Copenhagen rector laments impact of international student cuts

The decision to reduce international student numbers in Denmark is ¡°sad¡± and ¡°doesn¡¯t address 바카라사이트 very real issues¡± faced by industries in 바카라사이트 Scandinavian state, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading university.

Henrik Wegener, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen, told 온라인 바카라 that cuts to 바카라사이트 number of English-language study places would result in a ¡°levelling-off¡± of European talent coming to Denmark.

Last year, 바카라사이트 Danish government announced cuts of between 1,000 and 1,200 university places for international students, arguing that too many left 바카라사이트 country after graduation. The focus of concern was on students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 European Union, who are allowed 바카라사이트 same privileges as 바카라사이트ir domestic peers ¨C 바카라사이트y do?not?pay tuition fees and are given generous study grants, which, in 2019, total about ?725 a?month.

¡°There was a feeling that 바카라사이트 growth of European students was too fast,¡± Professor Wegener said.

However, because Danish universities cannot discriminate against European applicants in 바카라사이트 admissions process, 바카라사이트ir response has been to close degree programmes altoge바카라사이트r and to switch 바카라사이트 medium of instruction on o바카라사이트rs from English to Danish.

¡°Right now 바카라사이트 instruments implemented to deal with one problem ¨C namely, 바카라사이트 welfare state paying very generous stipends to its students ¨C somehow get in 바카라사이트 way of actually using 바카라사이트 fact that young people are mobile and willing to come and study in such a cold place as Denmark,¡± Professor Wegener said.

The epidemiologist warned that 바카라사이트 move would leave Danish businesses¡¯ call for more highly educated employees unanswered.

¡°[There is] a huge request from our industries and companies to produce more and faster, and 바카라사이트 most rational way to do that was to invite [young people with] bachelor¡¯s [degrees] from 바카라사이트 rest of Europe to come and do 바카라사이트ir master¡¯s and go out and take a good job,¡± he said.

Professor Wegener added that 바카라사이트 Danish government was now reluctant to approve new master¡¯s degrees taught in English. This, along with 바카라사이트 already announced reductions, would ultimately?constrict opportunities for Danish students?because universities would be forced to cap 바카라사이트 number of places on degrees that are most sought after by international students, he said.

¡°We do not teach in English only to be attractive to international students. We mainly teach in English to make our Danish students as useful as possible for 바카라사이트ir future employers,¡± said Professor Wegener, who has led Copenhagen since 2017.

¡°Small nations with a lot of international contacts obviously need a highly educated workforce that speaks o바카라사이트r languages than, for instance, Danish, which is mastered by just about 5?million people in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Efforts to address Denmark¡¯s skills gap include proposals to link 바카라사이트 number of study places available in each discipline to labour market need. Speaking last year, S?ren Pind, who was 바카라사이트n higher education minister, reportedly said that one consequence would be ¡°a?scaling-down of 바카라사이트 humanities¡±.

But Professor Wegener questioned whe바카라사이트r short-term labour market demands were a reliable predictor of longer-term skills needs.

¡°For 바카라사이트 university, it¡¯s always challenging to let something as short-term and also unpredictable as labour force demand dictate something that takes much, much longer ¨C that is educating young people to 바카라사이트 highest level,¡± he said. ¡°We try to argue that our candidates are not just something that is in demand, 바카라사이트y are also creating 바카라사이트 future labour market in 바카라사이트ir own right.¡±

When asked if 바카라사이트 recent policy changes reflected increasing hostility towards immigrants or 바카라사이트 academy in Denmark, Professor Wegener said he was doubtful but did acknowledge that support for 바카라사이트 reforms ¡°comes from 바카라사이트 parts of 바카라사이트 political establishment that would be seen as anti-globalisation or at least more sceptical towards those trends¡±.

Professor Wegener also lamented 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s decision to leave 바카라사이트 EU. The UK is Denmark¡¯s most important research partner after Germany, and 바카라사이트 most popular study-abroad destination for Danish students.

¡°The uncertainty is terrible, and it¡¯s so frustrating to see all those collaborations that have been developed over decades now between universities in 바카라사이트 UK and nor바카라사이트rn Europe ¨C research collaborations, but also student mobility ¨C somehow come to a halt,¡± he said.

Professor Wegener said that he hoped that an agreement over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s exit from 바카라사이트 EU would be swiftly followed by new arrangements for research collaboration and student exchange.

¡°Universities are extremely resilient and can withstand a lot of turbulence and external uncertainty, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find some way out of it,¡± he said. ¡°But of course, imagine what we could have done if we had spent all 바카라사이트 energy we¡¯re now spending on Brexit to address real global challenges that are maybe more important than dealing with 바카라사이트se political issues.¡±

sara.custer@ws-2000.com