The number of Chinese students at Danish universities has increased by 43 percent in the last three years.
473 Chinese students got a residence permit in 2010 to study at a Danish university. That is the highest recorded number ever and an increase of 43 percent compared to 2007, according to The Danish Immigration Service.
Chinese students made up 12 percent of the total number of foreign students that were granted a residence permits to study at Danish universities in 2010.
“It is very positive that more and more Chinese students are studying at Danish universities. The exchange of students is a great form of cultural exchange and will help bring our two countries closer. The opening of the Sino-Danish University Center in Beijing in 2013 will further strengthen the relationship between Denmark and China,” says Danish Ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen.
He stresses that there are far more Chinese students studying in Europe than European students studying in China. This imbalance must me evened out, so that the European youth can learn from China, like the Chinese youth learns from Europe.
Danish universities emphasize independent study, initiative and project oriented learning.
Many higher education institutions also cooperate with private business and research institutions, bringing about an enriching and up-to-date learning environment.
Denmark has won 11 Nobel prizes – mostly for medicine and physics. With a population of 5,5 million, that ranks Denmark as one of the most Nobel Prize winning countries compared to population.
Chinese students study abroad to improve their academic skills as well as their English skills, and the high level of English in Denmark is part of the explanation to the increase.
Danish universities are internationally oriented and offer a large selection of programmes and individual courses in English.
Denmark was recently ranked top three in a survey of English skills in countries where English is not the native language. The survey was carried out by Education First – an international language training company – and data was collected from two million people in 44 countries.
The increasing number of visitors on the website studyindenmark.dk – that brands Denmark as a country to study in – also indicates a growing Chinese interest in studying at Danish Universities.
The number of Chinese visitors on studyindenmark.dk increased by 173 percent from roughly 8.000 in in the first half of 2010 to 23.000 in the second half.
Also the network Expat in Denmark – that helps foreign workers in Denmark – has experienced an increase of Chinese visitors on their website from 315 in the first half of 2009 to 4.600 in the same period of 2010.
