This editor profile is the thirteenth in a series which will introduce you to a selection of our editors.
This week we have an interview with Mogens Henze, Editor-in-Chief of Water Research.

What aspect of being an editor do you find most rewarding?
I think the most rewarding thing is to see that the journal thrives and develops. We have a fantastic group of editors.  We work strategically to find out how to develop the journal and we try to expand into new areas as science develops. 

Can you describe how it feels when you come across a groundbreaking paper?
There’s no feeling because normally you don’t realize it until years later. We had a forty-year anniversary last year; in that span of time we published 10,000 papers. We looked at citations and we had all our editors decide which of these papers had really changed the scientific world.  We picked 10 papers and made a promotional issue, with editorials telling why it was groundbreaking and what it meant later.  Doing this exercise sharpened our focus on what is a good and a bad paper. For example, papers that only give data and measurements without any further attempt to develop new theories, does not contribute much to the advancement of science.

What advice would you give to a new editor?
When we get new editors in we try to help them understand that being an editor is very different from being a referee; the editor has to take a broader view.  The paper may include new findings, but it may not be significant to the science.  That’s a difficult job.  Editors make errors, and I always say ‘don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Be open that we are not perfect.’

How do you balance your role as editor with your other roles?
It’s very different from all my other roles.  I started as an editor many years ago because I found it fascinating to be on the forefront of the developments in my field.  I found it interesting to figure out how to handle papers in a positive way and I like to make changes to smoothen the editorial process. Hopefully they’re positive, if not I will say, ‘Okay, that’s wrong,’ and then we try once more.  It’s a little bit like science.  Sometimes you get a good result and sometimes you get a bad result, but if you don’t try, nothing will happen.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be either an opera singer or an engineer.  My father was an engineer and I played a lot of piano as a young man.  Dealing with art, as a scientist, is very good in many ways because it cuts away this nerd thing about scientists; my interest in culture is very high.

Why did you choose engineering as your field of study?
It was the biological part of chemical engineering, the living organisms that could be used to make products to create solutions.  Microorganisms are used in many products. For example, they can remove pollutants from wastewater in order to protect groundwater. I like that they are living creatures that you must handle in a decent way to work for you.  Do they like the environment that you give them?  If they like it they work for you, if they don’t they die.

Tell me about collaboration.  What is the secret to success?
What I like most is the collaboration with excellent co-editors, which I find extremely rewarding. We discuss together what we want to achieve and then let people develop their own methods to do it. It is important to give freedom to your collaborators, to respect their work and their results.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned in your career?
It is to think ahead and plan for the future. You have to have an idea of what will happen tomorrow or next year so you can plan, together with your colleagues, how to handle future challenges.  I have often been proactive and therefore prepared for changes.  It’s much more fun to be in the forefront, not just for me but also for my employees.  It’s tough, but it makes life much more fun.

What is your biggest achievement?
I’ve been good at selecting teams and helping them to collaborate. It’s extremely important to have the right people, but it’s also important to be willing to remove people who are not contributing to the team.  That is not easy but I prefer to take that uneasiness, for a short time, when it is better for the activity, but also for the person.

What are you currently reading?  Would you recommend it?  If so, why?
Paul Auster “City of Glass.”  It’s about a person that changes his identity through the novel and also takes the author’s identity.  He’s playing with fiction and it makes you think.  I read an interview with him where he said:  ‘Maybe it’s not Paul Auster that writes a novel but the novel that writes Paul Auster.’  Many authors start with a clear idea, but at some point the novel takes over, which I find very interesting.  It’s not the way we write scientific papers.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration from a scientific point is Professor Poul Harremoës. He was filled with new ideas and he was able to get these ideas through. He helped me figure out what was the best next step for my development.  He was the kind of person who was willing to give away a good task to other people. Most institutes have one big star, but he was able to create a very strong team and give them opportunities to develop. 

What would you like your legacy to be?
That I changed Water Research from a somewhat old-fashioned journal, to a modern journal of high quality.

What do you like to do for fun?
Mostly, I like cultural experiences and travels.  I do a lot of traveling in both my work and personal life.  The waterfalls in South America are fantastic, but also the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.