The internationalisation project is coming to an end – but the work continues

How can SDU attract an even higher number of qualified international applicants, how can the study start and the learning communities be strengthened – and how can the link to the labour market be made clear throughout the course of study?

The internationalisation project at SDU has been working on this since the initial exploratory phase, which began in April 2024. This major strategic project has involved many people across the organisation and has provided a 360-degree insight into international students’ academic journey – and identified areas for improvement.

The project is now moving into routine operation and development at the faculties, in the units and in the Central Administration. To mark the conclusion of the project, we talked to project manager Jørgen Breier Henriksen and departments and units at SDU which are now taking the lead in the ongoing work on internationalisation about the results of the project and how they will be incorporated into future efforts.

Key realisations and insights

The head of the internationalisation project, Jørgen Breier Henriksen from TEK Education, says:

– It has been really beneficial for SDU that the project has brought together so many different people from a wide range of disciplines, who approach internationalisation from various angles. The great strength of the project has been creating a shared understanding across the organisation of internationalisation and of how the various work areas interrelate, he says and adds:

– It has provided many realisations and insights that are both relevant and important. Some of the initiatives have yielded immediate benefits, such as optimising our websites for international students, whereas others represent important contributions to our future efforts to attract international students to SDU.

Strengthening our position in internationalisation

Deputy Director of Studies Stinne Hørup Hansen agrees:

– I would like to acknowledge all the dedicated staff members who have been involved in the internationalisation project and have used their knowledge and resources to identify and implement relevant initiatives in this area, she says and explains:

– The project has created relations and raised awareness of the study conditions of international students across the organisation. The recommendations generated in the project will now be integrated in our ongoing work to create the best possible environment for our talented international students.

Three key areas

As part of the conclusion of the internationalisation project, the recommendations from the project’s working groups have now been broadly categorised into three areas which will be included in the ongoing work:

• Recruitment: A higher number of qualified applicants and more students accepted
• Implementation: Work in relation to teaching, the study environment and social communities
• Relevance: Strengthening partnerships and the contact with employers

With regard to recruitment, the Central Administration has already prioritised these tasks as part of its day-to-day operations.

SDU Education has launched a targeted initiative to maintain international students’ interest in and curiosity about SDU, as the admissions system means there can be a long delay between international students’ applying to SDU and their decision about accepting a student place.

SDU Communications has developed a new, unified admissions system specifically designed for admissions to bachelor’s programmes, which has just been handed over to the faculties for implementation. In addition, new Living in Denmark pages have been launched.

Stronger study start and learning communities

As part of the internationalisation project, surveys and interviews have been conducted with international students regarding their teaching and learning experiences at SDU.

– The students feel included when the expectations regarding teaching and learning are clear and when information about their courses and assessments is accessible, clear and provided in a timely manner. They generally enjoy group work and recognise that collaboration contributes to their learning, but they find it challenging if there is no clear guidance, and they prefer to work in mixed groups comprising both international and Danish students, Donna Hurford, senior educational consultant at SDU Education, explains regarding the findings of the survey.

These key insights will form the focus of the following implementation initiatives:

• The good introduction and the good study start
• Implementation of the underlying principles of teaching at SDU in international programmes
• Skills development for lecturers to strengthen learning communities

SDU’s Centre for Teaching and Learning will assist in the ongoing work on the initiatives.

In June, SDU’s Centre for Teaching and Learning will meet with the vice deans of the faculties to share the faculty-specific findings of the surveys and targeted recommendations for initiatives and changes to the current international degree programmes – for the benefit of all students, but particularly international students.

See also SDU UP’s general resources page, which includes ideas for teaching first-year students, activating teaching, group work and the integration of international perspectives.

Greater focus on partnerships and the contact with employers 

At SDU RIO, the initiatives in relation to student jobs and closer links to the labour market which originated from the internationalisation project have now been firmly embedded within existing partnerships with the faculties. From now on, there will be a greater focus on engaging with businesses:

– As we welcome more international students, we must also continually expand our network of reliable and close partners. One of our aims is to ensure that there are enough student jobs – and that our contact with businesses is strong and well-coordinated. We are already working hard to deliver on this, and it remains a key priority for us going forward, emphasises Søren Land, head of division of Team Collaboration & SDU Startup Station.

See also the resources page on practice involvement in teaching