First students welcomed at SDU Vejle
After two years of preparations, SDU Vejle now welcomes its first cohort of students. Campus Dean Marianne Holmer emphasises the large number of applications, the collaboration with Vejle Municipality and the pioneering spirit of the employees as a strong starting point for the new campus.
On Wednesday 26 August, SDU Vejle welcomed the first students on its four English-language bachelor’s degree programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Interactive Technology Engineering and Software Engineering.
– This is an important milestone. A lot of work has gone into the recruitment of students and staff to Vejle, and we are very pleased with the result, says Marianne Holmer, dean of the Faculty of Science and campus dean in Vejle.
Experiences from SDU’s other campuses
The preparations were inspired by experiences from Sønderborg, Kolding and Esbjerg, which have been translated into a model for the study start in Vejle.
In the first two intro days, activities on the degree programmes will include academic and social activities for all of the 178 students who have accepted a study place. On Friday 28 August, Vejle Municipality and local actors will introduce the students to practical offers and opportunities for participating in leisure activities and student life in the city.
– Even though the students are divided into four programmes, we would like them to feel that they are part of one common environment. This is a good starting point for creating a study environment from scratch, says Marianne Holmer.
A study environment without older cohorts
The first cohort will be studying on a campus with no older students and no established traditions. For this reason, SDU has involved students from Kolding and Sønderborg in the study start.
In addition, a mentoring programme and a buddy scheme will be established. A buddy can help with things like meeting the international student at the railway station or helping with practical questions in connection with the move to Vejle.
– Our Danish students will be a part of the international environment by introducing the international students to Danish culture and helping them to settle in. Vejle and the Triangle Region already houses many international companies and employees, so the city is well prepared to receive the international students, says Marianne Holmer.
An IT campus with regional roots
SDU Vejle has been developed in close dialogue with Vejle Municipality and the businesses in the area. The programmes have been designed to meet the demand for IT skills and give the students access to student jobs, business projects and subsequent employment.
– There is a great demand for IT skills, and this is why I believe establishing an IT campus in Vejle has hit the mark. The campus has been established in close dialogue with both public and private employers, says Marianne Holmer.
Vejle Municipality has also worked with student housing, leisure activities, communities and opportunities for finding a student job.
– Good housing conditions and a good life outside of their studies have a major impact on whether students settle in and stay on their programme. Vejle Municipality has made a huge effort in this regard, Marianne Holmer emphasises.
Joint preparations across SDU
The establishment of the study programmes and the academic environment is the result of a collaboration between the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering and the Central Administration. The number of employees in Vejle has gradually grown to around 15 employees.
– They are a small group who know each other well, and a lot is solved on a day-to-day basis and across areas of expertise. There is a strong pioneering spirit, and the employees take great responsibility for making the new campus work, says Marianne Holmer.
SDU can also draw on its experience with developing degree programmes and academic environments across several campuses.
– At the Faculty of Science, we have experience from the master’s programme in Data Science, which was established in Kolding in 2024 and originated from IMADA’s academic and research environment. In that situation, the Department also had to recruit new employees and expand its activities to another campus. At the Faculty of Engineering, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute has experience with developing the Software Engineering programmes in Odense and Sønderborg, for instance, explains Marianne Holmer.
New degree programmes in historical buildings
Until the permanent campus at Nordkajen is completed in 2030, according to the schedule, SDU Vejle will be located in Farveriet and Spinderihallerne.
The historic industrial buildings house an environment of entrepreneurs, creative industries and a FabLab where students and entrepreneurs can work with digital production and prototypes.
– The students will become part of an existing innovation and entrepreneurial environment. At the same time, it will be interesting to see how teaching will work in rooms that were not originally built as university premises, says Marianne Holmer.
Now we must make everyday life work
After the intro days, the most important task will be to make the teaching and the daily operations work. Many of the employees are new to SDU, but several of them have previously helped establish new degree programmes.
– Along the way, there has been some uncertainty about how many students we could admit, and this has put pressure on the process at times. But SDU has extensive experience in developing new degree programmes, and overall the work has been very successful, says Marianne Holmer.
At the end of the first semester, the goal is to have teaching that works well, a good study environment and a strong connection to the city and the business community.
– We must help the students find relevant student jobs and retain them on the programmes. This will be the first important test of whether we have created the foundation we want for Campus Vejle, says Marianne Holmer.
