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AU EXHIBITS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

This week, AU presents an interdisciplinary exhibition on resistance research at the very heart of the European Parliament in Brussels. Professor Jens Seeberg is heading the exhibition, which has been arranged in partnership with the Central Jutland EU office in Brussels.

2017.11.23 | Camilla Schrøder

Researchers from AU is heading an interdisciplinary exhibition on resistance research at the very heart of the European Parliament in Brussels. MEP Christel Schaldemose hosted an opening event 21 November with participation of ten Members of Parliament. Photo: AU, Kommunikation & Presse

What is a professor of anthropology doing heading an exhibition on microbiological resistance? And how did it end up at EU's head office in Brussels?

The recipe broadly involves an interdisciplinary research team, a little bit of coincidence and a huge amount of commitment.

Together with five other researchers from the School of Culture and Society and the Departments of Animal Science, Environmental Science and Biomedicine, Professor Jens Seeberg has created an exhibition that uses posters and videos to focus on the gaps in our knowledge when it comes to dealing with the global challenges presented by resistance.

"Most people associate resistance research with microbiology and agriculture. Humanities research plays a key role in helping us to understand how cultural and social circumstances can influence the spread of epidemics and overmedication in the population and agriculture," says Jens Seeberg about the need to make people aware of how important it is to take an interdisciplinary approach to tackling resistance.

The exhibition is predominantly financed by network funding from AUFF, which the interdisciplinary group was able to prioritise for this project, and with a deficit guarantee from Arts. The concept was developed in partnership with the Central Jutland EU office in Brussels, which is co-financed by AU.

The exhibition is open until Friday 24 November. At the opening Tuesday, Member of Parliament Christel Schaldemose was hosting an event which included a panel debate on resistance research and a talk by a senior director at the European Commission Research and Innovation Directorate.

"This is an exciting way of shining a spotlight on our research in the EU, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether the exhibition can help to reinforce our network. At the same time, it shows how the partnership with the Central Jutland EU office has helped to open doors," says Jens Seeberg.

The exhibition can be seen between Tuesday 21 November and Friday 24 November.

The following AU staff are among the contributors to the exhibition:

  • Jens Seeberg, Professor (MSO), School of Culture and Society
  • Thomas Vorup-Jensen, Professor (MSO), Department of Biomedicine
  • Lars Hestbjerg Hansen, Professor, Department of Environmental Science
  • Mette Vaarst, Senior researcher, Department of Animal Science
  • Niels Brimnes, Senior lecturer, School of Culture and Society
  • Charlotte Lauridsen, Section manager, Department of Animal Science
  • Michala Wang, Consultant, Department of Clinical Medicine & Department of Biomedicine
  • Tina Sørensen Dalgaard, Academic employee, Department of Animal Science
  • Witold Kot, Researcher, Department of Environmental Science
  • Janika Sophie Hauser, Research assistant, School of Culture and Society 
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