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Between Tradition and Experiment : The Idea of a New University

Simonsen, Maria LU (2023) In Nordic Journal of Educational History 10. p.45-58
Abstract

From the mid-1960s to the mid 1970s, three new universities were established in Denmark: Odense (1966), Roskilde (1972) and Aalborg (1974). Until then only two universities existed in Denmark: Copenhagen (1479) and Aarhus (1928). Located on the outskirts of the major cities, the new institutions played an important part in reforming and transforming higher education in Denmark. The youngest university, Aalborg University, is approaching its 50th anniversary. This is an opportunity to take a step back and examine the university in long-term perspective. In this article, I investigate the discussions and expectations concerning the establishment of the university in the period 1958–1974. Based on contemporaneous debates in the regional... (More)

From the mid-1960s to the mid 1970s, three new universities were established in Denmark: Odense (1966), Roskilde (1972) and Aalborg (1974). Until then only two universities existed in Denmark: Copenhagen (1479) and Aarhus (1928). Located on the outskirts of the major cities, the new institutions played an important part in reforming and transforming higher education in Denmark. The youngest university, Aalborg University, is approaching its 50th anniversary. This is an opportunity to take a step back and examine the university in long-term perspective. In this article, I investigate the discussions and expectations concerning the establishment of the university in the period 1958–1974. Based on contemporaneous debates in the regional newspaper Aalborg Stiftstidende and interviews with several key figures, the study seeks to analyze the underlying ideas and ideals which characterized the discussion by asking the following questions: What was the projected purpose of the new university? What ideals were expressed in the debate? In the last part of this article, I will reflect on the historiographical developments in the history of the university. In recent years, several new approaches have expanded the field and made visible new aspects of the institutions’ histories. I will discuss why a focus on the ideas, ideals and expectations of the university, and thereby of the university as a knowledge institution, is essential to include in a study of its history.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
circulation of knowledge, Denmark, knowledge ideals, university, university centre
host publication
Special Issue : The Eighth Nordic Conference on the History of Education - The Eighth Nordic Conference on the History of Education
series title
Nordic Journal of Educational History
volume
10
edition
2
pages
14 pages
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180323985
ISSN
2001-7766
DOI
10.36368/njedh.v10i2.480
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: Nordic Journal of Educational History 2023. © Maria Simonsen.
id
e89336d2-8f39-4269-b615-b0fb13253166
date added to LUP
2024-09-25 19:39:11
date last changed
2024-09-30 16:04:40
@inproceedings{e89336d2-8f39-4269-b615-b0fb13253166,
  abstract     = {{<p>From the mid-1960s to the mid 1970s, three new universities were established in Denmark: Odense (1966), Roskilde (1972) and Aalborg (1974). Until then only two universities existed in Denmark: Copenhagen (1479) and Aarhus (1928). Located on the outskirts of the major cities, the new institutions played an important part in reforming and transforming higher education in Denmark. The youngest university, Aalborg University, is approaching its 50th anniversary. This is an opportunity to take a step back and examine the university in long-term perspective. In this article, I investigate the discussions and expectations concerning the establishment of the university in the period 1958–1974. Based on contemporaneous debates in the regional newspaper Aalborg Stiftstidende and interviews with several key figures, the study seeks to analyze the underlying ideas and ideals which characterized the discussion by asking the following questions: What was the projected purpose of the new university? What ideals were expressed in the debate? In the last part of this article, I will reflect on the historiographical developments in the history of the university. In recent years, several new approaches have expanded the field and made visible new aspects of the institutions’ histories. I will discuss why a focus on the ideas, ideals and expectations of the university, and thereby of the university as a knowledge institution, is essential to include in a study of its history.</p>}},
  author       = {{Simonsen, Maria}},
  booktitle    = {{Special Issue : The Eighth Nordic Conference on the History of Education}},
  issn         = {{2001-7766}},
  keywords     = {{circulation of knowledge; Denmark; knowledge ideals; university; university centre}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{45--58}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Educational History}},
  title        = {{Between Tradition and Experiment : The Idea of a New University}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.36368/njedh.v10i2.480}},
  doi          = {{10.36368/njedh.v10i2.480}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}