The initiative aims to contribute to a more informed public conversation about a rapidly changing world.
Wars, crises and shifts in power balances are changing the conditions for nations, businesses and citizens. The massive uncertainty creates a growing need for integrated and research-based knowledge about how global changes impact the society in which we live.
That's why the University of Copenhagen is launching UCPH Geopolitics - a new interdisciplinary initiative aimed at boosting the University's contribution to society's understanding of geopolitical changes.
"The world is changing rapidly and fundamentally. With UCPH Geopolitics, we take responsibility for applying our expertise where it can make a difference - in the public debate, in the media and in decision-making. It's an initiative that shows our cross-disciplinary strength and our ambition to benefit more people," says the Rector of the University of Copenhagen, David Dreyer Lassen.
The initiative aims to make it easier for the public, the media and decision-makers to access relevant expert knowledge - while also producing new, interdisciplinary insights for major public agendas.
UCPH Geopolitics brings together researchers from all six faculties in an expert community that will be working across disciplines to generate and communicate up-to-date knowledge about global crises and geopolitical dynamics. The University of Copenhagen can use its unique and broad collective expertise to contribute to a more informed public debate about the rapidly changing world.
DKK 10 million and a press officer
Initially, the University of Copenhagen has allocated DKK 10 million to the project over the next three years. The funds can be used for scientific briefings and events with UCPH researchers, teaching material, skills development for businesses and public stakeholders or for new communication formats such as podcasts or series of publications. An interdisciplinary steering committee will be responsible for how the funds are used (see list of committee members below).
In addition, UCPH press officer Lise Karlshøj Balslev will be in charge of the project's PR and communication. She brings experience from the Danish digital news media Zetland and the news division at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). She will help ensure that journalists and the media have easy access to the University's expertise, serving as the link between researchers' knowledge and the media.
Members of the UCPH Geopolitics Steering Committee
- Laura Vang Rasmussen, Associate Professor at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
- Jens Friis Lund, Professor at the Department of Food and Resource Economics
- Rasmus Christian Elling, Associate Professor at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
- Haakon Ikonomou, Assistant Professor at the Saxo Institute
- Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Professor at the Faculty of Law
- Marc Schack, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law
- Jan Loop, Professor at the Faculty of Theology
- Karen Lauterbach, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Theology
- Anders Wivel, Professor at the Department of Political Science
- Katja Lindskov Jacobsen, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science
- Lena Skovgaard, Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health
- Marie Helleberg, Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine
