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Sep 25, 2007

Denmark and China Sign Two Extensive Agreements on Cooperation and Education

More Danish students get the opportunity to study in China, and more Chinese students will go to Denmark. Denmark and China will also cooperate on training in a variety of fields, ranging from nurses to university students up to Ph.D. level, exchanging teachers, students and workshops.

More Danish students get the opportunity to study in China, and more Chinese students will go to Denmark. Denmark and China will also cooperate on training in a variety of fields, ranging from nurses to university students up to Ph.D. level, exchanging teachers, students and workshops. And finally the formal framework has now been created for developing the export of Danish education to China – in the form of teaching materials and complete education programmes on campus in China.

These three specific examples are just some of the possibilities in the extensive Memorandum of Understanding signed today by Helge Sander, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, and Bertel Haarder, Minister for Education, in China's capital Beijing together with the Chinese Minister of Education, Mr. Zhou Ji.

The agreement will make it easier for Danish educational institutions to get into the Chinese market for education, and aims to strengthen the internationalisation strategies of both countries. Already today, institutions such as the Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College have about 800 Chinese students in China, and the Danish firm Danware, in cooperation with a Chinese partner, is offering electronic training programmes to 530,000 Chinese schools in rural districts. The Danish IT University is presently signing a cooperation agreement with Beijing University.

The Memorandum of Understanding has been negotiated for the last year, following the visit to Denmark by the Chinese Vice Prime Minister Ms. Chen Zhili exactly one year ago.

Diplomas get seal of approval

The three ministers have also signed an agreement on mutual recognition of diplomas, academic degrees and educational levels. This means that Danish and Chinese education systems can now place students at the right level – e.g. bachelor or master.

Danish students who have completed a bachelor programme at a Danish university can more easily enrol for a master's programme in China. From summer 2008, all Danish students will be able to take along their taximeter funding and state education grants for up to two year's study abroad.

The agreement is also intended to ensure the quality of the exchange. This means, for instance, that Chinese admitted in Denmark must have the right qualifications and speak English sufficiently well. It must also be ensured that the Chinese are admitted to study programmes that result in qualifications they can use in China, for instance a bachelor degree. It is damaging to Denmark's reputation as an education-oriented
country if Chinese are lured into Danish schools under false pretences, for instance if they believe that a period spent at a Danish folk high school results in a qualification.

Education Minister Bertel Haarder:

– Denmark has a strong education brand in China. We are known not only for giving the students knowledge, we also teach them to use that knowledge, to ask questions and think and work independently. This is what modern China needs, and the Chinese know that, says Bertel Haarder.

– The Chinese Minister of Education is very engaged in the cooperation with Denmark. His vision is that China should not only turn out gadgets, but should also be a creative people that come up with original ideas. It is a very large market for Danish educational institutions and enterprises that opens up now, says Bertel Haarder.

Science Minister Helge Sander:

– The Government aims to give students the best possible foundation for studying abroad. From the summer of 2008, we will introduce a special international scholarship which means that all students can get a grant to pay for up to two years of studies abroad. With the agreement today in Beijing, we have now created further opportunities for Danish students to study at a Chinese university, says Science Minister Helge Sander.

– When Danish students spend study periods in China, they will get knowledge and language skills that will make them more attractive on the job market. Similarly, many Chinese students come to Denmark already today. This contributes to creating a basis for valuable networks between our two countries, says Helge Sander.

Key figures:

  • Each year, 100,000 Chinese go abroad for studying. In all, there are 500,000 Chinese students abroad.
  • The official China encourages students to go abroad. They are sponsoring 5,000 Chinese at Ph.D. level. 40 receive scholarships for Denmark at Ph.D. level from the Chinese authorities.
  • Each year, about 10 million Chinese take the Gao Kao exam which qualifies for admission to higher education, but there are only places for admitting 2 million for bachelor programmes in China.
  • There are approximately 3,000 Chinese students in Denmark. They represent one fifth of all foreign students in Denmark.

Science Minister Helge Sander is visiting China from 23 to 29 September 2007. A major delegation of business and university people participates in the visit.

Education Minister Bertel Haarder has been on an official visit to China from 19 to 26 September.

Science Minister Helge Sander can be contacted via Communications Manager Niels Hovmand on phone number +45 40 82 89 58 or e-mail .

Education Minister Bertel Haarder can be contacted via Head of Press Line Aarsland on phone number +45 24 40 74 71 or e-mail .