The BHJ-foundation is a general foundation founded in 1983 by Mr. Svend Beck, Mr. Peter Holm and Mr. Vagn Jacobsen. The foundation supports research, development and education and has supported the University of Southern Denmark in Sonderborg since 2008.
The BHJ Foundation’s sponsorship of the University of Southern Denmark in Sonderburg 2013-2017
The BHJ Foundation’s sponsorship is divided into two programmes, namely the Sponsor Programme and the Ad hoc Support programme.
The Sponsor programme receives support to the sum of DKK 700,000 p.a. over a five-year period from 2013-2017. Within the framework of the Ad hoc Support programme, the foundation can choose to support ‘invited’ applications to a maximum of DKK 800,000 p.a. The foundation’s liaison to the university is Jens Hohwü.
The BHJ Foundation Sponsor programme for the University of Southern Denmark in Sonderburg
The Sponsor programme includes:
- Dissertation prize
- Scholarships in
- Scholarships out
- Research prize
- Teaching prize
Re. 1) Dissertation prize. Project award – Wall of Fame. The main purpose of the prize is to provide motivation for increased collaboration between the university and business in the region. The prize honours the student(s) who have written the best dissertation with a practical issue as their point of departure, their supervisor for the dissertation and the contact person in the company that gave the students this opportunity, enabling them to apply their knowledge to a practical issue. The prize is awarded in conjunction with the university’s annual graduation ceremony in June.
There are three prizes – one relating to bachelor/diploma courses, one relating to postgraduate/master’s courses and one relating to part-time courses such as Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. The prize is DKK 25,000 to the student (max. DKK 50,000 per dissertation if there is more than one author). The prize to the company involved will be a work of art executed by a local artist. Finally, a plaque with the name of the student(s), the company involved and the relevant faculty at the university will be unveiled on the Wall of Fame in the atrium of the Research Park immediately after the graduation ceremony.
Selection and recommendation: the criteria are the academic quality of the dissertation, the commitment shown, the collaboration with/assistance with the company, the innovative aspects of its execution and/or application, and its ability to generate networks. Recommendations can be made by the student(s), the contact person in the company and the dissertation supervisor at the university. The prize is publicised by means of an advertisement, and the deadline for recommendations is 1 May. Selection is carried out by a jury of six people made up of local heads of institute/course co-ordinators from the University of Southern Denmark and representatives of business in the area chosen in collaboration with SET, URS and the BHJ Foundation.
Tasks relating to the Dissertation prize are organised and co-ordinated in a collaboration between the University of Southern Denmark, SET and the BHJ Foundation (through the foundation’s liaison at the university).
The total expenditure per annum: 3-6 x DKK 25,000 = max. DKK 150,000 plus costs of the work of art, the plaques, the folders and posters, amounting to DKK 170,000.
Re. 2) Scholarships in. Six one-year scholarships/grants are introduced for postgraduates and masters studying at the University of Southern Denmark in Sonderburg at Sonderburg and Flensburg. Each has the value of DKK 40,000, though they may be for six months and then of DKK 20,000. The prime purpose of the grants is to attract more foreign students to the University of Southern Denmark’s English-language courses, to give business in the region the opportunity to recruit attractive foreign postgraduates, and to create good potential ambassadors to represent the region in the world at large.
Scholarships in are advertised twice a year prior to the deadlines for application, which are 1 March and 1 November respectively. The relevant courses and their Course Co-ordinators are asked to pass the message on to relevant contact universities abroad. Current BHJ Scholarship students are asked to publicise it via social media in their home countries. Selection will be carried out in a collaboration between the University of Southern Denmark’s Student Service and co-ordinators of the relevant postgraduate and master’s courses. The practical co-ordination is carried out by a representative of the Management Secretariat and the foundation’s liaison at the university.
Once a year the foundation will sponsor a flyer or a local newspaper advertisement, in which current BHJ Scholarship students, working with SDU-Sonderburg and other foreign students of the university, will try to communicate the competences they represent and explain how they can be contacted.
Total annual expenditure: Scholarships max. 6 x DKK 40,000/12 x DKK 20,000 = DKK 240,000 plus DKK 60,000 for advertising. In all DKK 300,000.
