Professor Berit Eika, vice-dean at the Faculty of Health, has been named Aarhus University’s new pro-rector for education. She will take up her position 1 June.

2014.05.01 | Thomas Sørensen

Vice-dean at Health, Berit Eika, is AU's new pro-rector for education. Photo: Anders Trærup, AU Communication

As new pro-rector, Berit Eika will be at the forefront of Aarhus University’s education efforts at a time when the entire sector is receiving much public attention. A challenge the former doctor is looking forward to:

“Education plays a decisive role for society, and even though our degree programmes are fundamentally solid, I am generally in favour of always being open to the possibility of doing things better. One of my most important tasks will be to help ensure that we develop in the right direction and that the decisions we make are the right ones - based on research as well as dialogue with teaching staff and students,” says Berit Eika.

Rector: A great asset

Rector of Aarhus University, Brian Bech Nielsen views the introduction of Berit Eika as pro-rector for education as a clear signal of intent regarding the university’s ambitions:

“Higher education is receiving a lot of attention at the moment, and a lot of different actors in society are pulling in different directions. Education merits a stronger management focus. In her time with the Faculty of Health, Berit Eika has introduced several new initiatives, and she has always made sure to carefully make every decision on a firm scientific basis. She has a lot of experience, and I am sure she will be as great an asset to the whole of Aarhus University as she has been to the Faculty of Health”.

One-year position became a career

Berit Eika received her medical degree in 1986 and has worked within the field of education since 1996. Originally hired for a yearlong position aiming to develop the medical school’s degree programmes, Berit Eika has since made education her primary focus.

She has established medical education as an independent academic field at Aarhus University and co-founded the AU Educational Development Network (UPNet). In 2005, she was named professor of medical education, and two years later she received the university’s prize of honour for pedagogy.

As pro-rector for education, Berit Eika will join the university’s senior management team which also consists of rector, director and the deans of the four academic areas.

• Read interview with Berit Eika 

Further information:

• Rector Brian Bech Nielsen, +45 2338 2349
• Vice-dean for education Berit Eika +45 2899 2463
• Head of Press Affairs Anders Correll +45 2899 2235

Berit Eika in brief:

• Appointed vice-dean for education at Health in March 2011
• Received the Aarhus University Anniversity Foundation Prize of Honour for Pedagogics (2007)
• Appointed professor of medical education (2005)
• Is behind the coming changes in quota 2 admissions to the medical programme, which will include admissions tests starting in 2016.
• Co-founded the AU Educational Development Network (UPNet).
• Was prime mover behind the establishment of the Centre for Medical Education at Aarhus University.
• Holds a Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) degree from Maastricht University and a Master of Information Technology (MI) degree from Aalborg University.
• Wrote her PhD dissertation on the urological complications of diabetes (1994).
• Received her cand.med. (Master of Science in Medicine) degree from Aarhus University (1986)