New Director of SDU Business School: ‘It’s incredibly exciting to build a business school that can stand on its own’

As the new Director of SDU Business School, Jacob Kjær Eskildsen faces an important task: setting the direction for and strengthening SDU’s business focus – a task he is looking forward to:

- It’s incredibly exciting to establish a business school that can stand on its own. It’s something I’m familiar with from my own background as well. I have a background from the Aarhus School of Business, which later became part of Aarhus University, so I’ve worked at a business school with a clear strategic focus. It’s somewhat uncharted territory and I’m just looking forward to getting to work, says Jacob Kjær Eskildsen.

Plenty of coffee and meetings with staff

During his early days at SDU, it will be particularly important for Jacob Kjær Eskildsen to meet with staff and involve them in the process of creating an effective organisational structure once the business school becomes an independent faculty at the start of the autumn semester.

- I’m really looking forward to getting out and about, meeting people and getting to know the organisation. In the run-up to 1 September, I expect I’ll be drinking an absurd amount of coffee, and that’s perfectly fine by me. It’s about listening to the staff’s suggestions and experiences to ensure that all perspectives are taken into account, says Jacob Kjær Eskildsen, adding:

- SDU Business School already has strong, well-established academic departments, so there is a really solid foundation to build on.

Close collaboration with external stakeholders

In his new role, Jacob Kjær Eskildsen is looking forward to expanding the business school’s collaboration with the surrounding society, and he is keen to explore opportunities to apply knowledge and expertise in ways that complement the strengths of the business communities in SDU’s campus cities.

As an example, he cites a degree programme he helped develop at Aarhus University with strong support from the local business community. - There is a great deal of retail activity in the Aarhus area, which is why we partnered with local businesses to develop an MSc in Economics and Business Administration programme specialising in retail. An unusual thing was that the local companies sponsored the programme with DKK 15–20 million to get it off the ground. I see great potential in such opportunities – in getting closer to the local business community and learning whether there are areas where we can further develop the already strong collaboration, both in research and education, he says.

He also highlights external research funding and international recruitment as areas he would like to focus on more in the years ahead, whilst AI and the Master’s Degree Reform will be among the key priorities on the educational front.

Ambitious and determined

When asked to describe himself as a leader, Jacob Kjær Eskildsen says he thrives on momentum and ambitious goals.

- Most people would probably describe me as a decisive leader. I like it when we make things happen, and we can execute and move on. I also take pride in getting into the details, because it provides insight into the processes and is important for our shared direction. I’m also motivated by the fact that we set ourselves ambitious goals and, as a team, do everything we can to achieve them.

In response to what he hopes SDU Business School will stand for in a few years’ time, Jacob Kjær Eskildsen highlights his key ambitions:

- Firstly, my aim is for us to achieve the three major international accreditations: AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. We must work tirelessly to achieve them and become Triple Crown accredited.

- Secondly, I would like to see an increase in external research funding, and for us to succeed in attracting international research talent to SDU Business School – at both early-career and senior levels.

In 2025, SDU Business School achieved the coveted global business school accreditation from the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), which is held by only 6% of business schools worldwide.