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Leave us alone! Theology students want to stay in the city

New 'KUA 3' site planned for 2016 with the Faculty of Humanities is a hard sell for theologians who worry about their personal touch and historical tradition

Students from the Faculty of Theology are not looking forward to switching their central campus for a new building in KUA 3, located a metro-ride away in Amager.

The present campus is located among the older buildings of Købmagergade and houses the Theology and African Studies departments. These are expected to relocate to Amager in 2016 at the earliest, after construction on KUA 3 is completed.

However many disappointed students feel the current campus already symbolizes the essence of their studies and serves their needs. “The faculty now is in a really cool place.” says Rutger Kremers, a Master’s student of African Studies, which is part of the Faculty of Theology.

We don’t need smart whiteboards

For Bachelor student Simone Krieger, theology is an ancient study best represented by their present campus buildings. Relocation to a modern building means the faculty will lose its sense of history and tradition.

“Taking us from the centre of the city would be like taking Theology to a new point of history. When you study Theology, you study old languages, old philosophy, and history, and you don’t really need all those smart white boards and computers.”

“We have a lot of really, really old books, and I am afraid that they will throw them out. I’ve heard that The Royal Library threw out some of their really old books, but you cannot do that to us because our studies go way back, even before Christianity.”

I feel at home here

“The current campus has a cosy feel, you can just walk in and talk to the teachers all the time, they pretty much all know you by name.” says Rutger.

“If it’s going to move to the bigger building, the program is going to lose a lot of the more personal touch.”

“Those kind of facilities are really cool, and I don’t think you will get something like that at KUA. I feel at home here.”

Our identity will remain intact

Kirsten Busch Nielsen, Dean of Theology, believes that while the change will be sad, nothing other than the building itself will be lost. Students will continue to be involved in the process and the faculty’s current ‘essence’ will remain.

“It was the wish of the university to be able to use more money for education and research, and less for buildings. That was the idea behind giving up the locations in downtown Copenhagen and developing four big campus areas,” says Busch Nielsen.

“Something will be lost as we move out of the old part of the city. But together with the architects, we have tried to plan the new building so that they support the identity of the faculty and the ways we like to work.”

Present buildings have cool social aspect

“In a way, it is not difficult to move students, teachers, furniture, offices and books. But the student environment is fragile,” admits Busch Nielsen. She adds that student organisations will be key in strengthening the social study environment at the new campus.

Until then, Master’s student Rutger Kremers and his fellow students will have to enjoy the city centre facilities while he can.

Rutger fears losing the social aspects of the present campus. “Another cool social aspect is that there is Studiekælderen (The Study Basement) and you can rent it and have a dinner party there. There’s even a kitchen to cook.”

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