Last week, Dean Lars Bo Nielsen signed a partnership agreement with the German pharmaceutical company Merck on behalf of the faculty. The agreement runs until June 2022, and it gives Health's researchers and students the opportunity to collaborate with representatives from one of the world's largest life science companies.

2021.06.17 | Simon Byrial Fischel

Mutual research visits, collaboration on industrial PhDs and postdoc positions and the creation of two micro-scholarships for entrepreneurial ideas within the life science area. These are just some of the areas in which Health and Merck will work together over the coming year.

With the new partnership agreement, the faculty adds yet another knowledge-intensive business and industry partner to the portfolio, and Department Head Thomas G. Jensen from the Department of Biomedicine hopes that the collaboration will provide new inspiration for researchers and open new career paths for students.

"It's important for us to give our researchers and students a better insight into how research and development takes place outside the walls of the university. And with this agreement, we can offer our researchers competent sparring from colleagues in the private sector and introduce our students to alternative career opportunities. All of which is very valuable," says Thomas G. Jensen, who is also a member of AU’s Business Committee.

Concrete initiatives convert agreement into practice

The agreement sets out a number of specific activities which the two parties will set in motion on an ongoing basis. Health's academic staff can e.g. access sparring with Merck's product specialists within their field of research and join inspirational visits to some of Merck's international facilities.

The faculty's researchers will also be able to apply for two entrepreneurial scholarships which Health and Merck will establish and award together. Merck will also participate in the faculty's network for personalised medicine, with representatives from the company's R&D departments becoming members.

Particularly committed to education and talent activities

The faculty's students will also benefit from the new partnership, with the company participating in Health's Matchmaking Day and Medical Innovation Day, among other things. Representatives from Merck will be guest lecturers on some of the faculty's degree programmes in public health science and medicine, as well as actively participating in the teaching on Health's honours programme. The company will also give individual students the opportunity to work directly together on e.g. a research year or in an internship position.

"One of our goals is for our students and junior researchers to be presented with many different career paths. As part of the agreement, Merck will specifically offer some of our students an opportunity to work in the company for a period of time. We believe this can be a good learning experience for our students, which they will be able to use no matter where their careers otherwise lead them in the future," says Thomas G. Jensen.

Finally, Health and Merck are planning to establish an industrial PhD or postdoc position within one of the parties' shared fields of excellence.

Contact

Adviser Andreas Kambskard
Aarhus University, HE Administrative Centre – Dean’s Office
Mobile: (+45) 9352 2088
Email: andreaskambskard@au.dk