{"id":172970,"date":"2025-02-05T03:33:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T02:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/afgaaende-forperson-for-dsf-vi-har-givet-regeringen-kamp-til-stregen\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T10:11:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T09:11:51","slug":"departing-student-leader-we-pushed-the-government-to-its-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/departing-student-leader-we-pushed-the-government-to-its-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"Departing student leader: \u00bbWe pushed the government to its limits\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"

E<\/span>sben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen shakes his head slightly in resignation and looks around the room at the university rectors.<\/p>\n

\n

Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen<\/p>\n

He is 24 years old and studies Political Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), where he started in 2019.<\/p>\n

He has been active in the Student Council at UCPH, where he eventually became chairperson before taking over as chairperson of the National Union of Danish Students (DSF) in 2023.<\/p>\n

During his time at DSF, he took a leave of absence from his studies but is now returning to write his bachelor\u2019s thesis in political science. He plans to write about the Danish master’s degree reforms.<\/p>\n

The new chairperson of DSF is Christoffer Rosenkvist, an architecture student at the Royal Danish Academy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sitting across from him are senior officials at the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. They are explaining to him that a political ambition to turn 20 per cent of future master’s programmes into vocational business-oriented programmes cannot be altered.<\/p>\n

This in spite of the fact that a committee consisting of those same university rectors, and the National Union of Danish Students (DSF) \u2014 themselves tasked by the government to evaluate the Danish master\u2019s reform \u2014 had just emphasized<\/a> that it is only realistic to convert seven per cent of them.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Key committee says reform to Danish master’s degrees is \u00bbextremely difficult\u00ab<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

He had to protest against what he now calls the ministry\u2019s \u00bbspreadsheet exercise\u00ab.<\/p>\n

\u00bbLauge (Lunding Bach, DSF\u2019s deputy chairperson, ed.) and I put our foot down and emphasized that this simply can\u2019t be right. The rectors didn\u2019t believe in it either: But we were the ones who made it clear to the ministry,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

Fight against the SVM coalition<\/h3>\n

For Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, the memory of that moment remains vivid. It was a turning point which, according to him, ultimately led to changes to a much-criticized reform of Danish master’s degree programmes.<\/p>\n

A reform that has taken up most of his time as chairperson of DSF. He stood down as chairperson on 1 February after two years.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIn many ways, my entire tenure was shaped by a single pressing issue. About a month before I became chair, a new government platform<\/a> was introduced, outlining plans to shorten up to half of all master’s programmes and make significant cuts to the SU student grant,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, referring to the generous Danish student grant system.
\n
\nThat is why most of his hours at the DSF offices in the central Copenhagen R\u00e5dhuspladsen have, in one way or another, also been spent working against the current Danish coalition government, known as the SVM coalition.<\/p>\n

\u00bbMy ambition has been to make it as difficult as possible for the government to implement its plans. In that way, the fight for better conditions for future students has been a very concrete part of my entire tenure as chairperson,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, do you consider your time as chairperson a success?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbYes, I actually do. Like many others, I have made an effort that has had a tangible impact. If you look back in ten years at DSF\u2019s work in the early part of this decade, I think the narrative will be that we lost a lot of battles. The Social Democrats were allowed to cut our master’s programmes, and there was a universities relocation plan<\/a> that did not take into account the fundamental way universities operate their programmes. But I believe \u2014 and hope \u2014 that during these years, we have managed to lay the groundwork for stopping this trend,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

According to the now former chairperson, DSF has played a central role in creating broad consensus within the education sector that cuts are not the solution.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI believe we have set an agenda that universities, academic unions, industry organisations, and employers all largely support \u2014 namely, that education cuts are very bad pathways to go down. And DSF has had a significant role in that,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

False premise<\/h3>\n

The government\u2019s ambition with the controversial reform is to encourage more young people to choose vocational education or professional bachelor’s degrees instead of going for academic careers.<\/p>\n

A study by the Economic Council of the Labour Movement<\/a> suggests that Denmark will face a shortage of 99,000 skilled workers by 2030, which could lead to higher unemployment and harm businesses and economic growth.<\/p>\n

Isn’t it a good idea to strengthen other parts of the education system beyond universities?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbI fundamentally agree that the government should prioritise funding for vocational education. But I simply don\u2019t understand the premise that this must also involve cuts to university education. I think that premise is really dangerous for the entire education system. Right now, we need more skilled workers, so we allocate funds there. But in ten years time, we may find ourselves short of engineers \u2014 so then the money should flow the other way. That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s crucial to take a broader perspective on these things,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

