By Torben Haugaard Jensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

A good strategic overview and the right academic and managerial values.

These are some of the qualities that Dean Rasmus Antoft highlights about Mette Vinther Larsen in his appointment of the experienced professor with specific responsibilities as the new head of department at AAU Business School.

Mette Vinther Larsen has been acting head of department at AAUBS since August 2023, and the dean looks forward to continuing the work with her as a permanent part of the faculty management team at SSH.

"Mette possesses the right skills and ambitions to continue the work with AAUBS, including ensuring strong business-economics programmes and high-quality research, as well as strengthening collaboration with the business community. At the same time, she has the right academic and managerial values to create the necessary academic and collegial internal integration at AAUBS," says Dean Rasmus Antoft.

Focus on finances and accreditation

Mette Vinther Larsen is looking forward to continuing her work as Head of Department at AAU Business School in close collaboration with the SSH Faculty and the rest of Aalborg University.

Her top priority will be to ensure continued responsible finances and organization so that AAUBS can continue to progress.

In addition, she will put effort into the process of getting AAUBS accredited as a business school.

"I take the appointment as a recognition of our work over the past ten months to get things back on track with the support of the Dean’s Office. We are not on target with everything, so we’re maintaining our focus. Crisis management took up a lot of our attention in day-to-day life, but now there is room for AAUBS to work more strategically," says Mette Vinther Larsen.

Strategy must create value

Another of Mette Vinther Larsen's main tasks is to create the right strategy to ensure that AAUBS continues to create value for AAU and regionally, nationally and internationally.

It will be a constant balancing act to ensure both regional relevance and international impact in education, research and external cooperation. But she believes that AAUBS is in a unique position of strength that makes it possible to achieve the goal.

"We are part of a university that can do something special in terms of PBL and interdisciplinary collaboration. We are known for daring to break new ground when we believe that it creates value. AAUBS will help shape the new normal that will characterize universities and business schools in the future," says Mette Vinther Larsen.

Well-being is crucial

Well-being among the staff at AAU Business School is also very important to Mette Vinther Larsen. And she will strive to continue to improve the well-being of her colleagues, because it is crucial for the development of both AAUBS and the individual staff member.

"I want to work to ensure that we are in a place where we listen to and are curious about each other. We must feel safe when it comes to asking the necessary questions, and be critical and reflective and support each other," says Mette Vinther Larsen.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs