Challenge Handbook - 2021

THE HANDBOOK 2021

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM

CHALLENGE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

LEADERS OF TODAY CONNECTING WITH LEADERS OF TOMORROW

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM CHALLENGE 2021 ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE? Aarhus Symposium Challenge is your opportunity to challenge the views of today, connect with leaders of tomorrow, and participate in exclusive events with fellow students.

SECURE YOUR SEAT Seize one of the three challenges by submitting an essay of maximum two standard pages and secure your seat for Aarhus Symposium and Aarhus Symposium Focus.

PARTICIPATE IN OUR SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS Join our premium partners for an exciting experience where you will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the core of their businesses.

QUALIFY FOR LEADERS’ FORUM By writing an outstanding essay, you will have the opportunity to qualify for Leaders’ Forum which is an exclusive one-hour session with the speaker whose challenge you have answered in your essay.

WIN THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD Every year, Aarhus Symposium pays tribute to the most outstanding essay with an award of 10,000 DKK.

SUBMISSION AND HAND-IN DEADLINE

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Sunday, September 26, 2021, at 23:59.

Submit your essay online on www.aarhus-symposium.org in PDF format.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 04 05 09 10 11 12 13 14

THIS YEAR’S THEME THIS YEAR’S TRACKS

PRESENTING THE SPEAKERS SCREENING PROCESS

THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD NOT FROM AARHUS UNIVERSITY?

SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS LEADERS’ FORUM

WRITE YOUR ESSAY

ACCESS THE CHALLENGE HANDBOOK ONLINE HERE

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A NEW REALITY THE THEME OF AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 2021 A tree sheds its leaves every year for it to grow new ones the next. The core of the tree remains unchanged, yet parts of it are now different. Similarly, through periods of change, an organisation must preserve its core competencies while adapting to new situations. It is key for leaders to empower people to take on responsibility in such times; their capabilities must take the organisation to new heights. Even though change can be challenging, it enables the organisation to grow anew.

The intangible internet forces all actors within the global economy to adapt to a new digital ecosystem. With the rise of global competition, leaders have had to adapt to the needs of customers and employees to create an efficient organisation. By integrating resilience and agility, organisations can create new ways of doing business.

As we gain more knowledge of the impact of our actions, the expectations placed upon organisations expand, and they are faced with a choice. They can reside to business as usual or enable a more positive influence by pursuing new directions. Organisations are in a unique position to move our society in a more equal, inclusive, and sustainable direction.

To flourish, society must embrace the solutions that organisations create.

In nature, trees adapt both their physical shape and internal functions to fit their environment.

But through innovation, proactive organisations not only adapt to but also create new habitats in which to thrive. Leaders must then consider how they best seize the opportunities presented to them in these new, lucrative environments.

In business as in nature, strong networks serve as an invaluable foundation for growth when actors are able to cooperate for mutual benefit. The circumstances of these connections are, however, undergoing great change. Unexpected shocks to global value chains have revealed the fragility of a global economy. In these challenging times, leaders will have to navigate a new environment to ensure the benefits of trade and international collaboration.

At Aarhus Symposium 2021, we will bridge the gap between the present and future by exploring how leaders of today brace for tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming you to our 10-year anniversary on November 5, 2021.

EXPLORE THIS YEAR’S THEME

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THE TRACKS OF AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 2021 OPPORTUNITIES OF TOMORROW

Life is defined by adaptation. At all times, a successful organisation must be prepared to review its practices and change course. By utilising the opportunities of today, companies aim to prepare for the most fundamental challenges of tomorrow. Naturally, everyone wishes to play a central role in the next big leap, and if leaders dare to question the status quo, ideas can transform into future solutions.

BUSINESSES OF TOMORROW

As the workforce is becoming more decentralised, online marketplaces for freelance services like Fiverr and Craigslist have seen remarkable growth. Both externally and internally, digitalisation forces change, and it rewards those that seek out new opportunities. Competitive edges might be derived from new business models or by mastering new capabilities, but they ultimately rely on proactive leadership. No stone is to be left unturned as the leaders of today build resilient businesses for tomorrow.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TOMORROW

Social inequality and environmental change have made individuals more aware of how corporations impact their surroundings.

This has required leaders to consider how the perceived diverging objectives of shareholders and society are placing them in a position of increased accountability. In choosing between several pressing concerns, it is vital to balance success within the organisation with responsibility towards society.

ECONOMIES OF TOMORROW

As prosperity increases across the world, patterns of demand will shift. Additionally, protectionist policies and supply shocks risk jeopardising the existing value chains that multinational corporations rely upon. Increased trade has long been a facilitator of growth and prosperity for all economies.

However, while corporations are expanding their connections globally, some governments are decreasing theirs. Thus, leaders are required to find viable ways of securing future advancement while facing rising barriers to trade.

