{"id":174421,"date":"2025-03-07T03:39:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T02:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/david-dreyer-lassen-skal-laere-at-gaa-paa-line\/"},"modified":"2025-03-10T08:38:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T07:38:19","slug":"new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/","title":{"rendered":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act"},"content":{"rendered":"

An era of change.<\/p>\n

\n

Biography<\/p>\n

Born 5 October 1973<\/p>\n

PhD in Economics from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), 2002<\/p>\n

Professor of Economics since 2012<\/p>\n

Prorector for Research at the University of Copenhagen, 2021-2025<\/p>\n

Deputy Director, Danish National Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality, UCPH, 2017-2020<\/p>\n

Director, Center for Social Data Science (SODAS), UCPH, 2016-2020<\/p>\n

Chair of the Board, Independent Research Fund Denmark, 2019-2020<\/p>\n

Recipient of the elite researcher EliteForsk<\/em> award, 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This is how the new rector, David Dreyer Lassen, describes the current era at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).<\/p>\n

He has barely settled into his new role before he faces one of his first major challenges: guiding the University of Copenhagen safely through the transition to an entirely new administration.<\/p>\n

The restructuring of the administration took effect on the same day that David Dreyer Lassen began his first day as UCPH\u2019s 260th rector.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> It\u2019s here: University of Copenhagen\u2019s administration overhaul goes live<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

At the same time as this major overhaul of the university\u2019s administrative structure, he is on a personal mission: To ensure that the University of Copenhagen remains a unified institution that can participate in public debate while handling internal tensions.<\/p>\n

\u00bbA university can very quickly be pulled in all sorts of directions,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThis is an important time, where we must try to navigate this transformation successfully. But I sense a positive attitude, and I\u2019m incredibly excited,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Political navigation<\/h3>\n

As you listen to David Dreyer Lassen describing the role of the rector at the University of Copenhagen, you might think of walking a tightrope.<\/p>\n

Beyond being agile and capable of making quick decisions, the new rector emphasises the importance of balancing the university\u2019s role in societal debates.<\/p>\n

Most recently, Denmark’s universities debated government-instituted reforms to master’s degrees, where the former rector Henrik Wegener publicly voiced his criticism before ultimately having to accept political realities.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThat\u2019s an important point. Once a decision has been made, you have to be able to say: \u2018This is how it is now.\u2019 We are a public institution, and while we possess a great deal of expert knowledge, we also need to understand how the system works. There are people within this institution who will always want us to climb the barricades and stay there until the last drop of blood has been shed. But this is not how the system operates,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.
\n
\nThe same balancing act applies to student protests which recently flared up in connection with the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The new rector emphasises that student activism is an important part of the university\u2019s culture, but that it must also take on a shape that allows the university to function.<\/p>\n

\u00bbActive students who engage with the world are a huge asset. That\u2019s also part of what it means to go to university. But we need to find a way to handle disagreements. Perhaps we can learn something from the Danish labour market model \u2014 a structured form of disagreement.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Community as a guiding principle<\/h3>\n

For David Dreyer Lassen, good university leadership is not about issuing orders from the top but about ensuring that decisions are broadly anchored.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIf you try to manage the university via top-down directives, you have already lost as a university manager. You need broad foundations and widely supported decisions,\u00ab he says, emphasising that his leadership style will be based on dialogue with deans, department heads, students, and staff.<\/p>\n

The big task at hand is implementing the reform aimed at making the university\u2019s administrative functions more efficient. The new rector acknowledges that the reform will lead to transitional challenges and require significant adjustments, but he stresses that it is a necessary process to ensure a well-functioning administration.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt has to work, and there will be issues, and there will be a lot of things that don\u2019t function properly. And we will spend a lot of time on this in the coming years as well. If we don\u2019t succeed, then the university doesn\u2019t work.\u00ab<\/p>\n

External pressures<\/h3>\n

Beyond ensuring a strong university community, the new UCPH rector faces several leadership challenges. One of them is determining how the university should position itself in a time of increasing demands from both political stakeholders and society.<\/p>\n

Which countries can the university collaborate with? And what is the risk that external funding bodies will gain too much influence over research at the University of Copenhagen?
\n
\nDavid Dreyer Lassen sees it as a balancing act between safeguarding the university\u2019s autonomy and taking responsibility for its role within the broader societal structure.<\/p>\n

