Skip to main content
DA / EN

The Student’s Column

Reply to ‘The chicken or the egg?’

Collaboration and Involvement – the Keys to the SDU of the Future

By Stinne Hørup Hansen, 8/29/2024

Dear Victoria,

Thank you for your column. I appreciate your input and your description of the challenges you and your fellow students experience.

At SDU, we are proud of our research, but we are also deeply committed to creating an environment in which our students thrive and develop. 

Just as the chicken and the egg are interdependent, the University and its students are also interdependent. We cannot create an excellent University without committed students, and you cannot get the best possible education without a University that supports you. I therefore also agree with you that it is crucial that we listen to each other. It may not always be possible to meet in the middle, but we should always endeavour to be open to the students’ perspectives. Preferably in such a way that the conversation and dialogue move us toward a common understanding.

Since taking up my position as Deputy Director of Studies at SDU on 1 January 2024, I have had the pleasure of experiencing the drive and commitment that our students bring to SDU.  

At the same time, we have initiated several changes to create greater transparency. Changes that we have initiated partly based on input from you, our students. We have prepared new guidelines for associations and established a dialogue forum with the Pro-Rector to support direct and informal dialogue between management and students at SDU. In connection with the upcoming study start, we are now implementing the study activity support initiative. An initiative that originates from engaged students. We hope the funding pool will benefit many students at SDU.  

I want to express my appreciation of all the students who, like you, find time to be involved in student associations, councils, boards and committees. You are working hard to make SDU an even better university to be a student. Your efforts are indispensable and we are grateful for your commitment. By working together and sharing our different perspectives and experiences, we can find new and better solutions to the challenges facing us. 

I would also like to encourage even more students to take responsibility and run for the upcoming elections in November for student seats in councils, boards and committees. At SDU, we heavily depend on input from our students and we listen attentively to your concerns and ideas. Decision-making processes often involve many different perspectives and considerations. Our goal is to find solutions that are in the best interest of the entire University community. That is why I also want to emphasise the need for and benefits of students working together across faculties and education programmes.  

Best regards, 
Stinne Hørup Hansen 
Deputy Director of Studies, SDU   


Editing was completed: 29.08.2024