{"id":186890,"date":"2026-01-22T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T07:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/fyringsrunde-kan-skade-kus-ry-tidligere-forsker-advarer-internationale-kolleger\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:58:44","slug":"layoffs-shake-trust-in-university-of-copenhagen-researcher-warns-international-colleagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/layoffs-shake-trust-in-university-of-copenhagen-researcher-warns-international-colleagues\/","title":{"rendered":"Layoffs shake trust in University of Copenhagen \u2014 researcher warns international colleagues"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Sergey Rosbakh\u2019s contract at the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) expired in December 2025, it coincided with a massive round of layoffs that saw the faculty lose 124 employees in total.<\/p>\n

For Sergey Rosbakh, who joined the University of Copenhagen in 2022 as a tenure track researcher in plant ecology, this was a defining moment in his perception of UCPH.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019m almost ashamed to admit it, but I felt relieved to be on my way out,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The relief was not because his colleagues were being let go. On the contrary, the layoffs were deeply disturbing to him. But the way the process was handled, he says, has undermined his trust in the university. It has led him to warn younger and international researchers against taking jobs at the faculty.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThe reputation of UCPH as a reliable employer has been compromised,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The tacit understanding<\/h3>\n

In the layoff round that has just been concluded, the Faculty of Science dismissed 66 employees directly. On top of this, 26 signed voluntary resignation agreements and 32 entered into senior schemes, bringing the total up to 124.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> 124 jobs lost at Faculty of Science \u2014 academics fear lasting damage<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

According to management, the layoffs were necessary due to an ongoing budgetary deficit of approximately DKK 100 million, linked in particular to increased operating costs on new large-scale construction projects \u2014 the Niels Bohr Building and the new Natural History Museum of Denmark.<\/p>\n

I miss my colleagues and the people at the university. But I don\u2019t miss the system<\/p>\n

Sergey Rosbakh, former employee at the Faculty of Science<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

According to Sergey Rosbakh, uncertainty is an inherent part of academia. Many researchers spend years on fixed-term contracts and repeatedly move between countries and institutions.<\/p>\n

But the system is still built on one core assumption, he believes.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere\u2019s a kind of tacit understanding: If you deliver \u2014 publish, teach, secure funding \u2014 then there\u2019s a long-term possibility of stability. Not a guarantee, but a realistic chance,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

This understanding, he feels, has been undermined by the Faculty of Science layoffs.<\/p>\n

\u00bbTo outsiders it sounds like you could just find another job. But many researchers build their entire lives around this expectation. Family, housing, personal choices \u2014 all of it is based on that,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n

Shock among staff<\/h3>\n

In the days around the layoffs, according to Sergey Rosbakh, the atmosphere among staff was characterised by confusion and disbelief.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt was as if the light had gone out in people,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

The layoffs not only affected those who were dismissed, but also those who could look on from the sidelines \u2014 especially younger researchers and postdocs.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThey saw that even highly skilled and successful researchers could be dismissed. This raises a fundamental question about what you can actually count on,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Rector on cuts to Faculty of Science: There\u2019s no way around it<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The consequences may not be immediately visible, but the long-term effects could emerge through researchers\u2019 networks.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIf someone asks me whether they should apply for a job at the University of Copenhagen, I\u2019ll be honest and say: It\u2019s a great place in many ways, but be aware: This can happen again,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n

Warning from within<\/h3>\n

During the layoff process, staff representatives at the Faculty of Science warned that the episode would damage the international reputation of the faculty and of UCPH.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the University Post, Peter Waaben Thulstrup, joint union representative for academic staff at the Faculty of Science, has previously explained that research careers face a fundamental challenge. The university requires a high degree of specialisation. But this, in turn, makes employees less flexible in the wider job market. If job security is perceived as unpredictable, this will discourage researchers from choosing UCPH.<\/p>\n

This harms us \u2014 our reputation and our ability to recruit<\/p>\n

Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Dean of the Faculty of Science<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00bbWhen, time and again, we have major layoffs that also cut core skills and expertise, people lose faith in this being the right place to build a career,\u00ab he told the University Post shortly after the layoffs.<\/p>\n

Dean of the Faculty of Science Bo Jellesmark Thorsen shares the concern that the rounds of layoffs negatively affect the faculty\u2019s image and make recruitment more difficult.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI genuinely think it does, because it is bad publicity. It hurts our reputation and our recruitment potential,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

He emphasises, at the same time, that he does not know how big the impact will be, or how long it will last.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI don\u2019t have any empirical basis to say how much this layoff round will ultimately affect us. But I can say that we had plenty of international applicants before, and we also had plenty after the previous rounds of layoffs,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

As a consequence of the cuts, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen says that financial oversight of departments will be tightened. This means that the Faculty of Science will advertise fewer positions and be slower to open up new ones.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe will be opening fewer positions in the future to avoid further cuts. So yes, I believe there will be an effect, at least in the short term,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

From Copenhagen to Hannover<\/h3>\n

Sergey Rosbakh is now employed as a researcher at Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, where he says there is significantly better job security.<\/p>\n

The systems are not directly comparable, he points out. Denmark has strengths in many areas \u2014 like flatter workplace hierarchies and a stronger emphasis on well-being and the working environment.<\/p>\n

But as an employer, the University of Copenhagen has lost his trust.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI miss my colleagues and the people at the university. But I don\u2019t miss the system,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

This article was first written in Danish and published on 22 January 2026. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
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Sergey Rosbakh left the Faculty of Science in December 2025 and now says that the credibility of UCPH as an employer has been undermined. 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almost ashamed to say it, but I felt relieved to be on my way out,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh, who predicts that the round of layoffs at the Faculty of Science will damage the international reputation of the university."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Cuts at the Faculty of Science","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>When Sergey Rosbakh\u2019s contract at the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) expired in December 2025, it coincided with a massive round of layoffs that saw the faculty lose 124 employees in total.<\/p>\n<p>For Sergey Rosbakh, who joined the University of Copenhagen in 2022 as a tenure track researcher in plant ecology, this was a defining moment in his perception of UCPH.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019m almost ashamed to admit it, but I felt relieved to be on my way out,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>The relief was not because his colleagues were being let go. On the contrary, the layoffs were deeply disturbing to him. But the way the process was handled, he says, has undermined his trust in the university. It has led him to warn younger and international researchers against taking jobs at the faculty.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThe reputation of UCPH as a reliable employer has been compromised,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>The tacit understanding<\/h3>\n<p>In the layoff round that has just been concluded, the Faculty of Science dismissed 66 employees directly. On top of this, 26 signed voluntary resignation agreements and 32 entered into senior schemes, bringing the total up to 124.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/124-jobs-lost-at-faculty-of-science-academics-fear-lasting-damage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>124 jobs lost at Faculty of Science \u2014 academics fear lasting damage<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to management, the layoffs were necessary due to an ongoing budgetary deficit of approximately DKK 100 million, linked in particular to increased operating costs on new large-scale construction projects \u2014 the Niels Bohr Building and the new Natural History Museum of Denmark.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I miss my colleagues and the people at the university. But I don\u2019t miss the system<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Sergey Rosbakh, former employee at the Faculty of Science<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to Sergey Rosbakh, uncertainty is an inherent part of academia. Many researchers spend years on fixed-term contracts and repeatedly move between countries and institutions.<\/p>\n<p>But the system is still built on one core assumption, he believes.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere\u2019s a kind of tacit understanding: If you deliver \u2014 publish, teach, secure funding \u2014 then there\u2019s a long-term possibility of stability. Not a guarantee, but a realistic chance,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>This understanding, he feels, has been undermined by the Faculty of Science layoffs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbTo outsiders it sounds like you could just find another job. But many researchers build their entire lives around this expectation. Family, housing, personal choices \u2014 all of it is based on that,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n<h3>Shock among staff<\/h3>\n<p>In the days around the layoffs, according to Sergey Rosbakh, the atmosphere among staff was characterised by confusion and disbelief.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt was as if the light had gone out in people,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>The layoffs not only affected those who were dismissed, but also those who could look on from the sidelines \u2014 especially younger researchers and postdocs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThey saw that even highly skilled and successful researchers could be dismissed. This raises a fundamental question about what you can actually count on,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/rector-on-cuts-to-faculty-of-science-theres-no-way-around-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Rector on cuts to Faculty of Science: There\u2019s no way around it<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The consequences may not be immediately visible, but the long-term effects could emerge through researchers\u2019 networks.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIf someone asks me whether they should apply for a job at the University of Copenhagen, I\u2019ll be honest and say: It\u2019s a great place in many ways, but be aware: This can happen again,\u00ab says Sergey Rosbakh.<\/p>\n<h3>Warning from within<\/h3>\n<p>During the layoff process, staff representatives at the Faculty of Science warned that the episode would damage the international reputation of the faculty and of UCPH.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to the University Post, Peter Waaben Thulstrup, joint union representative for academic staff at the Faculty of Science, has previously explained that research careers face a fundamental challenge. The university requires a high degree of specialisation. But this, in turn, makes employees less flexible in the wider job market. If job security is perceived as unpredictable, this will discourage researchers from choosing UCPH.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>This harms us \u2014 our reputation and our ability to recruit<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Dean of the Faculty of Science<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00bbWhen, time and again, we have major layoffs that also cut core skills and expertise, people lose faith in this being the right place to build a career,\u00ab he told the University Post shortly after the layoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Dean of the Faculty of Science Bo Jellesmark Thorsen shares the concern that the rounds of layoffs negatively affect the faculty\u2019s image and make recruitment more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI genuinely think it does, because it is bad publicity. It hurts our reputation and our recruitment potential,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasises, at the same time, that he does not know how big the impact will be, or how long it will last.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI don\u2019t have any empirical basis to say how much this layoff round will ultimately affect us. But I can say that we had plenty of international applicants before, and we also had plenty after the previous rounds of layoffs,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>As a consequence of the cuts, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen says that financial oversight of departments will be tightened. This means that the Faculty of Science will advertise fewer positions and be slower to open up new ones.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe will be opening fewer positions in the future to avoid further cuts. So yes, I believe there will be an effect, at least in the short term,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>From Copenhagen to Hannover<\/h3>\n<p>Sergey Rosbakh is now employed as a researcher at Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, where he says there is significantly better job security.<\/p>\n<p>The systems are not directly comparable, he points out. Denmark has strengths in many areas \u2014 like flatter workplace hierarchies and a stronger emphasis on well-being and the working environment.<\/p>\n<p>But as an employer, the University of Copenhagen has lost his trust.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI miss my colleagues and the people at the university. But I don\u2019t miss the system,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 22 January 2026. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen 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":4539,"name":"Working environment","slug":"arbejdsmiljoe-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4539,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":95,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11489,"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":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/sergeyrosbakh.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186890","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=186890"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":187053,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186890\/revisions\/187053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}