesday, is scheduled to go ahead as planned, as Steve Jones is already in the country, the department says to the University Post.

uni-avis@adm.ku.dk