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PRESENTING THE SPEAKERS

NEED INSPIRATION? CONNECT WITH OUR MESSENGER BOT! To write an extraordinary essay, you need a good idea. If you need inspiration to kick-start your writing process, connect with our Messenger Bot through our Facebook page. The Messenger Bot is your guide to Aarhus Symposium Challenge 2021 and will provide you with inspiration to answer your preferred challenge.

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JOE KAESER CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD, SIEMENS ENERGY TOPIC 1: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

HOW ECONOMIC GROWTH CAN BE MORE JUST AND SUSTAINABLE Climate change, rising inequality, and social divide require organisations to adjust their purpose to reach beyond pure profit maximisation. Hence, leaders must provide solutions that combine green initiatives, social inclusion, and the benefits of market mechanisms. Today, organisations have the opportunity to enhance justice and fairness across society while maintaining healthy finances. How can firms enable a more fair and sustainable economic system?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

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HOW DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE CAN ENHANCE INNOVATION

2

HOW SUPPORTING SUPPLIERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT

THROUGH DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES?

LARGE COMPANIES BY MAINTAINING ECONOMIC STABILITY DURING RECESSIONS?

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HOW INVESTMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE POWER SOLUTIONS CAN LOWER ENERGY COSTS AND REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT?

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HELLE ØSTERGAARD CEO, DANSKE COMMODITIES TOPIC 2: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

ONE AREA WHERE AUTOMATION CAN CAUSE DILEMMAS FOR BUSINESSES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM Blurring boundaries between the physical and digital world create unprecedented opportunities for businesses and public sectors. To remain competitive, companies must keep pace with the digital transformation and employ new technologies such as AI, robotic process automation, and machine learning. However, automation is enhancing efficiency at the expense of manual labour jobs. How can businesses best navigate the dilemmas that arise from automation?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

1

HOW AUTOMATION CAN ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND MITIGATE THE

2

HOW THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES LIKE ROBOTICS CAN CREATE ETHICAL

RISK OF HUMAN ERRORS?

DILEMMAS SUCH AS ENSURING THAT A ROBOT IS NOT BIASED BY THE HUMANS WHO BUILT IT?

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HOW AUTOMATION CAN AFFECT THE DEMAND FOR MANUAL LABOUR AND WHAT ROLE SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND FURTHER TRAINING WILL PLAY?

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KIM FOURNAIS CEO & FOUNDER, SAXO BANK TOPIC 3: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

HOW ORGANISATIONAL AGILITY CAN IMPROVE ADAPTIVENESS IN DYNAMIC MARKETS

The only thing constant in business is change. At times, unexpected shocks can rattle economies and radically change markets. Rigid firms may struggle to enable multiple skills, and this causes adaptation to become an exhausting manoeuvre. As market conditions shift, firms must swiftly satisfy changing demands. How can organisations apply agility to successfully adapt to a new reality?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

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HOW GIVING TEAMS MORE AUTONOMY CAN ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY

2

HOW USING COLLABORATION SOFTWARE SUCH AS SLACK OR MICRO-

AND BUILD AGILE MINDSETS AMONG EMPLOYEES?

SOFT TEAMS CAN IMPROVE INTERNAL COORDINATION THROUGH FLAT COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES?

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HOW COMPANIES CAN ORGANISE TO ENHANCE CLIENT CENTRICITY ACROSS THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN TO BETTER MEET CHANGING CONSUMER DEMANDS?

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SCREENING PROCESS After you have submitted your essay, it will be evaluated by four separate and independent boards. Each board reviews different aspects of your essay in order to find the most outstanding one. See below for information regarding the full screening process.

PRELIMINARY BOARD REVIEWS • Compliance with formal requirements • Grammar and spelling • Whether the Challenge is answered

SCREENING BOARD REVIEWS • Strong argumentation • Innovative and original content • Well-written and inspiring language

KNOWLEDGE BOARD

10,000 DKK

• Reviews the overall quality of the essay • Gives constructive feedback on content and language • Nominates essays to Leaders’ Forum

THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS • Evaluates the essays nominated for Leaders’ Forum • Selects the winner of the Aarhus Symposium Award

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THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD THE WINNING ESSAY OF AARHUS SYMPOSIUM CHALLENGE 2019

By Morten Thinggard Pedersen, Master’s in International Economic Consulting, Aarhus University The time when the Sharing Economy were regarded a novel concept is long gone, yet, it has never been more relevant. I grew up just in time to experience the development of the digital age evolve in parallel with my own adolescence.

