Studyabroad

For those enamoured by the tales of Hans Christian Anderson, Denmark provides the perfect ambience for academic pursuits. Hygge, the unique Danish culture, combined with excellent courses taught in English, is an incentive for students who wish to pursue higher studies in a country fabled for its beauty.

Danish degrees are recognised internationally and there are currently more than 6,000 international students studying in Denmark.

“Higher education in Denmark has a history of excellence. It has a tradition of dynamism and innovation in research as well as in teaching methods and learning environments,” says Dorte Bech Vizard, first secretary at the Danish Embassy in New Delhi.

High academic standards, active study environments, interdisciplinary studies and project-based activities are some of the attributes of a Danish education.

“Currently, there are about 200 Indians studying in Denmark,” says Vizard. The courses most popular among Indians are business, engineering, multi-media and designing. In Denmark, students from EU, Norway and Iceland do not have to pay tuition fees. “Students from other parts of the world have to pay tuition fees that vary from course to course,” says Vizard.

For example, at the Danish Technical University, the cost for fee-paying students enrolled in a study programme is 102,500 Danish kroner or 13,500 euros per academic year. Apart from the tuition fees, accommodation generally costs around 250 to 500 euros per month.

There are eight major universities in Denmark apart from polytechnics. Indian students opt for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. “The well-known universities in Denmark are Copenhagen University, Alborg University, Aarhus University and Copenhagen Business School,” says Vizard.

Ashok Bhattacharya, a media scholar from Calcutta, completed a fellowship at the University of Aarhus and enjoyed the experience. “An essential feature of the Danish educational system is that students are encouraged to think for themselves,” he says.

For Indian students who are used to the rigmarole of traditional classroom lectures, this comes as a big challenge for these courses place more emphasis on originality and creativity than rote learning. “The atmosphere is also very competitive and a lot of the courses place emphasis on project work,” he remarks.

Courses are offered in both Danish and English. Students are also allowed to work part-time for 15 hours a week, if the duration of the course is two years or more. Most universities also offer accommodation for international students and those who make an advance request are considered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The University of Copenhagen currently offers a limited number of master degree programmes in English but in 2008 and 2009, the number will increase considerably,” says Bente B. Petersen, assistant to the director of the University of Copenhagen International Office.

There are also some short-term courses for students of non-EU countries. A student of a short-term course, also known as a guest student, must provide a statement from his home university that he will be enrolled there during his stay in Copenhagen and that the credits earned at the University of Copenhagen will be counted towards his degree at his home university. “It is essential to complete at least one-and-a-half years of study at the home university to apply as a guest student at the University of Copenhagen,” says Petersen.

International students are allowed to work in Denmark, provided they get a job within six months of completion of their degrees. The Danish Health Security Act covers international students and allows them to enjoy free medical care.

“One has to be serious to make a success of oneself in a Danish programme at the postgraduate level,” says Bhattacharya. Scholarships for international students are few and divided among the different departments of Danish universities. So competition is tough, he says.

However, according to officials at the Danish ministry of education, contacts are being established to facilitate exchange programmes with Indian universities.

Mainak Sen, a BBA student at Bangalore University, plans to apply for an MBA programme at the Copenhagen Business School. “I was impressed with their international network and partnership with renowned universities such as Warwick in the UK and Stellenbosch in South Africa,” he says.

Bhattacharya says the Copenhagen Business School is one of the institutes that is actively seeking Indian students to widen their international focus.

“A new portal www.newtoden mark.dk has also been put up to assist students intent on pursuing academics in Denmark,” signs off Vizard.

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)