By Anette Marcher, AAU Communication. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication

As of the autumn, a new joint communication unit for the entire organisation will ensure that Aalborg University is stronger in research communication, public debate and recruitment of new students.

The new department is a reality after the Executive Management decided to gather all AAU's communication resources. The Executive Management wants to create a strong professional communication environment based on common strategies and priorities, and where there are a number of specialists in different areas.

- Today, communication work is done in different places at the university: in the departments, dean's offices, Shared Services units, AAU Innovation and AAU Communication. The dispersion of resources means that we do not get the maximum out of our communication efforts, says University Director Søren Lind Christiansen.

Among other things, he points out that we lack common strategies and prioritisation of resources, and that there are many generalists employed in communication and few specialists.

At the same time as the decision to move all external and internal communication tasks as well as recruitment of students to the new joint communication unit, the Executive Management has also decided on cutbacks in the communication area. The cutbacks are partly due to the university's financial pressures and partly to the expectation that a more professional organisation of communication work will result in more effective communication for fewer resources.

A radical reorganisation of the entire communication area is therefore taking place. Staff members who currently handle communication tasks at departments and faculties, AAU Innovation and Shared Services units will, as far as possible, be moved to the new joint communication unit or given new tasks at their current place of employment. As far as possible, all staff members in AAU Communication will also be moved to the new joint communication unit.

The reorganisation and the desired cutbacks will probably also lead to dismissals of staff who currently work in the communications area at AAU. The process for how this will be done will not be determined until the Main Joint Consultation Committee has discussed it at a meeting on 24 April.

The new joint communication unit will handle research communication, press work, crisis communication, public affairs, management communication, speeches, social media, websites, visual identity, publications and newsletters, recruitment of students, bridge-building and internal communication. It is expected to be assembled 1 October.