Dear all,

Welcome back from the summer break.

We hope you have had a fruitful summer break with time for both adventure and relaxation, and that you feel energised for the academic year ahead at SDU.

This week, we are welcoming approx. 7,000 new undergraduate and graduate students who are looking forward to starting at one of our five educational campuses in Odense, Esbjerg, Slagelse, Kolding or Sønderborg. We look forward to meeting the thousands of new students who have chosen to study at SDU – and not least the dedication and determination they bring with them.

Expected decline

SDU has – along with most of the educational sector – experienced a drop in applications for higher education, and this year we have offered 10 percent fewer student places to new students than in 2021.

The decline was expected after the recent exceptional years during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a record number of applications for higher education programmes. We are also beginning to feel the impact of the demographic development in Denmark with smaller youth cohorts.

Finally, this year SDU has introduced grade requirements for all programmes. Naturally, this has also had an impact on the number of applications and the skills that our new students bring with them.

Five strong faculties

Regardless of this year’s admission numbers, the new students commence their studies at a regionally anchored university of international class – supported by five faculties, each with a strong subject matter knowledge and offering education programmes throughout the region.

This year, we have even expanded SDU’s educational offerings with, among other things, a new Master’s degree in Medicine in Esbjerg, and soon we will also be launching a new Law degree programme in Esbjerg, a new MSc programme in Economics and Business Administration in Slagelse, as well as a Master’s degree programme in Technology Management in Odense.

The executive board is also awaiting the mapping of the need for IT and STEM programmes within the Triangle Region. The mapping is scheduled for completion by the end of the year and will allow us to step up working on our ambitions for a new SDU campus in the Triangle Region.

Opening of New Health

At SDU, we therefore look forward to a year in which new opportunities arise and take shape. Among other things, a new Center of Excellence researching quantum technology will open its doors at the Mads Clausen Institute, and in 2023, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute’s new building in Odense will also be ready.

Additionally, we will reach a significant milestone with the NEW OUH/SDU project. In 2023, many of our colleagues from the Faculty of Health Sciences will be moving into the large building complex which brings together the University and university hospital; a unique construction on Danish soil. It will create an extraordinary framework for research, education and innovation, particularly in the field of health.

We look forward to an exciting and eventful academic year with all of you. Have a great start of semester!

Best regards,
Jens Ringsmose, Rector
Helle Waagepetersen, Pro-rector
Thomas Buchvald Vind, University Director
Simon Torp, Dean, the Faculty of Humanities
Marianne Holmer, Dean, the Faculty of Science
Peter Møllgaard, Dean, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
Ole Skøtt, Dean, the Faculty of Health Sciences
Henrik Bindslev, Dean, the Faculty of Engineering