Strategy 2024-2027
Mission, vision, values and strategy
The Department of Political Science is a large, top-ranked European political science department, where much of the research is world-leading.
We provide excellence in research and teaching in all major subfields of political science, including International Relations, Danish and Comparative Politics, Public Administration and Policy, and Political Theory as well as in research cutting across these.
We attract the best students across the country and offer research-based, relevant, and top-quality education along with a thriving learning environment for all students at bachelor, master’s and PhD level.
We contribute to the development of new and relevant knowledge and engage in partnerships with leading universities and research institutions, practitioners, and other stakeholders to create impactful changes in society – nationally as well internationally.
We are strongly committed to the pursuit of knowledge, responding to the big questions in society, and we have a passion for science and a desire to tackle discipline-specific empirical and theoretical puzzles.
Our vision is to be at the research and teaching frontier within political science and to engage in pioneering collaborations within and beyond the discipline.
We aim to strengthen our current position as a top European political science department and to expand our scientific outreach and impact. We pursue cross-cutting themes in political science and adjacent fields while ensuring rich opportunities for subfield specialization.
Today, and in the coming years, our societies are subject to profound changes, ranging from national and global security challenges to climate change, threatening our living conditions, democracy, and rights. We aim to drive innovation in addressing critical societal and global challenges by pursuing cutting-edge research initiatives and exploring emerging themes at the forefront of our field.
We embrace creativity and experimental approaches in our educational programmes, including strengthening the relations between teaching, research, and praxis. We educate our students to address the big societal challenges of tomorrow, to analyse and solve real life problems with a critical approach, enabling them to become active and contributing citizens in Denmark and in the world.
We seek strategic public and private partnerships that enable us to pursue new research agendas, develop novel, innovative methods, and strengthen our societal impact.
We consider impact not as an afterthought to excellence in research and educational programmes, but as a design characteristic of such excellence. We systematically disseminate our research to audiences in Denmark, Europe, and globally, also beyond academia.
We encourage open-minded discussion and exchange of ideas between the faculty and students. Research and teaching can be provocative, go against established knowledge, and challenge the status quo. As a department of political science, we study power, politics, and fundamental value conflicts, be they national or international, which require a strong commitment to freedom of speech and open inquiry. We value academic freedom, integrity, and transparency as guiding principles in our activities.
We celebrate and nurture pluralism in research and teaching. Pluralism drives our theoretical and methodological approaches, and define how we embrace new strategic initiatives and themes at the research frontier. Pluralism strengthens our collegial and supportive academic community, fostering collaboration within and across research environments and generations of scientific staff.
We facilitate a supportive and collegial academic culture based on curiosity, respect for diversity, and mentorship. We promote a work culture that embraces mutual respect, equal opportunities, transparency of decisions, and a welcoming work environment for all employees. See also our Code of Conduct.
In delivering on our mission, vision, and values, we will focus on the following strategic areas in 2024-2027:
Lead at the forefront of research
Continue to strengthen our position as a top comprehensive political science department in Europe
Continuously improve our educational programmes
Proactively develop our educational programmes in ways that both preserve our strong educational brand, set the standard for educational quality of the future, and create a thriving learning environment for our students.
Maintain and expand our unique impact position
Continue our strong public presence based on our research and expertise and extend the model to more long-term partnerships and impact projects with external stakeholders and partners.
Increase external funding and diversify funding sources
Improve the sustainability of our comprehensive department by increasing and diversifying research funding – in particular from external funding sources.
Attract and retain top talent
Actively use our position as a leading research institution for national and international recruitment and retention of the next generation of researchers.
Develop our welcoming workplace
Promote and demonstrate an inclusive working culture based on curiosity, mutual respect, and diversity ‒ one in which each staff member can grow, contribute, and thrive both professionally and personally.