Who are the staff at UCPH? Faculty director Kristian Boye Petersen

Kristian Boye Petersen, one of six faculty directors at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), belongs to the university’s highest management. He is therefore one of the best paid staff at UCPH.

Yet the job entails both major discussions on strategy and finance with the Dean and the department heads, and simple practical things, he says.

“You have to get involved in the details if you want a sense of what’s going on in the organization. Personal relationships are important to take care of if you want to get things done. The job is a lot about making decisions and making things happen, he says.

Kristian Boye Petersen estimates that he spends 60-70 per cent of his work time on politics, strategy and finances.

At the Faculty of Humanities, management is particularly about finances, since the faculty has been hard hit by cutbacks. They are constantly trying to find places to streamline their operations (both on buildings and other things), to avoid having to save on payroll, but this is difficult.

As an example, he mentions that the classrooms on the new South Campus could have been more bigger. As they, since the cutbacks, have been forced to expand the classes.

“If someone suggests that we tear down some walls, it’s my role to say ‘that’s just fine’. This costs x kroner. Who can we now give the sack? This is how much pressure we are under, financially speaking,” he says.

Kristian Boye Petersen remembers the day in February 2016, when he had nine employees in for meetings on their dismissal.

“When I came home in the evening, I was completely stunned. But I am aware that it was worse for those who were made redundant. It’s just not fun for anyone,” he says.

On the good working days, the job is also about bringing different people together and getting them to collaborate.

This could, for example, be when students organise their annual Eurovision Song Contest and have to set up a stage and lighting with help from the technical staff.

“I have the contacts and the overview, but when people start talking together, I can leave,” says Kristian Boye Petersen.

Who are the staff at UCPH?

This portrait is part of the article series ‘Who are the staff at UCPH?’ which takes stock of the trends in the staff mix at Denmark’s largest university. Meet also:

PROFESSOR MSO ULRIKA K. STIGSDOTTER 
GLASS WASHER AASE SANDER
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN MARIT WARRER
OFFICE CLERK VICKI ANTOSZ 
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT CAROLINE VOLF

And read about the trends in the mix of UCPH personnel since 2012 here.