Talent and Trust: A Case Study Describing the Process of Designing a Global Elite World-Class University in Denmark

The purpose of this study was to describe the process of becoming a world-class university in the context of Western Europe. Aarhus University served as the case site, within the context of Denmark. One research question guided this study, “How does a higher education institution in Western Europe undergo the process to actualize its ambition to become a world-class university?” I remained in Denmark for approximately 18 days collecting data for this qualitative case study. Observations were completed in Aarhus and in Copenhagen, and documents and/or photographs were collected from university and government sources, In total 17 participants were interviewed including past and present high-level administrators, an academic administrator who also held a faculty position, and students at Aarhus University, as well as government officials serving in the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Higher Education.

Findings indicated visionary leadership, external consultants, and a pragmatic reorganization of the university propelled Aarhus University to create academic hubs with an interdisciplinary focus, emphasize a more global focus, express a desire to obtain greater external funding and engage in greater collaboration, and develop a core focus on what Aarhus University referred to as talent development. I refer to this notion similarly, as talent capacity-building to accent the notion that building a growing base of talent was central to national competitiveness strategies elsewhere in Denmark in addition to Aarhus University. Trust emerged as a cultural value in Denmark and an important consideration for the university and the government. Generous government state support and autonomy enhanced Aarhus University’s resources and decision-making capacity, yet a concern for quality assurance, economic competitiveness, and academic relevancy remained.