Датчанам предлагают помочь иностранным студентам адаптироваться в Копенгагене

About the author: David Zepernick is Director for Member Engagement and Communication of Medicon Valley Alliance. Photo: Ida Wang. Indian Summer in Copenhagen can be wonderful, and once again, thousands of young students who have arrived to study for a semester or two in Copenhagen will experience our city, perhaps for the first time. University of Copenhagen is attracting roughly 5,500 international students annually, and Copenhagen Business School is welcoming around 2,400 new and exchange international students each year. On top of that, we also have DTU (The Technical University of Denmark and the ITU (IT University of Copenhagen). Since this week, I have had the pleasure of inviting a young German ITU student to rent a room in my apartment. I will do my utmost to make sure he feels welcome and enjoys his stay. Most of them probably had Copenhagen as a top priority. Apart from the renowned institutions mentioned above, part of the reason is that Copenhagen ranks as the top Nordic capital and one of the world’s most liveable and attractive cities. There are, however, a couple of obstacles, which we “natives” might be able to help the newcomers overcome. Housing is expensive and hard to find. Even for young Danish people, prices for housing have skyrocketed. Then imagine if you arrive from Portugal or Poland. Do you have a room to spare, which you might consider renting out for six months or a year? Maybe it would be an interesting personal experience for you as well? Transport is expensive too, unless you own a bike! For foreign students, the bike is the key to mobility. But new bikes are often too expensive for a short stay, and most students are, consequently, looking used bikes, which they can buy cheaply and sell again when they leave. If you have an old bike, which you are not really using, now is the time to sell it. Don´t worry, if the price is right, they will find your ad on www.dba.dk.   Sightseeing is always better with a local guide. If you happen to meet the newly arrived students, why not invite them for a bit of informal sightseeing? I happen to have a Tivoli Gold card myself, which means that I can invite my new tenant and three of his friends to visit Tivoli free of charge. The idea that you can actually swim in the harbor is now taken for granted, but for foreigners it is still somewhat exotic. They might find the water a bit cold, but with a little luck there will still be some Indian Summer Days in early September to enjoy this rather unique opportunity. Then there is the Freetown Christiania. Perhaps it is still a somewhat controversial place to visit, but it is very Danish indeed, you can visit for free, and I believe it still ranks at least in the top 5 among things to see in Copenhagen. Why not invite one of the new foreign students for a free afternoon to remember, within walking distance of the city center? To be quite honest, we Danes are not considered particularly hospitable compared to most other cultures. But culture is not set in stone. Culture is dynamic, created by people, and constantly shaped by new ideas, daily actions, and changing needs. With just a few friendly micro-actions, I believe we can change that image for the better.