Meet the programme leaders

What is the research programme’s most important task?

The programme is organised with the aim of creating the best possible foundation for establishing and conducting interdisciplinary research projects that address issues of societal importance.

This calls for both thematic and ad hoc initiatives that can address specific issues by bringing together relevant constellations of researchers and stakeholders from the healthcare sector. It also calls for broader efforts to foster a culture that supports interdisciplinary dialogue.

To these ends, the programme facilitates:

• Visibility and networking through recurring activities (Annual Lecture, breakfast events, Open Your Data)
• Networking and research collaborations (“Let us talk about …” seed-funding activities, where colleagues can apply for support for workshops, meetings, etc.)
• Capacity building (summer school, PhD course)

Which areas will you prioritise in developing the research programme over the coming years?

The overall strategic ambition is to build a research programme that:

• Maintains and further develops a culture and infrastructure for interdisciplinary collaboration within the School of Culture and Society and with partners at Arts, Health and beyond Aarhus University
• Strengthens the visibility of research at the School of Culture and Society on societal issues related to health, care and well-being
• Increases the societal impact of research at the School of Culture and Society and facilitates the translation of research findings into interventions and action-oriented concepts in collaboration with practice partners
• Provides junior researchers with concrete practical contexts and partnerships in which to develop their research profiles

Where do you see the greatest potential of the research programme?

The research programme will raise the visibility of humanities research. It focuses on how illness arises, is experienced, lived with and cared for within complex interconnections of biological, social, economic and political processes.

In addition to focusing on established humanities perspectives such as experience and communication, our ambition is for the research programme to highlight important humanities contributions to understanding the relationships between subjectivity, biological processes, healthcare systems, and political-economic and ecological contexts. In doing so, the programme aims to contribute to new and innovative understandings of, and solutions to, pressing challenges.

The research programme will establish lasting collaborative relationships across faculties (Health, public health, dentistry, etc.) and with external partners, including municipalities and civil society organisations. This involves fostering a culture of interdisciplinarity and collaboration.

Furthermore, our experience of interdisciplinary collaboration is that it also strengthens disciplinary insights. It helps researchers see more clearly where the strengths, distinctive contributions and insights of their own disciplines lie.