His experience at the Independent Research Fund Denmark, where he served as chair from January 2019 for two years, has given him insight into how to create cohesion between different academic settings and administrative units.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere is a real risk that UCPH becomes too dependent on the Novo Nordisk Foundation. But that very fact is also why we are working on it as part of our strategy for the university of the future,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Wegener steps down after eight years as rector with mixed emotions of melancholy and relief<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

From soccer pitch to rector<\/h3>\n

Growing up in the working class west Copenhagen suburb of Br\u00f8ndby, David Dreyer Lassen spent most of his youth at the local football club.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThat\u2019s just what you did,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

\u00bbMany of my teenage years were spent at the stadium. I don\u2019t get to go as much anymore, but I try to watch the matches,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The transition from the suburbs to academia was not without its contrasts. When he began studying economics at the University of Copenhagen, he quickly became aware of the cultural differences.<\/p>\n

\u00bbMany of my fellow students came from the [wealthy] north of Copenhagen. It was a different world \u2014 one that you had to get to know,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

He has taken some important lessons with him from the football pitches of his childhood. In both sports and university leadership, it is about teamwork, strategy, and the ability to navigate unpredictable situations.<\/p>\n

When he needs a break from university politics today, he finds peace in the Swedish forests, where he forages for mushrooms.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt\u2019s not exactly thrilling. But that\u2019s precisely why it\u2019s a great way to unwind.\u00ab<\/p>\n

