It gives you perspective: The personal benefit of advising society

By Line Nyrup Odgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Illustration: Alberte Spork

When authorities, organizations and companies need professional advice, researchers from Aalborg University are among those invited to the table. Here, they contribute analyses, assessments and academic perspectives that are part of the decision-making processes that shape the framework for society's development.

AAU Update spoke to Per Kvols Heiselberg, Malene Charlotte Larsen and Trine Schultz, who each bring their research into play on national councils and committees. The three researchers represent only a sample of the many AAU colleagues who participate on councils and committees in Denmark and internationally. What they have in common is the desire to ensure that decisions are made on an informed basis and that research-based knowledge is translated into practice where it makes a difference.

Per Kvols Heiselberg, Danish Council on Climate Change

"It gives you perspective on your own research."

Per Kvols Heiselberg, Professor and Vice Head of Department for Research at the Department of the Built Environment has been a member of several national councils for many years, including the Danish Council on Climate Change, the Energy Commission and the Coordination Committee for Sustainable Construction. The councils work with analyses and recommendations to ensure that Denmark's climate, energy and building regulations are based on disciplinary knowledge and support the green transition.

"My driving force has always been to try to improve things, and I bring that same driving force to the committees and boards I sit on. These are forums where you can actually influence developments and create real changes," he explains.

"I have always worked to make construction less of a burden," he says, pointing out how the industry focus has shifted from energy consumption to climate, resources and biodiversity over the years. Council work gives him the opportunity to bring his expertise directly into the decision-making processes that shape development.

For Per Kvols Heiselberg, council work helps to broaden his perspective on his own research.

"It gives you a different perspective on your own research, because you have to view your work in terms of society's needs and see how it fits into a larger context," says Per Kvols Heiselberg.

The link between research and societal development is one of the main reasons for his involvement.

"It's a way to use our research-based knowledge to influence the political process and the frameworks that will shape the future of construction and energy consumption," he explains.

And it is precisely this desire to contribute that makes him happy to put in the extra hours:

"Much of the council work actually takes place in his spare time. Some tasks are remunerated, but much of the work is based on professional interest and commitment. Evenings, weekends and holidays are spent reading material and preparing, and you do it because you’re passionate about it," he states.

Malene Chalotte Larsen, Media Council for Children and Young People

"I can bring the children's perspective to the table."

Malene Charlotte Larsen, Associate Professor of Social Media at the Department of Culture and Communication was appointed to the Media Council for Children and Young People in November. She brings her research on the digital lives of children and young people to a council that advises on digital security, well-being and rights. She is also a member of the assessment committee as child expert where she helps to age-rate films as part of the council's work to support parents, professionals and the public in understanding children and young people's media use.

The experiences from her research give her deep insight into the digital lives of children and young people, and this knowledge influences both her ambitions and approach to the work of the council.

"I really want us to highlight the children's perspective even more – that we actually listen to children and young people when we debate their digital lives. It is crucial that we as researchers communicate our knowledge so that it actually reaches those who need it and makes a real difference in society," she explains.

Malene Charlotte Larsen says that the committee is broadly composed, from researchers and child experts to industry professionals, consumer representatives and a lawyer as chair. She describes the combination of such different perspectives as a clear strength.

It is precisely this diversity that makes the work both complex and valuable, because the council must embrace the entire spectrum of children and young people's encounters with media and digital platforms. Malene Charlotte Larsen's role is closely linked to her field of research.

"I think I can particularly contribute the children's perspective because I interview children and young people and am close to the practice that the council is supposed to advise on," she says.

For Malene Charlotte Larsen, the work on the Media Council is not only about regulation and advice, but also an opportunity to bring different experiences and media habits closer together.

"It's about creating bridges between the generations, so that children and their parents are not on opposite sides of the media landscape and don't understand each other. Social media use varies across people, but we can understand each other and we can talk to each other. It's about equipping parents and professionals to support children and young people in their digital lives, so that risks are reduced," she says.

Trine Schultz, National Council for Children

"We must ensure that children are not forgotten in the legislation."

Trine Schultz, Professor of Social Law and Head of Department at the Department of Law was appointed to the National Council for Children based on a recommendation from Aalborg University. The council advises on children's rights, well-being and conditions in Denmark in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, the council works broadly and in an interdisciplinary way to ensure that children's perspectives are incorporated into political decisions, legislation and social development.

"For me, the work of the council is a way of building bridges between research and practice. I think everyone who deals with research and education at the university knows how important it is for our work to have a real impact in society. It's a huge motivation to be able to see that what we do actually makes a difference in practice," she says.

And it is precisely this link between research and societal needs that is the focal point of her work on the council.

"I was appointed because I can contribute particular knowledge. The idea is that our different disciplines combine to contribute to a well-informed basis for advising and elucidating the many conditions that affect children in Danish society," she says.

She emphasizes that the council's work is mainly about translating this professional breadth into concrete advice.

"There is an incredible amount of new legislation in Denmark all the time, and a large part of the council's work is thus to formulate responses for the comment periods. Sometimes the legislation is directly about children, but other times it isn’t, and then our job is to draw attention to the fact that the children’s perspective has been completely forgotten," she explains.

It can be anything from rules on the use of force in public school to young people's working conditions or criminal law matters where children's special needs and rights must be taken into account.

Although she was appointed for her legal expertise, she is aware that the work of the council requires more than disciplinary knowledge.

"What I know most about may not always be what the council is working on. So, my role is also about asking the right questions and contributing in a way that includes our different disciplines. Sometimes I can spot something that the others don't see, and then it's important to elucidate the new perspectives," she explains, emphasizing future hopes for the field.

"My hope is that National Council for Children will make children's voices much clearer in the decision-making processes. That children are included in all the places where it is relevant to do so, and that we focus on what is important for their well-being in society."

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs