Nina Rønsted to direct the story of our natural history

Having originally done a degree in pharmaceutical science, in 2002 a PhD degree exploring the evolution of plant diversity, especially medicinal plants, transplanted Nina Rønsted from the world of medicine into the world of botany and natural history. Having worked as a botanist and in leadership of botanical gardens and at museums both in Denmark and abroad, she will now – as the first botanist ever – step into the position of Director of Natural History Museum Denmark, which is part of the University of Copenhagen.

From previous stints of working at the museum, Nina Rønsted knows the institution well, and since 1 May she has filled the role of acting museum director. A major task in the next few years will be to prepare and manage the move to a brand new museum building.

“Natural History Museum of Denmark is the result of a merger in 2004 of the Zoological Museum, the Geological Museum, the Botanical Museum and the Botanical Gardens, but it is only now that all our activities will be gathered at the same address. At the new museum, we will have 7,000 square metres of galleries at our disposal for organising exhibitions and displays that are both exciting and enlightening for our visitors to explore. In this way, we will empower and make people want to take better care of our natural world,” says Nina Rønsted without losing sight of the museum’s other two main tasks: looking after the national natural history collections and conducting research into natural history and biodiversity:

“We must develop the right methods for digitising our collection of 14 million artefacts built up over more than 400 years. Digitisation democratises our collection and strengthens our research infrastructure by making it easy for researchers in Denmark and the rest of the world to get an overview of our collections and what they convey about our shared natural history,” says Nina Rønsted and continues:

“We will also continue our Citizen Science project, where we invite citizens to help us collect data and create a comprehensive overview of the state of the natural environment in Denmark today. Alongside our research, the project can improve our knowledge of biodiversity and support nature conservation efforts in Denmark.”

“And finally, we must make much more active use of the Botanical Gardens than is the case today. The gardens – right here in the heart of Copenhagen – are home to 8,000 different plant species from all over the world, many of which are threatened with extinction in nature. The Botanical Gardens can therefore contribute to nature conservation work both in Denmark and internationally.”

Our highly skilled and deeply committed employees are key to our success, and the new museum director is very keen to stress the importance of respecting the individual in the workplace.

“The museum’s employees are extremely dedicated and often invest much more of themselves and their time than can reasonably be expected. Ahead of us lies the huge task of presenting our shared natural history heritage in the best possible way. Being part of this process should be fun, and we must make sure that we do not lose anybody along the way,” says Nina Rønsted.

For Katrine Krogh Andersen, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen, Nina Rønsted is the perfect choice to head a national museum in a state of transformation.

“Nina Rønsted is both a recognised researcher and an attentive and strong leader with a collaborative mindset, who is committed to finding solutions and seizing new opportunities in close collaboration with the museum’s employees and staff at the rest of the University of Copenhagen, as well as other stakeholders in Denmark and abroad. These skills will be key to making a success of the huge tasks that lie ahead and to ensuring that the museum lives up to its obligations as the main museum of natural history in Denmark. Nina has done an impressive and convincing job as acting museum director, and I’m sure that the future of the museum is in very capable hands with her as new director,” says Katrine Krogh Andersen.