Forskning

I løbet 2024 har forskningsudvalget og institutsekretariatets forskningsteam været tovholder på den første internationale evaluering af forskningsaktiviteterne på Institut for Kultur og Samfund.

Evalueringen består af en selvevalueringsrapport for hele instituttet, samt en rapport fra et eksternt evalueringspanel, som besøgte instituttet i uge 43.

Selvevalueringsrapporten kan læses i sin helhed HER. Det eksterne panels rapport kan læses HER. (kun adgang for IKS-medarbejdere). Herunder uddrages opsummeringen af selvevalueringsrapporten.

Summary of the self-assessment report

Summarizing the extensive research produced by the School of Culture and Society over the past five years is no easy task. As highlighted in the report, the School excels in collective progress, potential, and drive. CAS houses the two highest-ranked subjects at Aarhus University. During the assessment period from 2018 to 2023, the School secured research grants exceeding 600 million DKK, which accounts for 41.5% of the Faculty of Arts' external funding, and it demonstrated an impressive publication output.

The report, when considered in full, depicts a School that adeptly integrates and balances three distinct and equally valid visions of what a university represents and whom it serves.

First, a central part of the School adheres to the traditional national Bildung university model. CAS is a research community where classical academic publications such as single-authored monographs and Danish language books and articles are prominent and valued. There is a strong discipline-based connection between research and teaching closely woven into a national context and tailored primarily to the Danish job market. The School and its researchers engage extensively with Danish society through various written, oral, and digital channels, reaching schools, churches, cultural heritage institutions, and the public.

Secondly, and perhaps most distinctively, the School embodies the international research excellence university. It is home to internationally renowned and highly ranked subjects, attracting funding for curiosity-driven, high-calibre research from competitive national and international sources. Researchers across its programs publish extensively in high-impact journals. During the assessment period, the School's major research centres have spearheaded cross-faculty interdisciplinary collaborations, positioning CAS at the forefront of research in areas such as environmental humanities, urban evolution, global human health and security, cultural heritage studies and advanced computational methods. This prominent status in research excellence is closely tied to the significant internationalisation of CAS over the past 10-15 years, evident in its publications, funding sources, and the diversity of its scientific staff.

Recently, we have seen what we might term the collaborative, engaged university model. Driven by new external funding opportunities, CAS has seen a rise in researchers who collaborate with external partners across the cultural heritage sector, NGOs, municipalities and regional authorities on diagnosing and solving current challenges and serving as experts and policy advisers, both domestically and abroad.

While all three university models are present across CAS, the research assessment has highlighted a noticeable division of labour among different research milieus, each with varying balances and priorities. We see this diversity as a key strength of the School, significantly contributing to its broad and multifaceted impact. The assessment has, however, revealed an overall shift in the balance among the three university models at the School. The national Bildung model appears to be waning, as indicated by the decline in Danish-language publications. Conversely, the School has consolidated and continued to evolve and expand its status as a stronghold for research excellence. This shift has led to challenges, including an increasing number of junior researchers in precarious, externally funded positions, a divide between senior researchers with and without external funding, and tensions between externally funded research and local teaching needs. Alongside these challenges new collaborative and applied research methods are emerging as promising alternative ways to integrate research and teaching in more sustainable ways.

Throughout the report, we have emphasized the need to sustain, rejuvenate, and integrate the three dimensions of our research and societal engagement. Improved learning and knowledge sharing across the School seems crucial for us to reach this goal. Furthermore, we have highlighted the importance of enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration within CAS and with other faculties. The report also showcases strong capabilities in grant writing and research organization and underscores the need to better share these skills across research programs, between senior and junior researchers, and among both Danish and international staff. By leveraging these strengths, we can foster an even more integrated and impactful academic community in the years to come.