With the university reform, the government aims to challenge the perception of young people in university and vocational-oriented education programmes as being divided into an A-team and a B-team. Isn\u2019t there some merit in shifting that mindset and creating more balance between different education pathways?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbYes, and I believe much should be done to address the prestige hierarchies that far too many young people experience and are restricted by. I just don\u2019t think the university reform will significantly change this by cutting a year from master’s programmes. With this reform, many university degrees will be about the same length as teacher training programmes. And then the question becomes: Would you rather train to be a schoolteacher in four years? Or earn a university master’s degree in four years? The prevailing mindset is that a master’s degree sits at the top of the hierarchy \u2014 so if they have the same duration, even fewer people will choose teacher training,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

\u00bbInstead, the government should have approached it from the other direction and asked how vocational and professional education could be made more attractive,\u00ab he says.
\n
\nAlong with the reform to master’s degrees, has also come an enrolment cap<\/a>, which means that Denmark\u2019s eight universities must admit 2,654 fewer bachelor\u2019s students each year until 2029 compared to the 2018\u20132022 intake. At the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), this translates to a reduction of 789 student places compared to the 2018\u20132022 levels.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> University of Copenhagen to slash admissions numbers by 789 places annually<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This particular aspect of the university reform is something Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen is especially critical of.<\/p>\n

\u00bbNo one really wants, or sees the point of the enrolment cap. It only makes sense within the Ministry of Finance, because it allows them to set an upper limit on how many students they are actually willing to fund. This makes for better budget security for the Ministry of Finance. But at the same time, it means that we have to quash the dreams of many more young people,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

The reform has taken up everything<\/h3>\n

According to the departing chairperson, the intense focus on the university reforms has meant that other issues have had to take a backseat. For example, he would have liked to do more to present what he calls a realistic picture of student life to the public.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI think many Danes nowadays have the idea that students live these incredibly privileged lives and could get by with a lot less money. And I think we haven’t been good at telling the real stories about students\u2019 daily lives\u2014about how crucial the [Danish student grant] SU is for paying rent, and how difficult it is to find affordable housing in Copenhagen,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, continuing:<\/p>\n

\u00bbThe political manoeuvring around reforms \u2014 such as the university reforms in my case \u2014 can easily consume all your attention. And perhaps it has to an excessive degree, because it offers the option of concrete changes in the short term. But this can come at the expense of long-term strategic efforts to improve overall conditions for students. And perhaps we haven\u2019t always been the good at finding that balance,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen remains optimistic, nevertheless, about the future of the 93-year-old organisation, which he is confident will remain relevant.<\/p>\n

\u00bbSome people see student politics as a battlefield for competing directions. But I fundamentally believe that as students we share more interests in common, than things that divide us. That\u2019s why we gain more influence when we speak with a united voice. That core idea, I believe, ensures that DSF will continue to wield influence and remain an unavoidable force in the education sector,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

DSF\u2019s impact<\/h3>\n

Looking back at the confrontation with ministry officials, Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen believes that the defiant stance he and Lauge Lunding Bach took that day illustrates how DSF has helped shape the university reform into something different from its original form.
\n
\nGoing forward, 20 percent of master’s students are to be enrolled on a business-oriented master’s programme, while 10 percent will be enrolled on the shorter master’s track.<\/p>\n

Additionally, a supplementary agreement<\/a> has ensured greater flexibility and more lenient financial conditions, allowing for different models for business-oriented master’s programmes.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe have pushed the government to its limits, and I am quite convinced that without DSF, the university reform would have looked completely different,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n

Both the government and opposition politicians have recently stated that the reports from the master’s reform committee played a key role in shaping the final agreement.<\/p>\n

