The Danish Embassy participates in the International Education Expo 2012, held on 27 – 28 October at Siam Paragon Shopping Center, Bangkok. On the 27th, Danish Ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther and his wife Ratanawadee were present at the Embassy’s booth talking to Thai students who are interested in studying in Denmark.
Organised by the office of Civil Service Commission (OCSC), the International Education Expo 2012 is held under the concept “Education makes you look good”, presenting more than 290 leading universities from 20 countries.
During the event, the embassy’s staff and Thai graduates from Denmark have handed out materials about studying in Denmark and given advice on issues relating to studying there.
Eva C. Szeftel, Head of Visa Section, is among the Embassy’s staff providing information to interested students and their parents.
“We are here to inform students about the possibility to study in Denmark. So far we have a very good response. A lot of students who studied there have visited us and we also have many interested students visiting us with their parents. We let them know about available courses and accommodation options. Some parents also asked about safety,” says Eva.
While there are many English-language courses available for international students, Eva says that many Thai students are interested in Design and Engineering.
Eva says that though it is expensive to study in Denmark, the European Union offers a lot of scholarships to international students where tuition fee is paid for and students are allowed to work up to 15 hours per week during a semester.
The Danish Ambassador invites Thai students to study in Denmark
The Danish ambassador says that education in Denmark is an alternative choice to study in the UK, the US, or Canada, offering students a chance to experience another culture in a small well functioning society.
“Denmark is an alternative choice for some people who look to try a different adventure or don’t want to do the predictable or the same as everyone else. If you go to London, you’d be in a city that is bigger than Bangkok but if you go to Copenhagen, you’d be in a small city where you still have a lot of things to do but in a more intimate setting,” says the ambassador.
The ambassador says that the Danish education system applies a modern way of teaching which is called “Inductive teaching” where teachers are involved with students a lot.
“And we try to emphasize critical thinking where students can question teachers who are down to earth and open for discussions,” says the ambassador.
He also says that the system is somewhat different from Thai education system which tends to involve hierarchy whereas the Danish education system encourages creativity.
As for the lifestyle there, the ambassador believes that it should be easy for students to adapt to the Danish society as they are already part of the community as students. He says that since there are many Thai people in Denmark, there are many Thai restaurants and supermarkets selling ingredients from Thailand and Thai food.
“I know that most Thai people miss Thai food when they are abroad. You can have it all in Denmark. Only in Copenhagen alone, there are about 80 – 90 Thai restaurants there,” says the ambassador.
“The Danish society is modern. I think Thai people will like it,” he adds.
A talk with Mintra, a graduate from Denmark
Mintra went to Denmark for the first time as a student on AFS international exchange program. She says that she enjoyed studying there so much so she decided to go back to do her Master’s Degree in Life Long Learning in Denmark in 2009.
“I was very happy with everything when I studied there. University libraries in Denmark are open 24 hours so it’s very convenient for students to choose study time that works best for them. I think it’s a safe place to live and study. I also like the weather there,” Mintra tells ScandAsia.
At the booth, the embassy also got visitors to participate in a 13 quiz about Denmark. The name of the lucky winners will be announced on Monday 29 October. Prizes for the winners are ECCO shoes.
