Ten years ago, the University of Copenhagen began to send two exchange students annually to the University of Sydney in Australia. In the subsequent years, the number of students gradually increased. <\/p>\n
On Monday 27 June, the two university partners signed a \u201csuper bilateral exchange agreement\u201d – as it has been called – to exchange up to 50 students between the universities. The agreement will last for five years and can be renewed.<\/p>\n
It is the first super bilateral exchange agreement entered into by the University of Sydney with another university, while it is the University of Copenhagen\u2019s second (the first was with the University of Toronto in Canada, which allows for \u2018just\u2019 20 students each year).<\/p>\n
Law student Jeppe Nylander Jensen from the University of Copenhagen was an exchange student at the University of Sydney during his final semester. The exchange cost him DKK 100,000 for housing, textbooks and spending money. That was despite the fact that the exchange agreement paid for his education fees, however Nylander Jensen says the money was well spent nevertheless. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe University of Sydney is first and foremost very high level. They have talented professors, modern facilities and many of their buildings are completely new. Sydney is also a fantastic city. The beach is close by, the weather is good, and it has a vibrant life that is kind of different to Copenhagen,\u201d says Nylander Jensen. <\/p>\n
Consultancy firm Mercer agrees. The firm\u2019s \u2018Mercer Quality of Living Rankings\u2019 nominated Sydney as one of the world\u2019s ten best cities to live in, while academically, it also had a lot to offer Nylander Jensen. <\/p>\n
\u201cI became better at English and I got a better perspective on my own studies at the University of Copenhagen, because they have a completely different legal system there,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
Some law courses are geared for different nationalities, says Nylander Jensen. The Australian-based subjects helped him to get more perspective on his studies in Denmark, while other subjects he was able to transfer directly to the University of Copenhagen from the University of Sydney. <\/p>\n
Monday 27 June, the University of Sydney\u2019s Deputy Vice Chancellor flew to Denmark with the one goal of signing the agreement with the University of Copenhagen\u2019s Prorector Lykke Friis. <\/p>\n
According to Trine Sand, the Director of University Education Services, International Education & Grants at the University of Copenhagen, Carlin expressed enthusiasm for taking collaboration with the Danish university one step further.<\/p>\n
Both Friis and Carlin hope that the collaboration \u2013 besides creating more exchange places at the bachelor and masters level \u2013 will one day extend to Ph.D. and possibly create more research contracts between the two universities. <\/p>\n
During the Autumn of 2016, the University of Copenhagen will hold a series of meetings with the University of Sydney in line with the agreement. For example, a cross-faculty delegation from the University of Copenhagen will visit Sydney in November. <\/p>\n
anfj@adm.ku.dk<\/p>\n