Here is how Denmark is to be made into a more attractive study destination

The government has published a list of 24 initiatives that are to attract more international students and keep them in the country after they graduate.

The comprehensive report includes proposals to change immigration legislation, work more closely with industry and employers, and even an initiative to expand the government-run website studyindenmark.dk to recruit more students.

Arguably the most important initiative is the introduction of a two-year work permit for graduates of Danish universities, with no minimum income requirements.

In addition, funds are set aside to offer a full scholarship and a monthly stipend to 60-70 highly talented students from non-EU/EES countries.

Reducing bureaucracy

Other initiatives include improved customer service and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles: The university admissions process for applicants with a non-Danish educational background should be handled more efficiently, and government authorities and the educational institutions themselves should become better at communicating in English.

The application process for student visas will be digitised, and students in programmes with mandatory internships will be granted a work permit for the internship together with their student visa (currently, international students with mandatory internships have to apply for a work permit for their internship independently from their study visa).

Along the same lines, students on the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees, following courses at two or more universities, will in the future be granted a residence permit for the entire programme. Erasmus Mundus students were previously required to apply for a new study visa for each part of their study programme spent in Denmark.

More work hours for internationals

Additional proposals aim at keeping international graduates in Denmark. Among the proposals are an increased focus on counselling and career guidance, and by integrating more international students into the Danish workforce.

This will be achieved by enable more international students to get relevant student jobs and internships.

The number of hours that international students are allowed to work per week will be raised to 20, just as the Danish students on SU.

See the the list of all 24 initiatives in the English summary and the full report (in Danish) attached below.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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