The Danish government has released a new code of conduct for higher education institutions that recruit international students, with the aim of making Denmark a more attractive study destination.
It aims to address an upcoming skills gap predicted by Danish employers by making it easier for students to access information about academic courses, student services, tuition fees (where applicable) and living costs.
“The code of conduct is a clarification of the existing laws, regulations and good practice which are considered to be relevant for international students”
“Danish companies have made it clear that they will lack a highly qualified workforce in the future,” commented Minister for Higher Education and Science Esben Lunde. “These common guidelines are an important tool in tackling that challenge.”
“The education systems of different countries can be difficult to understand,” he explained. “These new common guidelines will encourage students to choose Denmark by providing them with an overview of Danish educational institutions and the high quality of the programmes.”
The code also contains guidance on the forging of partnerships and ethical use of agents, that puts the onus of responsibility for assuring agents are credible on the institution.
“Prior to entering into an agreement with an agent, Danish higher education institutions must ensure that the agent is competent, well-informed and in all respects dedicated to safeguarding the interest of international students and the institution,” it instructs.
Institutions will be expected to use the code of conduct when entering into new partnerships with either agents or other institutions, Agency for Higher Education spokesperson Sørine Mathilde Vesth Rasmussen told The PIE News.
“The code of conduct is a clarification of the existing laws, regulations and good practice which are considered to be relevant for international students who consider studying in Denmark,” she explained.
As such, HEIs will not need to implement new policies, she said.
The code builds on a previous version published in 2010, which was signed by eight universities in Denmark, and will apply to all of the country’s higher education institutions.
It was put together by a working group comprised of representatives from the government Agency for Higher Education, the Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment and Danish education institutions.
“The code of conduct is targeted towards both EU- and non-EU students who consider studying in Denmark,” Rasmussen. “Subsequently, the focus has been to provide easily accessible and understandable information as well as to establish a mutua understanding of the provision and requirements for HEIs in Denmark.”
