Rector Henrik C. Wegener on universities, alliances and the coronavirus ****************************************************************************************** * The University of Copenhagen’s Henrik C. Wegener on universities, alliances and the coro ****************************************************************************************** Work groups from six universities within the 4EU+ European university alliance (which incl University) met recently in Copenhagen [ URL "https://iforum.cuni.cz/IFORUMENG-841.html"] to move forward with some of the project’s key aims including closer cooperation in the fu and research. We got a chance to talk to the University of Copenhagen’s Rector Henrik C. W about some of the goals and challenges. The expert in infectious diseases also discussed t deadly coronavirus. At the forefront of our conversation, though, is the difference univer We’ve been hearing about 4EU+ for a while… why was it important to be a member? European university alliances such as this one are very important because they facilitate cooperation between schools. Within Europe, you could say they play an even more important of the common political framework. Within the EU, we all understand the research policy di translates into funding for research and so we have a common interest in influencing both trying to attract funding in areas we focus on. Being in an alliance means access within a on: before policies are formulated. It is a chance to be effective when calls for research ahead of time. Being in a network is crucial if you want to be ahead of the curve. What I like about the current political climate within the EU, is that the educational dim more and more to the forefront. We have been working for decades on the European Research EU universities have strengthened their collaboration in research… but formal collaboratio has been much weaker, especially in the structuring of educational development. We welcome Brussels to support greater collaboration on higher education in Europe and as universitie we want to be among the first and among the most influential when it comes to developing t I don’t want to use the word “gamble” but when it came to backing of 4EU+ by the EC, it se off… It did. And the reason it did was because we were well-prepared. Part of the alliance was before this call by the European Commission was put out. University of Copenhagen was invi later to join and very much welcomed the opportunity. Hence the “plus” in 4EU+… (Laughs) Exactly! We are the plus, along with the University of Milan. At what level do most international students do exchanges at the University of Copenhagen? At the two-year Master’s or higher levels because most courses at the Bachelor’s level are think the situation is the same at many European universities, that bachelor’s courses are mother tongue. There is certainly a case for educating many more PhDs who don’t necessaril careers but go into industries or other professions, and the demand there will, I think, o future. Altogether, there are six universities in the alliance; how would you describe the Univers Copenhagen? Where we stand out is that we excel at research. We rank extremely well in many rankings o excellence, we are very strong in basic curiosity-driven research - among the best in the of education, we are a university in a Nordic welfare society, so for Danish students educ We have quite a lot of students and try to provide them with the best education possible w funding afforded the university. Like the other members of the alliance, we are a comprehe and I believe that we still have a case to make why comprehensive universities are essenti big challenges of the future as well as the present. Is there anything these challenges have in common? Well if you look at some of the bigger problems that we face from demographic shifts to cl they are all extremely complex and therefore multifactorial and multidimensional: I would address complex problems you need multiple scientific approaches – you cannot address them a technological viewpoint or just the social sciences. In short, you have to bring togethe scientific perspectives to look for – and find – solutions that can be successfully implem benefit of society as a whole. I strongly believe that universities provide the evidence needed to support the developmen accepting of course that they don’t form the politics themselves. They provide the info ne decisions to be taken. It is another reason that analysis has to be multidimensional: so w range of perspectives that can lead to the successful implementation, for example of a new What are some of the opportunities that 4EU+ will provide in the future? There are multipl least among them greater cooperation in research among the alliance members as well as wit institutions and industries. There is also an offer of greater mobility for students – let I am experienced enough to not admit that I am old enough to remember what mobility was li (laughs), when it was extremely rare and almost non-existent for students to venture out t university. Today it is the norm: many students go abroad at least once for at least one s part of their studies. Far greater mobility in Europe benefits them in their studies and i valuable development in higher education within Europe as well as globally. It is essential and it underlies the European project, contributing to this notion of our identity, bringing together diverse member states but also building on something we have i culturally and historically. I think we may be lacking even a little bit behind with what expect in terms of mobility so with this initiative [whether within Erasmus or projects li we will be able to develop even more opportunities and go even further to be mobile and in active. Another important facet is to offer more opportunities digitally: you don’t have to burn C international and in this I think this network should be a first-mover and show ways you c an internationally valuable and valid education while still offering physical campuses in location. The 4EU+ university alliance has so-called Flagships, which are focussed on central issues public health. Now, this is a moment when the world is seeing the rapid spread of the nove (Covid-19) and threat of a pandemic is dominating headlines and increasingly worrying expe and members of the public. You are an expert in infectious diseases and this kind of break that many have been warning about for years: it’s a “shifting sands” situation whereby con changing rapidly. I worked in different areas when it comes to infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness and response in WHO and you can have a slowly emerging infectious disease public health cr antibiotic resistance and other endemic re-emerging old diseases such as tuberculosis and But then of course you have epidemics of newly emerging infectious diseases which are fast agent emerges and that happens all the time: it’s the nature of infectious diseases. They seemingly out of nowhere, but in reality, we find that it is nearly always from animals. T question of just how pathogenic and transmissible they are, and to rapidly find means to t and to prevent and control the spreading of the infection. In the case of rapidly-spreading diseases, the university’s main role is to educate specia field who form the first lines of defence – in hospitals and in the community, as well as health agencies. Education is one component, but another important role can be to have res ready, who can literally jump on it. That kind of research in terms of speed is different is usually done at universities, so these have to be individuals who like to work fast, ar well connected and who can excel in such situations. Universities also have a major role to play in the evaluation of pandemics that have passe the whole event, extracting as much learning as possible from it, and feeding that back in health system and in the case of coronaviruses also the veterinary public health system so be taken to prevent or prepare for the next time. So universities can play a big role but of course there are many and we are not at the cen the “action” in a pandemic. The European Center for Disease Control ECDC, cannot in a cris effectively with hundreds of independent universities. They work through national contact usually national public health agencies) and on occasion governmental research institutes. about Denmark is that most government research institutes were merged into universities in This new coronavirus emerged in China [but spread soon to major hotspots in South Korea, I well as now the US and many other countries. How do you view the situation which led to th and the spread of the virus since? First, for better or worse, there are reasons why something like this would emerge in Chin to how humans and animals interact and their proximity in so-called wet markets. Whenever into contact with animals that they have not been on close contact with before, there is a an infectious agent will jump to humans. Although it may have been residing peacefully in it represents an infection or pathogen in humans. If you cut down parts of rainforest and there and domesticated animals come into close proximity with wildlife they never came int with before, that is the result. We always create the opportunity that something new will something always does and that won’t change. Therefore, having an awareness of where these hotspots are, where they could emerge and pr may come, is important. And universities have an important role to play. With the coronavirus there is a lot which we still don’t know and it may be uncontainable for most who catch it, it will have symptoms similar to a bad flu. But of course we have s fatalities. Underlying factors such as age or a weakened immune system can play a role. Cases where an epidemic is successfully contained and controlled is often followed by crit was an overreaction, that the disease wasn’t as dangerous as we thought – and so on. That case with some illnesses in the past: Swine flu, MERS, SARS, and others. SARS for example before the vaccine was ready. Henrik C. Wegener, PhD., is a professor of zoonosis epidemiology (infectious diseases that National Veterinary Laboratory and the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research i of the Scientific Advice Mechanism of the European Commission. He has headed the University of Copenhagen since 2017.