With almost any aspect of my life being in touch with digitalization, whether it was as the first class of the school with laptops, or the replacement of printed driving directions with personal GPS systems, the connectedness and globalized mindset have practically been bred in my entire generation. A generation so used to (and addicted to) technology that we blindly allow both governments and private corporations to track, measure and monitor our every move, physically and online, every second.

year, or that dress only suitable for your 3rd year gala, progress could be made every day. Imagine an app that could offer you affordable, temporary access to any object or even service that you demand at any given time. Tomorrow, you will be hosting a fine dinner for your friends and you would like the meat to be nothing less than perfectly cooked. Instead for being stressed about your lack of cooking skills, you simply open your sharing-app and request a sous vide stick for half a day for a given amount in either a fully taxable payment, or a taxfree donation to a tree-planting NGO. As the lender, you could even donate the money to keep the platform afloat to end the need for targeted ads from retailers.

[...]

[...]

Today, most individuals are familiar with large-asset, (mainly) private, sharing services as Airbnb, Uber, and eBay. In Denmark we even have front runners in private boat-, car- and food sharing.

The one common feature of these services is that they are all specialized, topof-class solutions aimed primarily for larger, capital intensive assets, because that is where the large service fees are applicable, making them proper business models. If one instead diverted the focus onto collective sustainability, reducing the need for acquiring that lawn edge trimmer that you only use once a

The best motivation to leave you AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 11 with while considering the idea of a social sharing platform is arguably from The Story of Stuff. That 99 per cent of the total material throughput of the consumer system is discarded after just 6 months of use. In other words, that just one per cent of all the stuff that is mined, harvested, produced, or processed is in use after half a year. It that does not call for immediate attention and directly highlights the need for a reduction in consumption and increased sharing of assets and resources, I do not know what does.

MORTEN THINGGARD PEDERSEN THE WINNER OF THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD 2019

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NOT FROM AARHUS UNIVERSITY? NETWORK WITH FELLOW STUDENTS Meet and connect with fellow ambitious students from universities in Denmark and Europe.

Students networking at Aarhus Symposium 2019.

FREE TRANSPORTATION AND FREE MEALS Aarhus Symposium will cover all transportation costs for students coming from outside Aarhus University as well as provide free meals and drinks throughout the day.

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SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS JOIN OUR PREMIUM PARTNERS FOR AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE For the third time in a row, our Premium Partners invite a number of selected students to take part in their exclusive A Day At events. This year, you will have the opportunity to gain great insights into the core business of either Danske Commodities, Lind Capital, or Jyske Bank.

The leading energy trading house Danske Commodities, invites a number of ambitious students to visit their headquarters located in the city center of Aarhus. Participants will, among other things, get an impression of their exciting trading center and experience different ways of working at Danske Commodities.

During autumn, Lind Capital will host an exciting event where participants will have the opportunity to get a closer look at the technology-driven trading company through relevant workshops.

Jyske Bank invites dedicated students to join them for an interesting day at their headquarters in Silkeborg. They will give the students a unique insight into their job opportunities in the banking business through job shadowing and case work.

Remember to sign up for A Day At when you submit your essay. Your chance of being selected to connect with one of our partners at their facilities will increase when writing an outstanding essay.

A Day At Velux, 2018

A Day At Arla, 2015

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LEADERS’ FORUM Leaders’ Forum is your opportunity to meet one of the most prominent leaders of today in an informal setting. On the day of Aarhus Symposium, the writers of the best essays will be invited to the extraordinary Leaders’ Forum.

LEADERS OF TODAY CONNECTING WITH LEADERS OF TOMORROW Leaders’ Forum is the ultimate experience of Aarhus Symposium. If you write an outstanding essay, you will be invited to engage with the speaker whose challenge you have answered. Here, you have the chance to discuss the ideas presented in your essay and gain valuable insights into how leaders tackle challenges when facing change.

Afshan Khan, Regional Director, Europe & Central Asia, UNICEF, engaging in dialogue with participants in Leaders’ Forum 2018.

Prior to this session, our Knowledge Partner, McKinsey & Company, will host a workshop for all Leaders’ Forum participants. Here, the consultants will prepare you for the intimate session with knowledge on how to communicate professionally and in a clear manner.

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WRITE YOUR ESSAY FOLLOW THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR ESSAY Maximum 4,800 characters (incl. spaces) or two standard pages.

Do not include your own name on any of the pages.

Write in English or Danish.

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Hand-in no later than September 26, 2021, at 23:59.

01

Motivate your essay to catch the reader’s interest.

03

Argue your case to support your main point.

04

Present how you interpret the challenge along with any key concepts necessary for your answer.

02

State the main point you will be making throughout your essay.

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

BODY

HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY

05

Nuance your argument and consider both its strengths and weaknesses.

06

Sum up your main conclusion.

07

Ensure that you have answered the challenge.

REMIND ME OF THE DEADLINE Do you want make sure you hand in your essay on time? Press this button to join our Facebook event, and recieve reminders when the hand in deadline is approaching.

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ESSAY HAND-IN

DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

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WWW.AARHUS-SYMPOSIUM.ORG