David Dreyer Lassen has embarked on a balancing act that requires precision. The university needs to be both independent and collaborative, internally united and externally open. The coming years will show whether he can keep his balance.
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the new rector of the University of Copenhagen, David Dreyer Lassen must balance internal tensions, external pressures, and society\u2019s expectations of the university. A difficult art\u2014but he is ready for the task.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":174328,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3160],"tags":[2254,7517,7813,7814],"class_list":["post-174421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-david-dreyer-lassen-en","tag-kus-rektor-en-2","tag-ny-rektor-en","tag-tiltraedelse-en","expression-portrait_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the new rector of the University of Copenhagen, David Dreyer Lassen must balance internal tensions, external pressures, and society\u2019s expectations of the university. A difficult art\u2014but he is ready for the task.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1708\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Martin Juhl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Martin Juhl\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Martin Juhl\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\"},\"headline\":\"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1105,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"David Dreyer Lassen\",\"KU's rektor\",\"ny rektor\",\"tiltr\u00e6delse\"],\"articleSection\":[\"People\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/\",\"name\":\"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1708,\"caption\":\"David Dreyer Lassen er ny rektor p\u00e5 K\u00f8benhavns Universitet. Photo by: Jonas Pryner Andersen\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/\",\"name\":\"University Post\",\"description\":\"Independent of management\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27\",\"name\":\"Martin Juhl\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Martin Juhl\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/author\\\/martin_juhl_petersen\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post","og_description":"As the new rector of the University of Copenhagen, David Dreyer Lassen must balance internal tensions, external pressures, and society\u2019s expectations of the university. A difficult art\u2014but he is ready for the task.","og_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/","og_site_name":"University Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis","article_published_time":"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1708,"url":"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Martin Juhl","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","twitter_creator":"@Uniavisen","twitter_site":"@Uniavisen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Martin Juhl","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/"},"author":{"name":"Martin Juhl","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27"},"headline":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act","datePublished":"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/"},"wordCount":1105,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","keywords":["David Dreyer Lassen","KU's rektor","ny rektor","tiltr\u00e6delse"],"articleSection":["People"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/","name":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act \u2014 University Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-07T02:39:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-10T07:38:19+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1708,"caption":"David Dreyer Lassen er ny rektor p\u00e5 K\u00f8benhavns Universitet. Photo by: Jonas Pryner Andersen"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/new-rector-david-dreyer-lassen-faces-a-tightrope-act\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New rector David Dreyer Lassen faces a tightrope act"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/","name":"University Post","description":"Independent of management","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/ff6534f5b2402ad00c090ce725c33b27","name":"Martin Juhl","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1797e6a2f5504b0011d25ea810ff777cf9961880304ebea2975858e118970e05?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Martin Juhl"},"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/author\/martin_juhl_petersen\/"}]}},"advancedCustomFields":{"expression":{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":795,"filter":"raw"},"enable_comments":true,"align_content":"alignleft","feature_color":"#e8b204","article_updated":"","layout_group":[{"acf_fc_layout":"Headline","use_post_title":true,"headline":"","style":"default","highlighted_words":"","text_size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":174327,"id":174327,"title":"david_dreyer_lassen_Y9A6295","filename":"david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","filesize":1364531,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/david-dreyer-lassen-skal-laere-at-gaa-paa-line-2\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"David Dreyer Lassen er ny rektor p\u00e5 K\u00f8benhavns Universitet.","name":"david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":174326,"date":"2025-03-05 11:32:54","modified":"2025-03-05 12:59:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1708,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-1280x854.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":854,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-1536x1025.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-2048x1366.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1366,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"full","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"\u00bbThis is an important time, where we must try to navigate this transformation successfully. But I sense a positive attitude, and I\u2019m incredibly excited,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen, photographed here in the old university library."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Inauguration","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>An era of change.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Biography<\/p>\n<p>Born 5 October 1973<\/p>\n<p>PhD in Economics from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), 2002<\/p>\n<p>Professor of Economics since 2012<\/p>\n<p>Prorector for Research at the University of Copenhagen, 2021-2025<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Director, Danish National Research Foundation’s Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality, UCPH, 2017-2020<\/p>\n<p>Director, Center for Social Data Science (SODAS), UCPH, 2016-2020<\/p>\n<p>Chair of the Board, Independent Research Fund Denmark, 2019-2020<\/p>\n<p>Recipient of the elite researcher <em>EliteForsk<\/em> award, 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This is how the new rector, David Dreyer Lassen, describes the current era at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).<\/p>\n<p>He has barely settled into his new role before he faces one of his first major challenges: guiding the University of Copenhagen safely through the transition to an entirely new administration.<\/p>\n<p>The restructuring of the administration took effect on the same day that David Dreyer Lassen began his first day as UCPH\u2019s 260th rector.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/its-here-university-of-copenhagens-administration-overhaul-goes-live\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>It\u2019s here: University of Copenhagen\u2019s administration overhaul goes live<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At the same time as this major overhaul of the university\u2019s administrative structure, he is on a personal mission: To ensure that the University of Copenhagen remains a unified institution that can participate in public debate while handling internal tensions.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbA university can very quickly be pulled in all sorts of directions,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThis is an important time, where we must try to navigate this transformation successfully. But I sense a positive attitude, and I\u2019m incredibly excited,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>Political navigation<\/h3>\n<p>As you listen to David Dreyer Lassen describing the role of the rector at the University of Copenhagen, you might think of walking a tightrope.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond being agile and capable of making quick decisions, the new rector emphasises the importance of balancing the university\u2019s role in societal debates.<\/p>\n<p>Most recently, Denmark’s universities debated government-instituted reforms to master’s degrees, where the former rector Henrik Wegener publicly voiced his criticism before ultimately having to accept political realities.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThat\u2019s an important point. Once a decision has been made, you have to be able to say: \u2018This is how it is now.\u2019 We are a public institution, and while we possess a great deal of expert knowledge, we also need to understand how the system works. There are people within this institution who will always want us to climb the barricades and stay there until the last drop of blood has been shed. But this is not how the system operates,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"If you try to manage the university via top-down directives, you have already lost as a university manager","quotee":"David Dreyer Lassen, newly appointed rector at the University of Copenhagen","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>The same balancing act applies to student protests which recently flared up in connection with the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The new rector emphasises that student activism is an important part of the university\u2019s culture, but that it must also take on a shape that allows the university to function.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbActive students who engage with the world are a huge asset. That\u2019s also part of what it means to go to university. But we need to find a way to handle disagreements. Perhaps we can learn something from the Danish labour market model \u2014 a structured form of disagreement.\u00ab<\/p>\n<h3>Community as a guiding principle<\/h3>\n<p>For David Dreyer Lassen, good university leadership is not about issuing orders from the top but about ensuring that decisions are broadly anchored.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIf you try to manage the university via top-down directives, you have already lost as a university manager. You need broad foundations and widely supported decisions,\u00ab he says, emphasising that his leadership style will be based on dialogue with deans, department heads, students, and staff.<\/p>\n<p>The big task at hand is implementing the reform aimed at making the university\u2019s administrative functions more efficient. The new rector acknowledges that the reform will lead to transitional challenges and require significant adjustments, but he stresses that it is a necessary process to ensure a well-functioning administration.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt has to work, and there will be issues, and there will be a lot of things that don\u2019t function properly. And we will spend a lot of time on this in the coming years as well. If we don\u2019t succeed, then the university doesn\u2019t work.\u00ab<\/p>\n<h3>External pressures<\/h3>\n<p>Beyond ensuring a strong university community, the new UCPH rector faces several leadership challenges. One of them is determining how the university should position itself in a time of increasing demands from both political stakeholders and society.<\/p>\n<p>Which countries can the university collaborate with? And what is the risk that external funding bodies will gain too much influence over research at the University of Copenhagen?<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"There is a real risk that UCPH becomes too dependent on the Novo Nordisk Foundation","quotee":"David Dreyer Lassen, newly appointed rector at the University of Copenhagen","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>David Dreyer Lassen sees it as a balancing act between safeguarding the university\u2019s autonomy and taking responsibility for its role within the broader societal structure.<\/p>\n<p>His experience at the Independent Research Fund Denmark, where he served as chair from January 2019 for two years, has given him insight into how to create cohesion between different academic settings and administrative units.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere is a real risk that UCPH becomes too dependent on the Novo Nordisk Foundation. But that very fact is also why we are working on it as part of our strategy for the university of the future,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/just-think-it-all-worked-out-in-the-end-wegener-steps-down-after-eight-years-as-rector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Wegener steps down after eight years as rector with mixed emotions of melancholy and relief<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>From soccer pitch to rector<\/h3>\n<p>Growing up in the working class west Copenhagen suburb of Br\u00f8ndby, David Dreyer Lassen spent most of his youth at the local football club.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThat\u2019s just what you did,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMany of my teenage years were spent at the stadium. I don\u2019t get to go as much anymore, but I try to watch the matches,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>The transition from the suburbs to academia was not without its contrasts. When he began studying economics at the University of Copenhagen, he quickly became aware of the cultural differences.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMany of my fellow students came from the [wealthy] north of Copenhagen. It was a different world \u2014 one that you had to get to know,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>He has taken some important lessons with him from the football pitches of his childhood. In both sports and university leadership, it is about teamwork, strategy, and the ability to navigate unpredictable situations.<\/p>\n<p>When he needs a break from university politics today, he finds peace in the Swedish forests, where he forages for mushrooms.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s not exactly thrilling. But that\u2019s precisely why it\u2019s a great way to unwind.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>David Dreyer Lassen has embarked on a balancing act that requires precision. The university needs to be both independent and collaborative, internally united and externally open. The coming years will show whether he can keep his balance.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":174335,"id":174335,"title":"david_dreyer_lassen_Y9A6251","filename":"david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-scaled.jpg","filesize":750903,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/david-dreyer-lassen-skal-laere-at-gaa-paa-line-2\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"","name":"david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":174326,"date":"2025-03-05 12:27:33","modified":"2025-03-05 13:06:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1708,"height":2560,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-480x720.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":720,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-768x1151.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1151,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-1280x1919.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":1919,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-1025x1536.jpg","1536x1536-width":1025,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-1366x2048.jpg","2048x2048-width":1366,"2048x2048-height":2048,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-290x435.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":435,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-700x1049.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":1049,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6251-990x1484.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":1484}},"style":"narrow","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":false,"alternative_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with our top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3160,"name":"People","slug":"people","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3160,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":58,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":2254,"name":"David Dreyer Lassen","slug":"david-dreyer-lassen-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2254,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":7,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7517,"name":"KU's rektor","slug":"kus-rektor-en-2","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7517,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7813,"name":"ny rektor","slug":"ny-rektor-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7813,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7814,"name":"tiltr\u00e6delse","slug":"tiltraedelse-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7814,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":795,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":671,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-1280x854.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174421"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":174481,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174421\/revisions\/174481"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}