IT University of Copenhagen reveals two new members of management
At IT University of Copenhagen, future head of education, Luís Cruz-Filipe (L), and future head of research, Morten Hjelholt (R), will become part of the university management when both take up their positions on 1 February and 1 January 2025 respectively.
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Written 18 November, 2024 07:49 by Theis Duelund Jensen
Luís Cruz-Filipe will be IT University of Copenhagen's new head of education. He comes from a position as associate professor and head of education at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at SDU, where he has coordinated teaching across disciplines and worked with education in mathematics, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
In his career as a researcher, Luís Cruz-Filipe, who has a degree in applied mathematics from the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and a Ph.D. in computer science from Radboud University Nijmegen, has always been interested in human thought processes and how these are represented in computer programmes.
"There has always been a connection between my research and teaching, because teaching is about understanding how students think and how to explain thought processes to other people. I have always been interested in and enjoyed the teaching situation. It is a constant and exciting challenge to connect with the student in class," says Luís Cruz-Filipe.
Although he now has to step down from his role as a teacher, Luís Cruz-Filipe describes the position as head of education at ITU as a dream job, where he gets the opportunity to work further with the insights he has gained as a teacher and education manager.
He is especially focused on the structuring of teaching so that it accommodates as many students as possible. At the same time, he emphasizes that it is a joint project to create good degree programmes and a good study environment. Teachers, students and administrative staff are all important parts of the process:
"I hope that I can make everyone feel like an important part of the process, so that the feeling of working together towards a common goal is maintained. ITU has a strong starting point with the multidisciplinary approach to information technologies. It is important to create and preserve a common identity, and I hope to contribute positively to that.”
Experienced ITU researcher as temporary head
Morten Hjelholt, who has been acting head of ITU's Digital Design department since August, takes over as temporary head of research. In order to attract a larger pool of applicants, the position of head of research is re-advertised and is expected to be filled before the summer of 2025.
In 2006, Morten Hjelholt became an M.Sc. in Information Science from Aarhus University and completed his PhD in political science at Aalborg University in 2012. At ITU, Morten Hjelholt has secured large grants for his research in digital inclusion, socially vulnerable elderly, and digital welfare, and he also has an extensive list of publications. He has been decisive for the flourishing of research groups at his institute, and outside the university, due to his research expertise, he has been appointed as a member of the Danish Disability Council as well as an expert for the EU's Committee for Digital Inclusion.
"With more than 10 years of experience from ITU, I look forward to contributing to and supporting ITU's research activities, which for many years have been of great importance. The IT development of recent years has in many ways strengthened and confirmed the need for our research and its relevance to the society we live in," says Morten Hjelholt.
As acting department head, Morten Hjelholt has functioned as part of ITU's management during the restructuring of the university's scientific department:
"For the past six months, I have helped to establish a structure with 9 sections, and therefore I look forward to becoming part of the management team that will ensure that this new organisation will be able to move ITU forward."
According to the rector at ITU, Per Bruun Brockhoff, the head of education and the head of research are great capacities that will contribute positively to the education and research environment at ITU as well as to the university's management:
"With Luís, ITU gets a professionally competent and committed director of education with a strong eye for both student well-being and the importance of the quality of the education. As acting department head during ITU’s restructuring, Morten has shown that he is able to make a valuable contribution to the transformation of ITU, and he is a strong card in the role of head of research," says Per Bruun Brockhoff.
Theis Duelund Jensen, Press Officer, phone +45 2555 0447, email thej@itu.dk