SDU Vejle officially opened

There was coffee in the pots, breakfast on the tables and handshakes at the entrance as the students arrived at SDU Vejle on Tuesday morning.

The 170 or so students began their induction programme last week. On the official opening day, they were welcomed by Rector Jens Ringsmose and Campus Dean Marianne Holmer, before attending the first joint lecture for the entire year group.

As the first students on the new campus, they will play a special role in shaping the study environment and the traditions that will characterise SDU Vejle.

The new students have various reasons for choosing Vejle.

– I didn’t know much about Vejle or Denmark, but the more I read about the town and the new campus, the more interested I became. It’s exciting to be among the first students, says Igor Creladzlá from Kraków, who is studying Interactive Technology Engineering.

Amalie Boll Jørgensen chose Artificial Intelligence because Vejle was the nearest place where she could study the subject, but the international environment and her interest in the town were also major factors.

– I imagine I could use artificial intelligence to help improve workflows in the healthcare sector or to combat cybercrime, she says.

In his welcome address, Jens Ringsmose emphasised that the students are not merely starting a degree programme but will also help to shape the new campus.

– As the very first students, you will help to create many of the traditions, communities and stories that make SDU Vejle a special place to study, he said.

The Rector also encouraged the students to get involved both at the university and in the town.

– So do things together, take active steps to give yourselves and each other a sense of belonging, he urged.

After the welcome, the first intake gathered for a group photo before lessons began.

From idea to reality

Later that day, SDU Vejle was officially opened at a ceremony attended by, amongst others, Christina Egelund, Minister for Education, Research and Digitalisation, Jens Ejner Christensen, Mayor of Vejle, Søren Vilby, Chair of SDU’s Board of Trustees, Jens Ringsmose, Rector, and Atul Bhardwaj, Chief Digital & Technology Officer at the LEGO Group.

The official opening followed several years of work to establish an international IT campus in Vejle. The campus has been developed through close collaboration between SDU, Vejle Municipality, businesses, foundations and national decision-makers.

Søren Vilby described the day as an example of what can be achieved when public and private sector stakeholders unite around shared ambitions. He highlighted the ambition for SDU Vejle to develop into an international hub for research and education in advanced IT.

In his speech, Rector Jens Ringsmose pointed out that the opening does not mark the end of the work on SDU Vejle but rather marks the beginning of the development of the campus’s research and education environment.

– A few years ago, SDU Vejle was just an idea held by a few people in Odense and Vejle. Today, we find ourselves amid a brand-new IT campus with an international community of researchers, students and staff who can’t wait to get started on it all, said Jens Ringsmose.

Christina Egelund, Minister for Education, Research and Digitalisation, highlighted both the importance of attractive study programmes across the country and the role of the business community in the establishment of SDU Vejle.

– It is important that we have attractive degree programmes throughout the country. Here in Vejle, ambitious and imaginative people have turned their words into action. The Triangle Region is home to some of Denmark’s most innovative companies, which need more employees with the right skills. The business community itself has helped to identify the skills that are needed, and with SDU Vejle, the region is taking another important step forward, said Christina Egelund.

Aiming to train more digital talent

SDU Vejle has been established as an international IT campus focusing on areas such as software development, artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The aim is to train around 300 IT graduates a year and build strong research environments in close collaboration with businesses in the region.

The campus will thus both train more IT specialists and develop new knowledge that can help solve digital challenges in businesses and society.

– We want to build strong research environments and train some of the people Denmark will need most in the future: talented individuals who do not merely follow digital developments – but help to shape them, said Jens Ringsmose.

The story begins now

The official opening was marked by the minister, the mayor, the chair of the board and the Rector cutting the ribbon together. The celebrations then continued with a reception.

For the official guests, the day was proof that an ambitious idea had become a reality.

For the new students, the day marked the start of something else: their student life and the story of SDU Vejle.