Based on the government's new relocation agreement, Aarhus University and the Faculty of Technical Sciences want to create a modern educational campus with up to 800-900 students at Foulum near Viborg. The working title of the name for the new campus is AU Viborg and it will in future serve as a new centre for green transition, veterinary medicine and primary food production in the western part of the country. This is what Eskild Holm Nielsen, Dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University, says:

"The faculty sees great opportunities in establishing AU Viborg as the centre for research-based education within veterinary medicine, green transition and primary food production. By bringing together programmes within these disciplines on one campus, we ensure greater synergy and interdisciplinarity, which is crucial for the quality of the labour force of the future. At the same time, we create a demographic balance in the veterinary field, so that students in the future also have the opportunity to take a veterinary education in Jutland," says Eskild Holm Nielsen.

Three new programmes in Foulum

The relocation agreement means that Tech will establish a total of three study programmes in AU Viborg near Foulum. These are the veterinary education - also called the bachelor's and master's degree programme in veterinary sciences - the programme in agrobiology, which is moved from Aarhus to Foulum and the programme in Animal Science, which is transferred from the University of Copenhagen to Aarhus University and is located in Foulum.

Specifically, the agreement means that 200 bachelor's degree places will be established in AU Viborg from 2023-26 and a further 190 master's degree places that will be gradually built up from 2026 onwards. The establishment subsidy from the state is DKK 252.2 million, while the subsequent annual operating grant will be DKK 54.5 million.

According to Jørgen E. Olesen , Head of Department at the Department of Agroecology in Foulum, there is good reason to be satisfied that the plans for an integrated research and educational campus are becoming a reality:

"A unified campus for research and education in Foulum provides completely new opportunities for an integration between research and education, where the students are much more involved in the green transition of agriculture. We want to give students the opportunity to work in practice with the technologies and tools that will drive the transition. I am convinced that this can also inspire research in new directions. This will help strengthen Foulum as an international beacon for the green transition of agriculture," says Jørgen E. Olesen.

In connection with the establishment of an education in veterinary medicine in Foulum, the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University have worked closely together to create the plans for the veterinary education and a transfer of the education in Animal Science. Charlotte Lauridsen, Head of Department at the Department of Animal Science, looks forward to the opportunities that the programme creates for the future students.

"We have very strong and active research environments in Foulum, which the students will have the opportunity to become a part of early in the programme. We are very conscious of organising the programmes so that the students get close to the animals from the first day they start with us," she says . 

Opportunity for a unique campus environment

AU Viborg is located at Foulum about 10 kilometers from Viborg. According to both heads of department, there are great expectations that in connection with the plans for the establishment of the new educational campus, a close cooperation has been entered into with Viborg Municipality:

"The new campus in Foulum will be a super-exciting place for the students, and we have an incredibly good dialogue with Viborg Municipality about building a study environment where studies, housing, work and leisure will come together. We put great resources into creating the right framework for the new study programmes in Foulum and for the study environment that will ensure that the students both feel at home and experience the place as extremely inspiring", emphasizes Jørgen E. Olesen, who is supported by Charlotte Lauridsen:

"I have no doubt that we will create a unique study environment where new learning methods are also incorporated, including more project-based studies and cross-disciplinary courses. This will ensure the students a more holistic perspective on the interaction of animal plants and food production in relation to the green transition in terms of sustainability, environment, climate and health for animals and people," she says.