Will balance academic perspectives

Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen becomes the first chair of ENGAGE.EU's newly established international Advisory Board, which will serve as a consultative panel for initiatives from the European university alliance. Photo: Branka Kostadinovic
Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen becomes the first chair of ENGAGE.EU's newly established international Advisory Board, which will serve as a consultative panel for initiatives from the European university alliance. Photo: Branka Kostadinovic
By Ina-Cristine Sævil Helljesen

3 December 2024 08:00

(updated: 3 December 2024 08:26)

Will balance academic perspectives

Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen from the Norwegian Climate Foundation has been appointed chair of international advisory board for societal engagement.

ENGAGE.EU

  • A European university alliance.
  • Established in 2020.
  • Comprises 10 leading European business schools.
  • Includes universities from Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, France, and Switzerland.
  • Promotes collaboration, mobility, and innovation in education to address societal challenges and prepare students to tackle global issues.
  • Offers students, researchers, and staff access to both online and in-person courses, programs, and collaborative platforms provided by the affiliated universities.

"I am genuinely curious about the road ahead and excited to get the opportunity to take part in shaping this," said Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, Managing Director of the Norwegian Climate Foundation.

Paarup Michelsen will serve as the first leader of the newly established international Advisory Board for ENGAGE.EU. Together with other European representatives from business, politics, and organizational sectors, he will act as an advisory panel for initiatives originating from the university alliance, of which NHH is a member.

A win-win Situation

The Advisory Board aims to strengthen ties between European universities and societal stakeholders.

"We will represent the voices of business and society at large, balancing the academic perspectives," Paarup Michelsen explained.

As chair Paarup Michelsen seeks to build a sustainable structure that provides mutual benefits.
"This will be a win-win for everyone. We gain valuable insights into academia's work, and academia benefits from closer engagement with society."

As the Norwegian Climate Foundation is an associate partner, Paarup Michelsen attended the ENGAGE.EU annual conference in Vienna at the end of October. From the left: Moritz Fleischmann, Sabine Saint-Rose, Lars Henrik Paarup Michelsen and Øystein Thøgersen. Photo: Branka Kostadinovic
As the Norwegian Climate Foundation is an associate partner, Paarup Michelsen attended the ENGAGE.EU annual conference in Vienna at the end of October. From the left: Moritz Fleischmann, Sabine Saint-Rose, Lars Henrik Paarup Michelsen and Øystein Thøgersen. Photo: Branka Kostadinovic

"Together we become a stronger force"

While Paarup Michelsen steps into a new role within the alliance, he is no stranger to collaboration with either NHH or ENGAGE.EU. The Norwegian Climate Foundation has worked closely with NHH for years and has been a partner in the ENGAGE.EU alliance since 2021.

"I am deeply passionate about international collaboration. Major challenges, such as climate change, require joint solutions. Together, we become a stronger force and can achieve much more than we do alone," said Paarup Michelsen, who has been with the Norwegian Climate Foundation for over a decade.

Michelsen will serve as the chair of the ENGAGE.EU Advisory Board until 2027.