The university has been overly negative in its reaction to announced economic restructuring, said Minister of Science Charlotte Sahl-Madsen at a debate meeting on the cutbacks at the University of Copenhagen Tuesday. <\/p>\n
With up to 700 jobs hanging in the balance over the next two years, it was a brave Minister of Science who met with university leaders and students in a packed Ceremonial Hall.<\/p>\n
Rector Ralf Hemmingsen praised her for turning up on such short notice, and the meeting\u2019s chairperson Martin Krasnik compared it to an Israeli foreign minister visiting Istanbul after the recent raid of the Gaza-convoy.<\/p>\n
Hemmingsen started out by pointing out that the university\u2019s research budget will be cut by around DKK 360 million in 2013 compared to 2010, as a result of the government\u2019s austerity package.<\/p>\n
This leaves the university in dire straits if politicians can’t find the money elsewhere, he said.<\/p>\n
Specifically, Hemmingsen asked the minister about the so-called Globalisation Fund: DKK 2,4 billion of which universities hope to get a share of in 2013. <\/p>\n
He wanted to know if the money is still there, and called for a decision to be made public as soon as possible, to allow for forward planning.<\/p>\n
The money was there and will indeed be distributed, the science minister assured participants at the meeting, but said that \u00bbshe could not say exactly how, or when.\u00ab <\/p>\n
The media and the universities have painted far too bleak a picture of the austerity package and its consequences, she continued.<\/p>\n
She reminded the audience that the government will live up to its goal of spending one per cent of GDP on research, and DKK 6 billion on new university laboratories in 2010-2012. <\/p>\n
The only new development, she said, is that the university will be forced to cut back on administration costs. <\/p>\n
\u00bbThere are a number of work processes that we must have cleaned up, also in the Ministry. We will now enter into a detailed discussion with the universities on how these cuts can be carried out, but this is not a sign that I think people are sitting around doing nothing,\u00ab said Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.<\/p>\n
Turning to Ralf Hemmingsen, she added, \u00bbthe other universities do not seem to think that it is so hard to become more effective, so perhaps you could learn something from your colleagues there!\u00ab<\/p>\n
Mikkel Zeuthen, representing The National Union of Students in Denmark called the cutbacks short-sighted and stupid. He pointed out that a Master\u2019s graduate pays back nine times more to the state coffers than an unskilled worker. <\/p>\n
Ralf Hemmingsen rounded off the debate on a positive note, saying that there is light at the end of the tunnel. <\/p>\n
\u00bbIt is positive that the lid has been lifted, and that we got a small peek at the DKK 2.4 billion Globalisation Fund inside; so there is perhaps a way through this in the short term. Perhaps there is a small gift on its way to us, as the university celebrates its 531th birthday today. We just don\u2019t know what is inside the package,\u00ab said the rector.<\/p>\n
luci@adm.ku.dk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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