University of Copenhagen management shuts down all retreat rooms

Retreat rooms at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) are to be permanently closed on 1 December, according to an announcement by management via a press release on KUnet. The news follows recurring public controversy, both inside and outside the university. The rooms have been criticised for encouraging behavioural policing and gender segregation.

We are all affected by the situation and feel that the decision has been made over our heads

Ali Reza, spokesperson for Free Retreat Rooms

UCPH management had initially set up a working group to map out the use of the rooms, which have also been called quiet rooms and prayer rooms. But before the group had a chance to meet, lobby group Universities Denmark issued a set of joint guidelines for retreat room usage across all Danish universities. When Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated in a  5 June Constitution Day speech that prayer rooms should not exist at Danish universities, UCPH management reaffirmed to the University Post that the retreat rooms still played an important role for students.

Ali Reza, spokesperson for a new student party Free Retreat Rooms, which is fielding 63 candidates in the upcoming University of Copenhagen election for its Board, says:

»My fellow students and I are deeply dissatisfied and disappointed by the decision. We are all affected by the situation and feel that the decision has been made over our heads.«

Retreat rooms for students with disabilities

The retreat rooms story is not over yet however. According to the press release, university management will now explore how to recreate the rooms to be more inclusive for people with disabilities.

The decision is partly based on a just released report from the working group, which outlines how future retreat rooms could be designed with a focus on providing safe and calm spaces for students with disabilities. UCPH management refers both to the report’s conclusions [in Danish] and to a recent inclusion survey, which showed that students with disabilities feel excluded and call for better physical spaces at the university.

READ ALSO: The University of Copenhagen’s inclusion survey: This is what surprised us

»The study environment should be for everyone, but the report shows that the retreat rooms currently only serve a narrow segment of students and do not therefore fulfil their purpose. We need to rethink how to create spaces that accommodate all students who need a moment of peace,« says Prorector for Education Kristian Lauta in the press release.

»Burden on students«

Ali Reza fears the closure will negatively affect the wellbeing of those who used the rooms. With the rooms gone, students must now find alternatives if they need to, for instance, pray — often spending their breaks searching for vacant spaces on campus:

»I think this will be a burden on students and will contribute to increased stress levels, especially among those already facing significant challenges in their daily lives.«

Asked whether he sees any upside to the rethink of the retreat rooms, Ali Reza replies:

»We are critical of the entire process. The idea itself is fine, and it does show that UCPH cares about inclusion — unlike University of Southern Denmark (SDU), which chose to just close its retreat rooms. But we believe the rooms should have remained open in the meantime, and that we should have been included in the decision-making process.«

The University Post contacted Lars Cyril Nørgaard, chair of the working group, who declined to comment for this article but has agreed to a longer interview about the report.

This article was first written in Danish and published on 20 November 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.