Aarhus streamlines in search of higher rank

The Danish government has a bold ambition: that by 2020, one of the country's universities will be ranked among the top 10 in Europe. From September, Aarhus University will undergo a radical restructure aimed at reducing its bureaucracy, streamlining its administration and, ultimately, improving the quality of its research. To what end? "I guess the rector wants that (top 10 university) to be Aarhus, so this is about competition between Danish universities - Aarhus and Copenhagen," explained Anne Marie Pahuus, head of the department of philosophy and history of ideas at the institution. Aarhus has edged slightly ahead in the race for European pre-eminence. In the 2010-11 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it came 62nd in Europe, with Copenhagen in 70th place (167th and 177th in the world, respectively).