University of Copenhagen fires 500 after Govt cuts

University of Copenhagen fires 500 after Govt cuts

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norman lebrecht

February 03, 2016

It has been confirmed today that 532 will lose their jobs, amounting to 7.4 percent of the workforce.

They include professors, administrators and support staff. The first 209 will be fired arbitrarily next week.

The rector describes it as ‘a huge loss of knowledge and competencies.’

We have not yet heard how the music department will be reduced. Let us know if you are affected.

copenhagen uni

 

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    One of those signals of self-destruction.

  • Eddie Mars says:

    Denmark’s military spending continues uncut.

    http://militarybudget.org/denmark/

    Denmark is under intense pressure to increase its NATO spending still further. It seems clear what will go (orchestras, theatres, libraries, universities), so that Stoltenberg can have more parades.

  • V.Lind says:

    It is a small consolation, and none at all to the affected individuals and their families, but apparently the first tranche of cuts here has been highly on the administration side to try to save educators and researchers. In Canada there is a huge conversation at the moment about the fact that administrators seems to be setting the agenda, which is leading to them dictating which departments will be cut or closed in order to optimise corporate sponsorship.At least, within its crisis, Denmark seems to have its priorities straight. May bode well for forthcoming arts cuts.

  • Peter says:

    it feels like in Denmark there is the least resistance by the population against such barbaric cuts. The Danes are all very calmly walking to the slaughtering. Wasn’t it the same when they closed that orchestra recently? What’s up with them? No interest in education and culture? Zombified already? “Why culture when you have iPhones?”

    Why do they allow all that? Where are the protests? Where is the outrage? Where are the burning barricades? Where are the dead bodies of politician terrorists, responsible for these cuts, hanging from lampposts? The agriculture in Denmark is strong. They should at least have some decent pitchforks there.

    The Danes it seems are unable to fight for anything. When the Germans occupied the country in WWII, the Danes stood on the sidewalks and waved and cheered at the German troops, all the way to Copenhagen.

    • PGynt says:

      This last paragraph is offensive nonsense that can’t be allowed to go uncorrected. It’s true that there wasn’t much resistance when the Germans turned up in Denmark in the morning of 9 April 1940, more a sort of sullen acceptance that resistance would be useless and only lead to pointless bloodshed. But resistance increased during the course of the war – and the Danes famously managed to smuggle almost their entire Jewish population to neutral Sweden. As for ‘waving and cheering the German troops’ – are you sure you aren’t thinking of Austria?

      • Peter says:

        That’s what my grandfather told me. I also have a Danish friend, who says the Danes do deny their mostly passive or even welcoming attitude to the Germans, when in fact only a very small percentage was actively resisting or helping the Jews over the baltic sea too Sweden. Today they collectively lie to themselves that they all were resistance fighters.

        • Le forgeron Blancard says:

          The postman told me that the Danes are lazy pushovers. He has a friend whose uncle once spent a week-end in Flensburg, which is near Denmark.

      • Peter says:

        http://langstrup.com/world-war-2-in-denmark/
        And here a few more injections of realism into the Danish dream of resistance to germany:

        …16 Danes died during the Nazi-invasion, 20 wounded…
        …The Nazi occupation was good business. Denmark sold agricultural products, industrial products – and even weapons to the Nazis…
        …The German soldiers nicknamed Denmark ‘The Whipped Cream Frontier’. …
        …Nazi-Germany attacked the Soviet Union—as a result, the Danish Communist Party was banned. The Danish police was ordered to arrest 66 named Communists by the Nazis. They arrested more than 300. Even members of the Parliament…
        …The Official Denmark was against the sabotage and encouraged the public to report the resistance to the police. The Official Denmark encouraged Danes to join ‘Frikorps Danmark’ to fight on the Eastern Frontier on German side…

        It wasn’t all resistance and helping Jews, even though that’s the revisionist version kids are fed in schools today…

  • Anon says:

    Before we get too agitated, shouldn’t we ask how quickly the university has expanded in recent years – did it simply over-expand in error and is now reducing back to where it should be? Has the student population shrunk, resulting in a number of administrative and academic posts no longer being required? No point in getting too upset without decent picture of the situation.

  • Why pick on Denmark? says:

    If by “music department” you are referring to the conservatory in Copenhagen (the Royal Danish Academy of Music), it is entirely separate from the university.

    However, what is it with you and picking on Denmark?

    Copenhagen, a city of less than 600,000, has three full orchestras. Ticket prices are imminently reasonable compared to most other cities, and anyone young or old pays half price. In addition, taxpayers support a number of ensembles large and small across the country in addition to local music “clubs” which hire the same musicians for chamber performances. And halls still aren’t selling out.

    All this in a country with one of the highest tax rates in the world.

  • Anon says:

    OK, so what kind of future are the Danes envisioning?
    Taking anti-depressant “lykke” pills, getting drunk because its so dark all the time, chilling and chatting with iPhones, living on selling and buying interior design ideas, the actual products made in China?
    Does that country have a vision for the future?
    What is it?
    Pork sausages for everybody?

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