To ensure the handling of your application, please forward the complete application with enclosures in a scanned document to administrative officer Ms Ingerlise Lund, the University of Southern Denmark, at ill@sdu.dk
Application deadline is 1 March and 1 November.
Re. 3) Scholarships out. For current students at the University of Southern Denmark-Sonderburg three annual one-year scholarships are offered – one each for the areas of technology, the humanities and the social science. Scholarships can be for only six months and then carry half the sum. These scholarships are to be used for study periods at foreign universities, arranged in consultation with the student’s university course co-ordinator. During their period abroad, students remain enrolled at the university in Sonderburg and must take their examinations there.
Application and selection: Scholarships out can be applied for by current bachelor and postgraduate/master’s students at SDU-Sonderburg. The offer of scholarships is announced by means of internal posters, emails and folders at the university during the period March-April. Selection is carried out by a committee made up of local heads of institute, the manager of Student Service SDU-Sonderburg and a representative of the Management Secretariat, the latter being the coordinator.
Total annual expenditure: 3 x DKK 40,000/6 x DKK 20,000 = DKK 120,000
To ensure the handling of your application, please forward the complete application with enclosures in a scanned document to administrative officer Ms Ingerlise Lund, the University of Southern Denmark, at ill@sdu.dk
Application deadline is 1 May.
Re. 4) Research prize. The Research prize is awarded once a year to an exceptional researcher at SDU-Sonderburg, whose research has contributed to putting SDU-Sonderburg on the map and shows a potential that instantly and/or in the future can be turned to account in areas that can promote commercial development. The prime purpose of the prize is to provide motivation and retain good researchers at SDU-Sonderburg and to give business in the region access to the newest forms of knowledge.
Selection and recommendation: Recommendations can be made by heads of institute at SDU-Sonderburg, deadline 15 December. Others may also put names up for consideration. Any such names are channelled via the head of institute. Selection is carried out by a committee made up of deans from the University of Southern Denmark with affiliation to Sonderburg and the foundation’s liaison with the university.
The prize is of DKK 50,000 and must be used for such expenses as travel or accommodation relating to the prize-winner’s academic networking activities abroad, or to cover expenses relating to the residence of foreign researchers invited at the request of the prize-winner. The prize carries with it an expectation that at the presentation of the award the recipient will give a short lecture outlining the research area.
Total annual expenditure: DKK 50,000.
Re. 5) The BHJ Foundation Teaching Prizes. The ways in which current students experience the quality of teaching constitutes an important parameter in attracting new students. The primary purpose of the Foundation’s Teaching Prizes is to encourage focus to be directed towards the quality of teaching provided at the university in Sonderburg and in that way to contribute to increasing the number of applications to the studies on offer. A prize is therefore being established for ‘the year’s best teacher within respective principal areas at SDU-Sonderburg in Sonderburg and Flensburg respectively.’
There will be three prizes – one each for the areas of technology, social sciences and humanities. Each prize is DKK 20,000 and it must be used to cover expenses such as travel, course participation or residence incurred in association with the prize-winner’s continuing and further education.
Selection and recommendation: Recommendations are made by the students, channelled through an annual written notification instituted by the course spokesperson in consultation with the head of the institute and the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. The deadline for recommendations is 15 December. Selection is carried out by a committee made up of chairpersons of the Student Network, the local heads of institute and the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.
The prize is awarded once a year in conjunction with the BHJ Foundation Day. Work related to the Teaching Prize is co-ordinated by the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.
Total annual expenditure: 3 x DKK 20,000 = DKK 60,000
The BHJ Foundation’s Support programme for SDU in Sonderburg
Once a year the board of the foundation ‘invites’ applications for support within a specified research or problem area (determined by the board) and within a stated margin of expenditure, which can amount to a maximum of DKK 800,000 p.a. Agreement regarding the choice of research/problem area is reached with the university management and regarding the specific choice of project with heads of faculties and institutes.
At the December meeting every year, the board of the foundation chooses a research/problem area for which applications would be welcomed and decide on the margin of expenditure that will be set aside that particular year. The ‘invitation’ is sent to the relevant dean or head of institute. The deadline for application will be 15 January. A jury made up of the dean(s) and the Vice-Chancellor, with the latter as chair, make recommendation to the board of the foundation as to whether an application is recommended for approval and if so which one. The decision made by the board of the foundation is made public in conjunction with the BJH Foundation Day.