Dear all,

The latin word “interregnum” describes the space between two rulers: one leaving and one arriving.

 

Most often there is no space, but our history books are full of stories where there is an extended period between two kings. Here the interregnum becomes a dangerous phase of conflict or rivalry – or perhaps, occasionally, a liberating phase.

 

One could say that RUC is experiencing an interregnum-phase just now – with one rector, Hanne Leth Andersen, leaving and another, Rasmus Antoft, moving into the corner office in Building 3. That interregnum will probably only last a few minutes – as keys are reset. We will most likely not be plunged into a dangerous power vacuum.

 

But we are experiencing a period of transition: We already have several relatively new deputy directors (vicedirektører) in RUC’s central administration. Soon we will not only have new rector. We will also have a new permanent prorector and a new head of department at ISE. Beyond the ongoing management transition, the recent APV (Workplace Assessment) suggests that there is a need for serious reflection on management roles and practices across the university.

 

On that background it is safe to say that 2026 will be a year where we will focus on rethinking interactions and rebuilding trust across the university in the wake of large-scale reforms, organizational changes, and external criticism as well as internal concern. It will be a year where we will also need to revitalize the RUC 2030 strategy with an intensified focus on research, impact and regional collaboration.

 

This is no dangerous interregnum. Rather, we should warmly welcome our incoming rector, Rasmus Antoft, as he moves into the corner office in building 3. We look forward to engaging with him in the coming years. We also warmly welcome Hanne Leth Andersen who now continues her career as a professor at IMT. Hanne’s new office is in the south-east corner of building 3.

 

This is no dangerous interregnum. It’s a peaceful transition – but one that needs to be taken seriously. 

 

Best regards

Peter Kjær

 

 

Did you know that when you use ChatGPT or perform a Google search, your data – including your keystrokes, words, and sentences – are sent to servers in the USA? There, they are stored, and according to critical voices like Shoshana Zuboff (2020) in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, they are sold to third parties and used to tailor algorithms and advertisements. This data collection and exploitation is a core part of the business model for American tech giants. 

 

We all have a responsibility to support European solutions that respect our privacy and data sovereignty. One of the best European alternatives to ChatGPT is Le Chat, developed by the French AI company Mistral.

 

Le Chat offers several advantages:

I recently encouraged students in the HumTek 2nd semester to use Le Chat for idea generation during project start-ups this February. The feedback was generally positive, and many students were impressed by its performance. If you want to introduce Le Chat to your students, you can use this slide.

If you want to reduce your dependence on American tech solutions, there are several European alternatives, such as:

You can find more European alternatives at:

As a university, we have a special responsibility to protect our data and support European solutions. Just a few days ago, RUC moved all our email and calendar data from our own servers to a Microsoft Cloud – I wonder who now may have access to all our sensitive data. It is time to consider when RUC can replace expensive Microsoft licenses with secure, European alternatives such as OpenDesk, LibreOffice, and OnlyOffice.

 

For many years, Søren was a highly valued colleague, teacher, and researcher who, through his profound professional insight, international outlook, and warm dedication, left a clear and lasting mark on our shared working life. He was known for his ability to create a sense of presence in the classroom and for his genuine interest in the well-being and development of both students and colleagues.

 

Søren’s intellectual curiosity and generous approach to collaboration inspired many. He always shared his knowledge freely and was never afraid to challenge established perspectives when new ideas could move us forward. His deep scholarly interest lay in understanding how citizens, businesses, and public authorities can best be involved in planning processes. Through numerous research projects, Søren made a significant contribution to the field of participation and insisted on developing practice-oriented knowledge on planning related to desertification, the management of water resources, energy planning, and the development of more sustainable agriculture. Throughout his career, Søren maintained a strong curiosity about international perspectives on participation and planning, and he devoted many years to research projects in Africa, Southeast Asia, and several European countries.

 

We will miss his humor, his keen eye for detail, and his great care for everyone around him.