For this reason, he is also pleased that DSF chose to participate in it when they were invited.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere was certainly a debate within DSF about whether we should join, given that it was essentially an exercise in legitimising something we fundamentally oppose. But I am certain that it was the right decision, precisely because we have had significant and concrete influence on the final outcome.\u00ab
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The battle over the Danish reform of master’s degree programmes was the key test, says the departing chair of the National Union of Danish Students. 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09:06:46","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1707,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"full","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"After two years representing Danish students, Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen's term as chair of DSF is over. The post will be taken over by architect student Christoffer Rosenkvist."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Farewell portrait","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><span class=\"dropcap\">E<\/span>sben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen shakes his head slightly in resignation and looks around the room at the university rectors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen<\/p>\n<p>He is 24 years old and studies Political Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), where he started in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>He has been active in the Student Council at UCPH, where he eventually became chairperson before taking over as chairperson of the National Union of Danish Students (DSF) in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>During his time at DSF, he took a leave of absence from his studies but is now returning to write his bachelor\u2019s thesis in political science. He plans to write about the Danish master’s degree reforms.<\/p>\n<p>The new chairperson of DSF is Christoffer Rosenkvist, an architecture student at the Royal Danish Academy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sitting across from him are senior officials at the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. They are explaining to him that a political ambition to turn 20 per cent of future master’s programmes into vocational business-oriented programmes cannot be altered.<\/p>\n<p>This in spite of the fact that a committee consisting of those same university rectors, and the National Union of Danish Students (DSF) \u2014 themselves tasked by the government to evaluate the Danish master\u2019s reform \u2014 had <a href=\"https:\/\/ufm.dk\/aktuelt\/nyheder\/2024\/kandidatudvalget-offentliggor-sin-delafrapportering\">just emphasized<\/a> that it is only realistic to convert seven per cent of them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/key-committee-says-reform-to-danish-masters-degrees-extremely-difficult\/\">Key committee says reform to Danish master’s degrees is \u00bbextremely difficult\u00ab<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>He had to protest against what he now calls the ministry\u2019s \u00bbspreadsheet exercise\u00ab.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbLauge (Lunding Bach, DSF\u2019s deputy chairperson, ed.) and I put our foot down and emphasized that this simply can\u2019t be right. The rectors didn\u2019t believe in it either: But we were the ones who made it clear to the ministry,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<h3>Fight against the SVM coalition<\/h3>\n<p>For Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, the memory of that moment remains vivid. It was a turning point which, according to him, ultimately led to changes to a much-criticized reform of Danish master’s degree programmes.<\/p>\n<p>A reform that has taken up most of his time as chairperson of DSF. He stood down as chairperson on 1 February after two years.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIn many ways, my entire tenure was shaped by a single pressing issue. About a month before I became chair, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stm.dk\/statsministeriet\/publikationer\/regeringsgrundlag-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a new government platform<\/a> was introduced, outlining plans to shorten up to half of all master’s programmes and make significant cuts to the SU student grant,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, referring to the generous Danish student grant system.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"My ambition has been to make it as difficult as possible for the government to implement its plans.","quotee":"Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, departing DSF chairperson","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>That is why most of his hours at the DSF offices in the central Copenhagen R\u00e5dhuspladsen have, in one way or another, also been spent working against the current Danish coalition government, known as the SVM coalition.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMy ambition has been to make it as difficult as possible for the government to implement its plans. In that way, the fight for better conditions for future students has been a very concrete part of my entire tenure as chairperson,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<p><em>With that in mind, do you consider your time as chairperson a success?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYes, I actually do. Like many others, I have made an effort that has had a tangible impact. If you look back in ten years at DSF\u2019s work in the early part of this decade, I think the narrative will be that we lost a lot of battles. The Social Democrats were allowed to cut our master’s programmes, and there was <a href=\"https:\/\/ufm.dk\/aktuelt\/pressemeddelelser\/2021\/bred-politisk-aftale-om-bedre-muligheder-for-uddannelse-i-hele-danmark\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a universities relocation plan<\/a> that did not take into account the fundamental way universities operate their programmes. But I believe \u2014 and hope \u2014 that during these years, we have managed to lay the groundwork for stopping this trend,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<p>According to the now former chairperson, DSF has played a central role in creating broad consensus within the education sector that cuts are not the solution.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI believe we have set an agenda that universities, academic unions, industry organisations, and employers all largely support \u2014 namely, that education cuts are very bad pathways to go down. And DSF has had a significant role in that,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<h3>False premise<\/h3>\n<p>The government\u2019s ambition with the controversial reform is to encourage more young people to choose vocational education or professional bachelor’s degrees instead of going for academic careers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ae.dk\/files\/media\/document\/ae_temapublikation_danmark-mangler-99.000-fagl%C3%A6rte-i-2030_web_0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A study by the Economic Council of the Labour Movement<\/a> suggests that Denmark will face a shortage of 99,000 skilled workers by 2030, which could lead to higher unemployment and harm businesses and economic growth.<\/p>\n<p><em>Isn’t it a good idea to strengthen other parts of the education system beyond universities?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI fundamentally agree that the government should prioritise funding for vocational education. But I simply don\u2019t understand the premise that this must also involve cuts to university education. I think that premise is really dangerous for the entire education system. Right now, we need more skilled workers, so we allocate funds there. But in ten years time, we may find ourselves short of engineers \u2014 so then the money should flow the other way. That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s crucial to take a broader perspective on these things,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<p><em>With the university reform, the government aims to challenge the perception of young people in university and vocational-oriented education programmes as being divided into an A-team and a B-team. Isn\u2019t there some merit in shifting that mindset and creating more balance between different education pathways?