Campus Emdrup is expanding with a new building that will house research and education activities in Biology and Environmental Science from 2021.

2015.05.18 | Christina Troelsen

Photo: Jørgen Weber

The Municipality of Copenhagen has initiated the preparation of a local plan to allow the construction of a new building extending over 13,000 m2 at Campus Emdrup, where units including Aarhus University’s Department of Education (DPU) are currently located. When the building work is completed, the university’s activities in Roskilde will move in here, including the Department of Environmental Science, part of the Department of Bioscience, and DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy.

Strengthened campus environment in Emdrup

Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen, Science and Technology, Aarhus University, is pleased that the plans to move activities from Roskilde to Emdrup are now being implemented.

“By gathering our activities closer to Copenhagen, we’re looking forward to more opportunities for interaction in research and education with the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark. At the same time, it will be a strength for both researchers and students that we gather activities with Aarhus University’s other pursuits in the active and dynamic campus environment in Emdrup,” says Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen. “A new building in Emdrup provides scientists with access to modern research facilities and thereby optimal conditions for research and public sector consultancy, as well as the best opportunities for supporting the degree programmes in the environmental field. For Aarhus University, Emdrup is a better investment than carrying out necessary and expensive renovations of our facilities in Roskilde,” he adds.

Aarhus University’s Department of Education (DPU) is looking forward to welcoming colleagues from Science and Technology.

“Our researchers and students are looking forward to a strengthened campus environment, where we have the prospect of gaining access to new and modern teaching facilities. It’s a pleasure that Aarhus University is gathering, supporting and strengthening its presence in Emdrup,” says Claus Holm, acting head of the Department of Education (DPU).

New degree programmes on the way

When the building is completed in 2021, approximately 400 researchers, PhD and MSc students will move their day-to-day activities to Emdrup from Risø near Roskilde. At the same time, Aarhus University is currently working towards establishing new full-time and part-time MSc degree programmes in Environmental Science and Biology that are based in Emdrup.

“There’s a need for degree programmes in Environmental Science at Aarhus University, and it’s our hope that these new degree programmes can boost our collaboration with the other universities in the metropolitan area. The degree programmes will also widen and strengthen our research-based public sector consultancy,” says Carsten Suhr Jacobsen, head of the Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University.

Municipality of Copenhagen welcomes AU

The Municipality of Copenhagen is pleased that Aarhus University is strengthening its presence in Emdrup.

“It’s always a pleasure when we can attract research and education institutions to Copenhagen. I’m excited to see what the architectural competition can lead to with good suggestions as to how to combine campus life with urban life in a sense of community spirit for the benefit of everyone in the area. With a location right next to a station, the obvious choice is to make use of ‘green’ transport. In this way, the university will also get much more for its money than investing in dead parking spaces,” says Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs Morten Kabell (Red-Green Alliance), Municipality of Copenhagen.

The new building will be located facing Emdrup Station and will include laboratory facilities, offices, classrooms and meeting rooms, as well as joint study and meeting facilities for Campus Emdrup. The intention is to exploit synergies cutting across the entire Campus Emdrup by having joint meeting facilities and combining administrative activities. The green areas on campus will be maintained and will also be a significant element in the campus environment in future, just as they are at Campus Aarhus.

The project will be put to tender in an architectural competition during the course of spring 2015, and proposals for the local plan will go to consultation in 2016. Construction work is expected to commence in 2018, with completion scheduled for 2021.

• Read more (In Danish)

For more information, please contact:

Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen
Science and Technology Aarhus University
Email: dean.scitech@au.dk
Mobile: +45 2899 2541

Andreas Hein
Media Consultant for Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs Morten Kabell
Municipality of Copenhagen, Technical and Environmental Administration
Email: cq6r@tmf.kk.dk
Mobile: +45 5136 4494

FACTS
Campus Emdrup currently includes the following units at Aarhus University:

• Department of Education (DPU)
• Administration Centre Arts – Emdrup
• Staff from the Central Administration: research and external relations, etc.
• Master of Clinical Nursing, Department of Public Health
• AU Library – Emdrup
• Units at the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media (CUDIM)