How do you create fruitful collaboration across nationalities, different research traditions and time zones? Having academic expertise in common helps. Meet two Honorary Skou professors: Irena Sailer and Kenneth Rothman together with their champions in Denmark – Golnoush Bahrami and Vera Ehrenstein.

2019.10.03 | Henriette Stevnhøj og Lise Wendel Eriksen

I’m looking forward to the collaboration – and maybe I’ll learn Danish

Professor, Dr. med. dent. Irena Sailer, University of Geneva and Honorary Skou Professor at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health.

“I’m honoured to be named as an Honorary Skou professor, and I hope for a close and productive collaboration between the two odontological units in Aarhus and Genève. In addition to jointly creating knowledge and research, I also believe that the collaboration will improve teaching in prosthetics at both universities.

On a personal level, I hope to make new friends in Denmark and get to know its culture and its cuisine – and maybe I’ll also learn to speak Danish one day!

I look forward to sharing my practical and theoretical knowledge from my field of research in prosthetics, and I hope that the students and junior researchers will also benefit from it. As editor-in-chief for International Journal of Prosthodontics I can provide a platform for scientific publications for my colleagues in Aarhus, and I also wish to invite them to collaborate on research and research activities – and its fine if these take place in Geneve! I’m just really looking forward to all kind of exchanges."

The bond between us is like a seed that needs watering and nurturing

Associate professor at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Golnoush Bahrami and champion for Irena Sailer.

"Personally, it's a great honour to be Irena Sailer’s champion. In our world she is a very big name with an impressive academic career and she is a huge source of knowledge. I find her very inspiring, both academically and on a personal level.

As an Honorary Skou professor at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Irena Sailer gives us a golden opportunity to conduct excellent research, and the relationship with her is a bond that needs to be nurtured so it grows strong. I’d compare it to planting a seed – it needs watering and nurturing to grow and bear fruit.

So far, I’ve mostly taken care of practical tasks for Irena’s visit. From booking a hotel to planning the schedule for her visit. I'm really looking forward to introducing her to Aarhus and to the department. And to telling her about our research projects and ideas, just as I want to find out more about her research in Geneva. I hope to be able to create a cosy and informal atmosphere, so that she has a fantastic experience that she can look back on with happiness and which can pave the way for closer collaboration.

I look forward to our units in Aarhus and Geneva being able to benefit from each other, not least when it comes to the junior researchers. Irena is bringing a junior researcher with her, and I hope that the junior researchers from both universities can inspire one another."

The Skou professorship strengthens our relations

Professor Kenneth Rothman, Research Triangle Institute and Boston University and Honorary Skou Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine.

"My relationship with Aarhus University goes back more than thirty years, beginning when I taught on a course in epidemiological methods. Since then my ties to Aarhus have been strengthened by even more research collaboration between the students from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology in Aarhus and the Department of Epidemiology at Boston University. I believe that my Honorary Skou professorship will strengthen this connection even more.

I think that the relationship will flourish because it's so enveloping; we have research, teaching and exchange across the universities, and I hope that my appointment will benefit our successful partnership well into the future."

It’s an honour to welcome my mentor

Professor at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Vera Ehrenstein and champion for Kenneth Rothman.

"Professor Kenneth Rothman has been my colleague and mentor since I was a PhD student. I’m pleased that we have stayed in contact for more than twenty years, and that the collaboration is now continuing at the institutional level.

Ken is one of the world's leading experts in epidemiology. He has written “Modern Epidemiology”, which is the textbook that has been used to teach many generations of epidemiologists. He’s also the long-standing editor of the scientific journal Epidemiology, which we often publish in.

At the department, we collaborate with Ken on several projects, and he participates in the supervision of PhD students.

For Ken's visit I will plan the academic programme and I’m also responsible for making sure that everything goes smoothly with his visit. He will meet many colleagues and students, with a department seminar on scientific writing just one of the many activities he’ll be involved in."