1. Internationalisation of Danish education

Overall, the internationalisation of education must help to ensure that:

• Danish education programmes can measure up to the best in the world, and Danish research programmes can meet the highest international standards;
• Danish programmes are up-to-date and attractive enough to avoid a brain drain;
• Europe by 2010 will be the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world, with Danish enterprises in the vanguard of this development.

The main points in the Government's strategy for enhanced internationalisation of education are as follows:

• to ensure that programmes provide Danish pupils, students and workers with the qualifications to succeed in international environments;
• to support Danes studying, researching and working abroad;
• to attract qualified foreign students, researchers, teachers and labour;
• to give both students and educational institutions more and better ways of taking part in international cooperation and competing on the global education market;
• to ensure the quality of the Danish education system through participation in transnational cooperation and international comparisons.

1.1 Why internationalise education?

The world is becoming smaller, but also more complex. Globalisation is intensifying economic, political and cultural integration at a global level, and this is influencing conditions at national and local level. International competition is increasing, and the economic basis for a democratic welfare state cannot be taken for granted. The options for individuals when it comes to working, exercising influence and living a rich and interesting life have always been dependent on their ability to bring relevant skills and knowledge into play. This is now being dictated by globalisation, and is presenting the Danish education system with a challenge at every level and across the board in its sphere of activity, with education being the key to growth and welfare for individuals, enterprises and society alike.

Mobility on the international labour and education markets will increase in the next few years. Growth in Denmark is dependent on our ability to attract qualified staff, students and researchers in those areas where they are needed, and to give our own citizens the wherewithal to succeed in the face of intensified competition, regardless of whether they choose to remain in Denmark or go abroad.

Danish enterprises are now often organised on a transnational basis. They draw on education and research as well as knowledge and skills development across frontiers. Their business is carried out around the globe, depending on the most appropriate location from an overall financial and practical point of view. Staff with different national backgrounds are recruited. In many cases the group language is not Danish, and it needs to be possible to communicate and work together efficiently on this basis.

In order to ensure the prosperity and welfare of Denmark, we must exploit our potential in the international division of labour, and we must be in the vanguard when it comes to obtaining new knowledge and trying out new possibilities.

The development pattern of globalisation looks promising for business, citizens and institutions, but there is also a risk that some will be left behind, giving rise to new barriers between nations and between social groups within individual countries. In particular, young people must not be left high and dry. A special effort must therefore be made to ensure that young people have a good starting point in a globalised world.

1.2 What is internationalisation of education?

For the individual pupil, student, researcher or teacher, internationalisation is typically associated with physical mobility in the form of time spent abroad for study-related purposes. Or tradesmen may have their qualifications recognised so that they can work or train abroad. Thanks to information technology, mobility can also be virtual, with a person being in one place in an education situation, but being in electronic contact with pupils, students and teachers somewhere else.

Internationalisation is also a dimension in the content of education, most obviously in the mediation of foreign languages for both private and professional purposes. But it is also about understanding the relationship between local, national and international matters and the background to them – this approach to internationalisation is relevant in many fields.

There are differences between the international dimension of individual education programmes. For engineers it is vital that their programme is of a high international standard or they will be outcompeted by foreign engineers. For teachers at primary and lower secondary education level, quality is also important, but the subject matter of primary and lower secondary schooling and teacher training is also anchored in Danish culture and tradition. In this case internationalisation is chiefly about teachers being able, through their teaching, to impart knowledge and attitudes that will enable their pupils to get on in a globalised society without losing their national and personal identity.

A strategy for the internationalisation of education must make allowances for the purpose and level of individual programmes, with quality being a crucial criterion. Sending students abroad is not a goal in itself, for example. If the foreign programme lacks quality and relevance, it is better to stay at home.

For educational institutions, internationalisation means cooperation and competition with institutions beyond Denmark's frontiers. Citizens can now choose education programmes all over the world – and do so. The position of Danish institutions on the international education market can also be enhanced through purely Danish cooperation.

At national level, internationalisation means first and foremost that we are responsible for developing the Danish education system in the best possible way. Internationalisation means involvement in international cooperation on education, comparisons and surveys, and therefore access to inspiration and quality development. But cooperation is also about a shared understanding of questions of education policy, the development of joint strategies, common rules and mutual recognition of qualifications.

1.3 How far have we come?

In 2002 Denmark – in the form of central government, county councils and local authorities – invested a total of DKK 110.9 billion in education. A significant part of this sum was spent on internationalisation. In other words, we are not faced with cultivating a new area – our concern is to give direction, provide focus and support processes that are already under way.

The following table provides an estimate of the funds being set aside by central government, i.e. the Ministry of Education (UVM) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (VTU) for internationalisation in a narrow sense together with an estimate of the Danish share of international education programmes. The 2002 financial year has been taken as a basis¹:

The world of education has a long tradition of working for internationalisation. The overall strategy for internationalisation in general, including education, has been tackled with implementation of the Government's “Vækst Med Vilje” (Determined Growth) strategy, the “Bedre Uddannelser” (Better Education Programmes) action plan, the new Danish Universities Act, the Government's plan for “Vækst Gennem Globalisering” (Growth through Globalisation) and, most recently, the supplementary government platform entitled “Vækst, Velfærd og Fornyelse II” (Growth, Welfare – Renewal II). Among other things, “Vækst Gennem Globalisering” also makes it clear that the Government aims to increase the supply of well-qualified labour by entering into more bilateral agreements with third countries on the mutual recognition of qualifications.

In order to support internationalisation, the Danish Ministry of Education set up the Danish Centre for International Cooperation and Mobility in Education and Training (Cirius) and Danish Centre for Assessment of Foreign Qualifications (CVUU) in 2000. The Government is also working to improve the overview of internationalisation throughout the education system and to assess the extent to which the opportunities are being exploited. A working group has been set up under the auspices of Cirius to analyse the scope of current mobility statistics and suggest improvements. The European Commission has also appointed a working group to make recommendations for improving the European mobility statistics.

But otherwise internationalisation is more about attitudes, visions, innovation and better utilisation of existing resources rather than making new appropriations.

1.4 Existing legislation and internationalisation

The education system has differentiated tasks and there are specialised areas of education, which is reflected in legislation. The statutory framework for continued internationalisation is generally in place. On the other hand, the financial framework is not the same for all comparable education programmes. These differences will have to be ironed out in connection with new legislative initiatives, and there is a need to increase the opportunities for institutions on the international education market.

Globalisation was of major importance in the drafting of the new Danish Universities Act, the creation of centres for higher education (CVUs) and the creation of legislation on vocational training and business academies. The Danish Medium-Cycle Higher Education Act and the introduction of the professional bachelor degree have improved the opportunities for enhancing Denmark's international profile².

Fodnoter

1 The table shows the expenses relating to international activities such as exchange of students, but does not comprise expenses relating to teaching foreign languages or international matters. It should also be remembered that municipalities, counties, schools and institutions set aside significant amounts on their own accounts for internationalisation.

2 The report of the Higher Education Council, “Internationalisering af MVU- uddannelserne” (Internationalisation of medium-cycle higher education programmes) (2003) and the report of the Danish Rectors' Conference “Internationalisering af de danske universiteter” (Internationalisation of Danish universities) (2004) contain a large number of recommendations.

This page is included in the publication "Enhanced Internationalisation of Danish Education and Training" as chapter 1 of 3
© The Ministry of Education 2004