Technical University of Denmark: DTU forced to cut student admissions by 500
DTU President Anders Bjarklev is disappointed with Tuesday’s political agreement on relocating study places from the largest cities, as the agreement will result in DTU admitting approximately 500 fewer students by 2030 compared with today. In 2020 and 2021, DTU admitted 4956 and 5056 students respectively.
Anders Bjarklev points out that the world is facing enormous challenges relating to climate change and that the war in Ukraine has created an acute security of supply problem, which must be solved by speeding up efforts to restructure the energy sector.
“It is unfathomable that the political response is to limit admission to DTU’s engineering programmes. This is in stark contrast to both the demands from businesses and the general desire among politicians and citizens for a sustainable transformation of society. A transformation that we need more than ever,” says Anders Bjarklev.
Businesses are crying out for engineers and unemployment is already negligible according to figures from the Danish Society of Engineers, IDA – even based on the current number of graduates
“DTU has always wanted to train more engineers and also preferably more than today, and to have students throughout Denmark. Our proposal has constructively focused on finding solutions that support the political desire for regional development while also being able to respond to the labour market’s cries for more engineers,” says Anders Bjarklev.
DTU throughout the country
In its proposal to the politicians, DTU has proposed moving study places from Lyngby to Hirtshals, Kalundborg and Risø, respectively. This proposal has, as expected, become part of the final text of the agreement. The three sites have been chosen because it is possible to ensure a strong link between research and educational activities.
The Master’s programme in Aquatic Science and Technology will be placed in Hirtshals. So will the Bachelor of Engineering programme in Fisheries Technology, of which the first three semesters are completed at DTU’s campus in Sisimiut, Greenland.
In Kalundborg, DTU will develop a Master’s programme in Biomanufacturing in collaboration with Novo Nordisk and other business partners, as well as establish a new Master’s programme in Industrial Design in collaboration with the Royal Danish Academy.
In addition, DTU is moving the two Master’s programmes in Sustainable Energy and Wind Energy to DTU Risø Campus.