 

Our thoughts are with Søren’s family, friends, and all those who were close to him.

 

May his memory be honored.

 

In January, our first in-person METEOR Academy at Roskilde University was wrapped up successfully—and what a week it was. A huge thank you to all participants for the energy, openness, and thoughtful contributions that made the discussions so engaging and the group work so insightful. Around 50 PhDs and Early Career Researchers from 10 European countries joined our HORIZON METEOR project focusing on Methodologies for Teamworking in Eco-Outwards Research.

 

Over the week, participants got to know the METEOR Project and their Peer Mentoring Groups (PMGs), explored key programme themes, and moved from ideas to concrete collaboration. We worked hands-on with Transdisciplinary Research & Innovation Proposals (TRIPs) through structured idea-generation and mapping exercises, group discussions and presentations, and a roundtable on the potentials and barriers of transdisciplinary work. Training sessions on Transformative Research, Collaboration & Teamwork, and intercultural competence and inclusion supported the group work, ending with reflection, next-step planning, and evaluation of the Academy. The ten groups presented their innovative research proposals at the end of the Academy, and it was amazing to see their interdisciplinary approach and the depth of their subject. The Academy was led by Linda Lundgaard Andersen and Niels Warring but several international scholars from our METEOR university partners joined: Peter Gray, Anne Marit Valle and Mariana Prilutskaya from Nord University, Metin Sardag, Hacettepe University, Juan Carlos Barrio from Burgos and Leyly Kamyabi. The following Academies will be delivered by the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) - followed by Hacettepe University (Türkiye), European University Cyprus (Cyprus), and finally CEEI Burgos (Spain).

 

For the rest of 2026, all Peer Mentoring Groups will meet with their mentors each month. From Roskilde University, Marta Padovan-Özdemir, Niklas Alexander Chimirri, Niels Warring, and Linda Lundgaard Andersen will serve as mentors.

LinkedIn: METEOR

 

Sabina Pultz has been elected as the vice-chair of the Young Academy for 2026–2027

27 Feb.	CLUB meeting Welcome from your union representatives – Klaus T. Nielsen, Peter Busch Jensen and Katia Dupret Time: 13:30 Location: Theory room 20.1.009
4 Mar.	Jesper Bøgmose Hansen will defend his PhD thesis titled Humanisation in Advanced Dementia Time: 13:00–16:00 Location: 46.1-049, Auditorie 46
6 Mar.	Kamilla Petschnig will defend her PhD thesis titled "I de studerendes fodspor på tværs af sektorer - En institutionel etnografi om betingelser for læring i tværsektorielle forløb i sygeplejestuderendes kliniske hverdagspraksis" Time: 13:00–16:00 Location: 46.1-049, Auditorie 46
11 Mar.	CSS Lunch Agnete Meldgaard Hansen about "Choreographing Dignity in Eldercare – Mirrored Engagements in Good Care / Koreografering af værdighed i ældreplejen – spejlede engagementer i god omsorg"   Time: 12:00-13:00 Registration with Centre Director Katia Dupret  Read more about participation principles and  the spring programme here
13 Mar.	Lærke Marie Lyndelse will defend her PhD thesis titled "Forældreskab i mødet med daginstitutionen - Samarbejdets betingelser fra et forældreperspektiv" Time: 13:00 Location: 46.1-049, Auditorie 46
18 Mar.	CSS Lunch Kristina Grünenberg about "Socialitet i ekko-kammerets tidsalder? Generativ AI og familien under forvandling i Sydkorea" Time: 12:00-13:00 Registration with Centre Director Katia Dupret  Read more about participation principles and  the spring programme here
25 Mar.	CSS Lunch Anette Stenslund about "How do we sense collaboration? - Atmospheres and Care"   Time: 12:00-13:00 Registration with Centre Director Katia Dupret  Read more about participation principles and  the spring programme here