Intensive summer courses are becoming more and more popular among students. This applies not only to Danish students, but also to international students from Au's partner universities.

2019.07.02 | Thomas Grønborg Sørensen

Students from all over the world travel to Aarhus for the Summer University courses. Photo: Martin Gravgaard.

More and more students are choosing books instead of swimsuits during their summer holidays.

AU Summer University has grown every year since it was inaugurated in 2011. And 2019 is no exception.

A total of 2,700 students have chosen to spend a few weeks of their summer on an intensive university course. This is 20 per cent more than last year – and 140 per cent more than when the first Summer University was launched in 2011.

"We've had a clear ambition to expand this year, and we have succeeded in that. I am particularly pleased that so many more international students have chosen Aarhus University. Together with the many talented lecturers who are able to put the students' different backgrounds into play, the global element provide an extra dimension to the courses, "says Pro-rector Berit Eika. 

More international students come to Aarhus

Almost 700 of this year's summer students come from abroad – about 50 per cent more than last year. Most international summer school students at AU are from China, the UK and Australia, but in recent years, Germany and Italy have also been climbing up the list. The growth is in the wake of greater efforts by AU to attract students from partner universities, and this appears to have paid off.

"This international traffic doesn’t only provide the students with a better learning outcome – it also helps to strengthen AU's partner agreements and our global network. Here I’m also thinking of all the international guest teachers who are come to teach the summer courses. Connecting Denmark to the outside world is part of the university’s mission, and the talented people behind the summer university have succeeded in making it one of our strong bridges to the international academic environment," says Berit Eika.

Summer University – a complete experience

In addition to the intensive academic content, it is still a priority to have a full social programme at the Summer University. This gives international students in particular an opportunity to get an impression of the city and university life in Aarhus, explains AU Summer University project manager Dorte Føns Sørensen:

“We want Summer University at AU to be the whole package. I see it as an intensive exchange programme where you both improve your academic skills while also gaining a personal experience. This also applies to the Danish students. Many of them probably primarily sign up for the ECTS credits, but I hope that they will also participate in the social programme. This is a good opportunity to create an international community – and perhaps see Aarhus with new eyes."

• This year, AU is offering 84 summer courses, 18 more than last year.
• A total of 70 different nationalities are represented at AU Summer University.
• 46 international teachers come to Aarhus. 
• All courses are taught in English and are either worth 5 or 10 ECTS credits.
• Read more about AU Summer University

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