Business lobby: Learn Danish or get out

Students visiting Denmark from abroad, should be legally required to learn Danish during their stay in the country. This is the latest proposal from the Danish Chamber of Commerce, DE, which represents and lobbies for the Danish business sector, according to Seven59.dk and dr.dk.

The organisation is concerned about the high numbers of students, who simply leave the country once their studies are over.

The controversial proposal comes after wider discussions on Denmark’s pressing need for skilled professionals from abroad. Learning Danish will strengthen students’ ability to get a job, as well as integrating them into the society’s culture, according to head of marketing at DE, Søren Friis Larsen.

Rejected by Minister, University

The proposal has met opposition from the University of Copenhagen, who take in more than 2,000 international students every year.

»Denmark is in no way first choice for students, due to its climate, language and costs, and we must not put up any further barriers,« says John E. Andersen, head of the International Office at the University of Copenhagen.

Minister of Education Morten Østergaard will not support the proposal on similar grounds. He says at the same time however that international students nevertheless should be encouraged by their institutions to take up learning Danish.

miy@adm.ku.dk

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