InnovEd4ts Field mission #9 - Final visit: the Aarhus Summer University, a window on the world

Invited experts from four Circle U. universities and the University of Lisbon were introduced to the Summer University and participated in one of its courses. The Aarhus Summer University is a university-wide and attractive initiative which celebrated its 10 years of existence in 2019. Every summer, it gathers around 2,700 students from 70 nationalities.

The Summer University is a flagship initiative that involves a wide variety of disciplines. Between 2011 and now, the number of students involved has doubled. All courses are credited to encourage students to participate. The Aarhus Summer University team is anchored in the International Office, where it involves three full-time staff members who handle all the administration and arrange the accommodation for students and staff. The Aarhus Summer University is a strategic initiative, coordinated by a committee composed of representatives from the five faculties and members of the International Office. In 2021, the Summer University had approximately 2,700 participants enrolled in 59 online courses and in 24 on-campus courses. The courses covered all academic fields and lasted 2-3 weeks. Students could obtain from 5 to 10 ECTS for a course.

Transferable Skills developed in the Aarhus Summer University

	Intercultural understanding is the knowledge and understanding of intercultural interactions and sociocultural differences by individuals or groups within a society.    It involves knowledge about one's own culture, other cultures, and the similarities and differences between cultures.
	Global citizenship is considering global issues based on a deep understanding of diverse values and situations, promoting well-being not only of the self but also contributing to the welfare of others.

A centralised initiative, at the heart of the international strategy of Aarhus University

"Before 2010, the Summer University at Aarhus University - AU was decentralised. Departments had their own programmes", explains Rikke Nielsen, International Director and administrative head of the Summer University. "After 2010, it became part of Aarhus's internationalisation Strategy and a central organisation was set up, with a budget and a dedicated administration. AU Summer University is highly prioritised by the top management".

Meeting the increasing demand for short-term programmes

This initiative is designed to meet the demand for short programmes, which have become increasingly popular. They are intended to attract international students who do not wish to spend a whole semester or year abroad. Aarhus University "uses the summer school as a branding platform to attract potential students and foster new cooperations with international professors", explains Rikke Nielsen. 25% of the students participating in the summer school are international students.

One of the main features of the programme is that all courses lead to ECTS. Students and teachers are accompanied by an accommodation service. They are invited to participate in additional social and cultural activities.

The Summer University is also very attractive for Danish students. Some of them try to lighten their workload for the coming semester, as they usually go abroad or do internships. They also participate to gain cultural and social experiences. For them, Summer University courses are unique opportunities to learn about special topics, as those courses are not normally offered during the year.

Intercultural understanding at the heart of the initiative

To facilitate students' interaction, especially between Danish and international students, Danish student "helpers" (or mentors) are hired, whose mission is to interact with the international students.

In order to broaden its outreach and attract students from all over the world, Aarhus University collaborates with DANIDA, Denmark's development cooperation, which is an area of activity under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. DANIDA funds tuition fees for some students.

Invited students highlighted the strong added value of the Summer University in terms of intercultural skills: "It is interesting that we have different internationalities in the courses, that we can talk about problems with people across borders and with various educational backgrounds", said one of them. In Cathrin Helen Bengesser's English-language course "Serial(ised) crime on TV across Europe", students study series from an international and intercultural perspective. "The fact that it is an English-speaking course exposes me to other cultures and other universities. For someone who is planning to move and study abroad, it kind of gave me the opportunity to see how other people see the world, how other institutions see the world. That socio-cultural aspect is very important".

COVID-19, though, challenged the interactions between students: "When I learned that we were going to be with international students, I wished it would have been face-to-face, so that we could also meet after the class. It would be easier to form friendships with people from across borders if you got to meet them in person", explained a Danish student on the visit. 

Different approach to teaching

The courses offered over the summer differ from those offered during the year. The focus is put on the way the courses are delivered and on the interaction between students and professors.

In her course, Catrin Bengesser pays great attention to the methodology and the pedagogy. The methodology of this course emphasises group work and interaction between students. Students are assessed collectively. Even at a distance, the tools serve the methodology: thanks to the Wonder platform, a virtual space where people can meet and talk, students meet in virtual rooms and move from one virtual room to another to exchange ideas. 

Students emphasised the original atmosphere, which is different from that of a normal course, and more conducive to exchange and self-reflection: "When you take a subject in three weeks, it is more intensive, and very different from the other things we do. The atmosphere is warm. Even though it's an intensive subject, the atmosphere is more relaxed", emphasized one of the students. 

Aarhus Summer University in the future

The Aarhus Summer University flagship programme is evaluated every year. The leaders of the initiative expect to increase the number of students and the number of courses offered. They foresee more courses to be co-developed with international partners. Circle U. offers a very good opportunity to follow this path.

Other participants from Aarhus University

Students from different backgrounds and countries participating in the visit: Blaise Moten-Mills, Nadia Vestergaard Andersen, Maria Brøgger Christiensen, Rasmus Nielsen and Lucas Medaer.

Fact Box and Definitions

The InnovEd4TS Project (Innovative Education for Transferable Skills) focuses on the analysis and development of initiatives that promote the acquisition of transferable skills among students.

The Booklet

The booklet is a tool which serves as the basis for group discussion on the transferable skills developed by flagship initiatives.

Booklet (pdf)