She has been at DTU before. Many times.
As Minister for Economic Affairs and the Interior, Margrethe Vestager visited DTU to see how new technology can shape tomorrow's production and create jobs.
Later, as the EU's Commissioner for Competition, she invited her team from Brussels to DTU Skylab in Lyngby to show them how 'proud' she is of the innovative green technologies Denmark is spearheading.
Finally, by virtue of her current position as Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, she has given lectures at DTU on top leadership.
Now, the long-standing political leader Margrethe Vestager will have a more direct role to play at the University when she becomes the new Chair of the Board of Governors from 1 January 2025. One of the Board's roles is to set the strategic direction for DTU - a task she feels 'privileged' to have been given.
"DTU is an absolute frontrunner in Europe, and the University plays a huge role in the national and international networks it is part of. It's fantastic to be allowed to be part of such a project and contribute to creating the conditions for DTU's management, staff, and students to perform at their very best," says Margrethe Vestager.
No critical eye, no university
As she looks forward to what lies ahead, she focuses intently on technology's many opportunities for society - but also its pitfalls.
Technology can connect people, improve our living conditions, reduce climate change, and boost our security, she says. That's what it's supposed to do. But, if we forget to relate to the surrounding society, she points out, technology can also do the opposite; create distance between people, cause conflict, and breed loneliness.
"Technology makes the world," Margrethe Vestager sums up.
The words come from a place where she, as the EU's Competition Commissioner, has dealt extensively with the big tech giants' impact on the world as we know it today. She has been responsible for the EU's digitalization strategy, helping to ensure a broad roll-out and use of digital technologies in society.
Now she is looking forward to moving closer to the core activities of education, research, and innovation that are shaping the future of Europe. In particular, areas such as quantum technology and artificial intelligence, where Denmark is at the forefront, are good examples.
"Denmark punches way above its weight. It is a true testament to the ability to creating something extraordinary by organizing yourself well and attracting the right people. And we have to do that," says Margrethe Vestager—but, she reminds us, with great power comes great responsibility.
"We really need to be mindful. Without a critical eye, we might as well close the University."
More must be brought to light
According to Margrethe Vestager, the critical eye is really what separates us from the chatbots and AI tools that are increasingly becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives.
So she believes the most important thing for a university is to be able to ask questions and provide answers that relate to society's issues in a nuanced way. And that ultimately results in collaborations, educations, and solutions that make a positive difference in the world. It is precisely these core values that have brought her to DTU.
"I believe DTU represents everything I'm interested in. I believe it's one of the most modern and relevant institutions imaginable," she says.
When Margrethe Vestager takes up the position as the new Chair of the Board of Governors, it will at a time when the University is both reaching to the future, but also looking to its past. In 2029, DTU will celebrate its 200th anniversary.
According to Margrethe Vestager, this is an opportunity to take a fresh look at the hierarchies that historically have dominated academia.
"What history is shaped by is an interaction between great personalities who have propelled DTU forward and a lot of people who have been part of the team. I think you have to get a lot better at making sure that we celebrate the whole team. This is also the intention of the management. Because great personalities only succeed by virtue of a team," she says.
Margrethe Vestager describes as an example a Storm P. cartoon in which a man is looking for his key in the light of a lamppost. Another man asks if he has lost it there. But even if the answer is no, the key-seeking man assures that it is only in the light that it is possible to find it. The story illustrates the mindset that Margrethe Vestager sees as the core of the problem.
"For example, when people say that they can't find women who are competent, maybe they're only looking for them where there is light. It's time we also let the light shine on all those who are making things happen," she states.
On 1 January 2025, Margrethe Vestager will assume her duties as Chair of the Board of Governors, and will take over the position from Swedish Professor Karin Markides, who is President and CEO of the Japanese University Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