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYes, and I believe much should be done to address the prestige hierarchies that far too many young people experience and are restricted by. I just don\u2019t think the university reform will significantly change this by cutting a year from master’s programmes. With this reform, many university degrees will be about the same length as teacher training programmes. And then the question becomes: Would you rather train to be a schoolteacher in four years? Or earn a university master’s degree in four years? The prevailing mindset is that a master’s degree sits at the top of the hierarchy \u2014 so if they have the same duration, even fewer people will choose teacher training,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbInstead, the government should have approached it from the other direction and asked how vocational and professional education could be made more attractive,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"No one really wants, or sees the point of the enrolment cap. It only makes sense within the Ministry of Finance","quotee":"Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, departing DSF chairperson","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Along with the reform to master’s degrees, has also come <a href=\"https:\/\/ufm.dk\/aktuelt\/nyheder\/2024\/filer\/udmontning-af-sektordimensionering-i-perioden-2025-2029.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an enrolment cap<\/a>, which means that Denmark\u2019s eight universities must admit 2,654 fewer bachelor\u2019s students each year until 2029 compared to the 2018\u20132022 intake. At the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), this translates to a reduction of 789 student places compared to the 2018\u20132022 levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/university-of-copenhagen-to-slash-admissions-numbers-by-789-places-annually\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Copenhagen to slash admissions numbers by 789 places annually<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This particular aspect of the university reform is something Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen is especially critical of.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbNo one really wants, or sees the point of the enrolment cap. It only makes sense within the Ministry of Finance, because it allows them to set an upper limit on how many students they are actually willing to fund. This makes for better budget security for the Ministry of Finance. But at the same time, it means that we have to quash the dreams of many more young people,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<h3>The reform has taken up everything<\/h3>\n<p>According to the departing chairperson, the intense focus on the university reforms has meant that other issues have had to take a backseat. For example, he would have liked to do more to present what he calls a realistic picture of student life to the public.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI think many Danes nowadays have the idea that students live these incredibly privileged lives and could get by with a lot less money. And I think we haven’t been good at telling the real stories about students\u2019 daily lives\u2014about how crucial the [Danish student grant] SU is for paying rent, and how difficult it is to find affordable housing in Copenhagen,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, continuing:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThe political manoeuvring around reforms \u2014 such as the university reforms in my case \u2014 can easily consume all your attention. And perhaps it has to an excessive degree, because it offers the option of concrete changes in the short term. But this can come at the expense of long-term strategic efforts to improve overall conditions for students. And perhaps we haven\u2019t always been the good at finding that balance,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen remains optimistic, nevertheless, about the future of the 93-year-old organisation, which he is confident will remain relevant.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbSome people see student politics as a battlefield for competing directions. But I fundamentally believe that as students we share more interests in common, than things that divide us. That\u2019s why we gain more influence when we speak with a united voice. That core idea, I believe, ensures that DSF will continue to wield influence and remain an unavoidable force in the education sector,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>DSF\u2019s impact<\/h3>\n<p>Looking back at the confrontation with ministry officials, Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen believes that the defiant stance he and Lauge Lunding Bach took that day illustrates how DSF has helped shape the university reform into something different from its original form.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"The master's reform would have looked completely different if it hadn't been for DSF","quotee":"Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen, departing DSF chairperson","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Going forward, 20 percent of master’s students are to be enrolled on a business-oriented master’s programme, while 10 percent will be enrolled on the shorter master’s track.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/ufm.dk\/aktuelt\/pressemeddelelser\/2024\/forligstillaeg-til-universitetsreformen-forligskreds-abner-for-ny-type-erhvervskandidatuddannelse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a supplementary agreement<\/a> has ensured greater flexibility and more lenient financial conditions, allowing for different models for business-oriented master’s programmes.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe have pushed the government to its limits, and I am quite convinced that without DSF, the university reform would have looked completely different,\u00ab says Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen.<\/p>\n<p>Both the government and opposition politicians have recently stated that the reports from the master’s reform committee played a key role in shaping the final agreement.<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, he is also pleased that DSF chose to participate in it when they were invited.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere was certainly a debate within DSF about whether we should join, given that it was essentially an exercise in legitimising something we fundamentally oppose. But I am certain that it was the right decision, precisely because we have had significant and concrete influence on the final outcome.\u00ab<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with our top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3160,"name":"People","slug":"people","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3160,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":58,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":3552,"name":"Danske Studerendes F\u00e6llesr\u00e5d","slug":"danske-studerendes-faellesraad-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3552,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":4642,"name":"Esben Bj\u00f8rn Salmonsen","slug":"esben-bjoern-salmonsen-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4642,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":6293,"name":"kandidatreform","slug":"kandidatreform-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6293,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7451,"name":"universitetsreform","slug":"universitetsreform-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7451,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":803,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":674,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/esbensalmonsen-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172970"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173048,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172970\/revisions\/173048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}