Familiar figure new head of Niels Bohr Institute
Professor Joachim Mathiesen will take up his position as the new head of the Niels Bohr Institute from 1 December 2023. He will be responsible for leading an institute in rapid national and international development.
Joachim Mathiesen is no stranger to the head of department role. As the department's deputy head of research since 2019, he has worked closely with his predecessor, and he has furthermore been acting head of department since 1 September.
As the new head, Joachim Mathiesen will take over the management of a high-profile institution known worldwide for its research and education. The aim is to uphold this reputation, leading to a few specific focus areas.
“It is important to the Niels Bohr Institute that we continue to attract talented researchers from both Denmark and abroad. If we are to succeed, we must offer an attractive research and work environment. We need to have an open-minded approach, be inclusive and ensure diversity among our staff. At the same time, we need to do a better job of ensuring career development for our junior researchers. Not everyone will continue working with us after their PhD or postdoc positions, so we need to be good at discussing other career opportunities with them,” says Joachim Mathiesen, who also intends to focus on the study environment and the specialised master’s programmes at the Niels Bohr Institute.
“We have special degree programmes in quantum informatics, nanoscience and climate. Programmes that we collaborate on with others. We need to continue developing them for the benefit of society.”
Experience as both researcher and manager
Joachim Mathiesen, 47, holds a master’s degree and a PhD from the Niels Bohr Institute. Following his doctorate defence in 2004, he pursued a research career abroad, first in Israel at the Weizmann Institute of Science, then in Norway, where he started as a postdoc at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, later becoming an assistant professor and eventually a professor of physics at the University of Oslo.
In 2009, he returned to the Niels Bohr Institute as an associate professor in complex systems modelling, where, among other projects, he investigates how fluid flows behave in porous structures when multiple phases are present at the same time. This involves, for example, studying how nutrients spread in the upper soil layer where both air and water are present.
Since 2019, Joachim Mathiesen has held the position of deputy head of research, and he therefore already knows the Niels Bohr Institute very well from the inside. The acting dean at Faculty of Science, Grete Bertelsen, sees this as an advantage.
“The Niels Bohr Institute has a broad spectrum of research and enjoys considerable recognition both nationally and internationally. Also, there’s a high demand from both national and international students for our physics programmes, which educate sought-after candidates for both public and private companies. So there’s plenty to get on with, and I’m convinced that Joachim’s insights will benefit both the department and the overall leadership of the faculty,” says Grete Bertelsen.
Joachim Mathiesen will take over the role of head from Jan Thomsen, who is currently a professor at the department and the COO of the department’s new quantum centre, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme.
Contacts
Joachim MathiesenHead of DepartmentNiels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen
Tel:(+45) 3532 5214head_of_institute@nbi.ku.dkBirgitte LyhneHead of CommunicationsFaculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
Tel:(+45) 9356 5864Links
ABOUT THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE
The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen – or SCIENCE – is Denmark's largest science research and education institution.
The Faculty's most important task is to contribute to solving the major challenges facing the rapidly changing world with increased pressure on, among other things, natural resources and significant climate change, both nationally and globally.
Subscribe to releases from Københavns Universitet - Det Natur- og Biovidenskabelige Fakultet
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Københavns Universitet - Det Natur- og Biovidenskabelige Fakultet by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Københavns Universitet - Det Natur- og Biovidenskabelige Fakultet
Widespread practice among athletes harms both performance and health15.7.2024 10:27:00 CEST | Press release
Drastically cutting back on caloric intake to lose weight ahead of competition is commonplace among athletes. However, this type of 'dieting' doesn’t just diminish performances, it can also compromise their immune systems. These are the findings of a new study from the University of Copenhagen.
Udbredt praksis blandt sportsfolk skader både deres præstation og sundhed15.7.2024 07:32:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Det er en populær praksis blandt elitesportsfolk at skære drastisk ned på kalorieindtaget for at tabe sig op til konkurrencer. Men ikke alene får ’slankekuren’ dem til at præstere dårligere, det skader også deres immunsystem. Det konkluderer et nyt studie fra Københavns Universitet.
Fiskerbåde i havnen giver turister på hotellet4.7.2024 10:35:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Er der aktive fiskerbåde i de lokale havne, så øger det turismen, viser forskningsstudie fra Københavns Universitet. Værdien af dansk fiskeri bør derfor ikke måles alene på produktion, men også på herlighedsværdien og de indirekte indtægter, det tilfører lokalsamfund. Forskerne bag mener studiet kalder på en finpudsning af reglerne for, hvem der må eje fiskekvoter.
Underjordisk anlæg er det første i Danmark: Nu kan forskere nærstudere planters rødder helt tæt på4.7.2024 07:45:02 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
I en 24 meter lang tunnel under jorden kan forskere fra Københavns Universitet fremover komme i øjenhøjde med planters rødder. Rodtunnelen er den første og eneste af sin slags i Danmark og skal give forskerne mere viden om, hvordan klimaforandringer med mere regn og tørke påvirker vores afgrøder.
New study on children and food: Fruit chunks in yogurt are a turn off for one age group in particular3.7.2024 06:30:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
It’s no secret that kids aren’t crazy about having too many seeds, pulp or chunks in their food. But six-year-olds in particular definitely can’t stand lumps, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen published today. The research sheds new light on children's food preferences across age groups and can serve parents, the health care sector and the food industry.
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom