The Staff’s Column
The internationalisation of Danish research: a necessity in a new geopolitical reality
In the White Paper 2025, we present four key recommendations to strengthen the quality of the internationalisation of Danish research and education.
I am on the Research Policy Committee of the Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, and a few weeks ago this year’s white paper was presented along with related speeches and panel debates. In the White Paper 2025, we present four key recommendations to strengthen the quality of the internationalisation of Danish research and education. The focus is no longer on quantity only but on creating sustainable and inclusive international environments that contribute to both academic development and societal value.
Firstly, we recommend that greater priority is given to developing strong international research and study environments rather than simply increasing the number of international students. This includes establishing several high-profile English-language master’s degree programmes across subject areas that can attract the most talented students globally.
Secondly, we propose strengthened organisational and managerial efforts to ensure the successful integration of international researchers and students. This can be done by improving the reception of international employees and students and by expanding the offer of Danish language instruction. At the same time, a framework must be created in which international employees and students have real opportunities to participate in positions of trust, management functions and social communities on equal terms with their Danish colleagues.
At the political level, it is recommended to remove the SU limit for international students and to work purposefully to increase international awareness of Danish education programmes and research environments. This will make Denmark more attractive as an education and research destination and strengthen the country’s position in the global knowledge economy.
Finally, we point to the need for a more nuanced approach to international cooperation in a time of geopolitical tensions. This requires that security considerations are adapted to the individual research fields and that Denmark has a strategic focus on recruiting talented international researchers who can contribute to the future development of society.
The theme of the White Paper was determined before Donald Trump’s re-election. I am shocked by the major changes that are taking place in the United States right now, including the encroachments on academic freedom and the financial sanctions against universities. This also had an impact on the debate at the annual meeting. Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science, opened the meeting with a clear reminder: academic freedom is under pressure – not only in China, but also in the United States – and must not be taken for granted.
Christina Egelund emphasised that the answer to these challenges is not isolation but strengthened international cooperation. The Government wants more international students and stronger European research alliances. She referred to a recent meeting with her European colleagues at which Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, declared: ‘Europe will always choose science.’ Christina Egelund will hold her to that promise.
I have just returned from the People’s Meeting, a democracy festival on Bornholm, where the number of debates on the topic of internationalisation was clearly significantly higher than in previous years. These topics have become particularly relevant in the wake of the Draghi report, which concludes that Europe is losing its leadership position in innovation. The message from both policymakers and the business community is clear: it is crucial that Europe stands united in its efforts to strengthen its global competitiveness. Universities play a central role in creating attractive research environments and educational programmes that can attract talent from all over the world.
Read the White Paper here (in Danish):
Marianne Holmer
has a background as a professor of ecology and holds a PhD in marine ecology from the Department of Biology at the then Odense University (1994). She previously served as head of the Department of Biology (2010-2019), and as an assistant professor and associate professor in the Ecology Group at the Department of Biology (1995-2010). Additionally, she was a research assistant professor at Roskilde University (1994).