New Course Director at the School of Conservation Will Focus on Wider-ranging Job Opportunities

When Rikke Bjarnhof takes over as head of the School of Conservation in June, KADK will benefit from a wealth of experience. 

Rikke Bjarnhof comes from a position as head of the Research, Collection and Conservation department and Building and Fixtures at the National Museum of Denmark. After graduating as a conservator, she studied management at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). Since 2013 Rikke Bjarnhof has been a member of the School of Conservation’s recruitment panel and has worked with its leaders for many years. She has professional and managerial experience from all units of the Conservation Department, and from ‘Ethnographic Collection’ and ‘Denmark’s Recent History’ at the National Museum of Denmark. 

Lene Dammand Lund says: “Rikke has extensive knowledge about conservation and preservation from the National Museum of Denmark. She also has substantial leadership experience in the context of joint efforts to further develop the School of Conservation and getting our expert conservators to be even more visible in the labour market and to have more say in Denmark’s cultural and natural heritage. She is passionate about maintaining the high level of the School of Conservation. So I really look forward to working with her, and I am sure that Rikke will be a huge asset for the School of Conservation.” 

Conservators’ knowledge should make more of a mark in society
In Rikke Bjarnhof’s view, it is important to maintain the professionalism of the School of Conservation in terms of safeguarding Denmark’s cultural and natural heritage and its international reputation. She also sees great potential in using the knowledge of conservators more widely in society, where there are so many opportunities for conservators to show what they can do in a wide variety of fields. 

The School of Conservation is already in a unique position, but it is also important for the School of Conservation to be sensitive to new societal needs. 

“I look forward to leading an internationally-recognised school of conservation, where the priority will still be the development of professionalism and research in cooperation with the outside world,” she says. “But I also see a lot of opportunities for spreading the unique skills that conservators possess today to benefit a greater part of Danish society. There are several contexts, in both the public and private sectors, where conservators can contribute relevant knowledge in relation to the preservation of culture and nature.” 

The well-being of both staff and students and their collaboration are also important priorities for Rikke Bjarnhof. “It will be a pleasure to lead so many skilled staff and students, together making the School of Conservation even more relevant for more people.”