Dear exchange partners
 
Greetings from the University of Aarhus, where autumn has arrived.
 
In the spring we sent you information about our new application form, which must be completed electronically.  Since the last application period, however many students submitted application forms which had been filled out by hand. We have had many problems reading the application forms and consequently e-mails and mail has not reached the students. Therefore, we will have to be more strict this year and refuse applications which are illegible. So once again we wish to draw your attention to our new application form and procedure. Please remember the application deadline: November 1st 2006. We have also included helpful information for you and your students.
We are very much looking forward to receiving your students at the University of Aarhus. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Best wishes
 
Helle Seiersen
International Secretariat
University of Aarhus

Application form:
On www.au.dk/en/is/academic you will find our new application form, which your students must use in the future. Students must fill out the form electronically, print it and then fax or send it by post to the International Secretariat.
 
Deadlines and academic year:
Application deadlines:   November 1st for spring
                                       June 1st for autumn
 
Autumn semester incl. exam periods:     September 1st to January 31st
Spring semester incl. exam periods:        February 1st to June 30th
 
Danish language courses:  January 4th to 27th           
 
Accommodation:
All students applying before the deadline are guaranteed accommodation. Students must fill out the Accommodation section included in the application form and familiarize themselves with the terms and conditions for accommodation. For further details please see www.au.dk/en/is/
 
EILC course Destination Denmark:
Destination Denmark is funded by the European Commission under the programme Erasmus Intensive Language Course (EILC) and is a pre-semester programme designed especially for Erasmus students. It aims to help students to make the best of their semester abroad by providing them with intensive language instruction and an introduction to Danish culture and history. More information www.au.dk/en/is/language/destination.htm
 
Denmark Today:
Denmark Today is a pre semester language and cultural programme, which allows students to meet other international students, get a firm linguistic and cultural footing, and handle the practical aspects of their stay without yet having to deal with the start of a new semester. The Denmark Today course is free of charge for exchange students. More information www.au.dk/en/is/language/

Other relevant web pages:
All academic and practical information:
www.au.dk/en/is/
Information about residence/work permit
General about the university:
www.au.dk/en
The history of the university:
Living in Aarhus:
www.au.dk/en/is/living/
The official tourist site of Aarhus:
www.visitaarhus.com/

 
 
 

University of Aarhus, Denmark

     First of all, I would like to say that the University of Aarhus is generally very consistent in informing prospective exchange students about all aspects of their stay in Denmark. This means that you should be informed well before your arrival to Denmark as the University will send you an “information package” with all the relevant information after receiving your Application Form. For this reason, it is important to send the Application Form as soon as possible and this I advise you to do this really soon because you will need the Letter of Acceptance from the University in order to be able to get Residence Permit - and this procedure takes about two months. Also if you expect the University /International Secretariat, to be more precise/ to arrange an accomodation for you, you should apply well in advance.

Concerning the study at the Department of English, it really was a pleasant experience. When choosing the courses, it is important to consult the web-site of the Department where you will find everything about the courses and the study regulations. As an exchange student, you are free to choose between the core and the elective courses. What is quite special and different from our Department is that students in Aarhus can choose the type of exam. So it’s up to you to decide this but before doing this, you should probably talk to the teacher or the departmental coordinator – Ann Carroll Boegh who is a very nice and helpful person and it’s her job to advise exchange students. What is also different from the courses taken at our Department and those taken in Aarhus is that those Danish ones are evaluated  with 5 - or more often - with 10 ECTS credits for one course. This can cause some problems when you will be trying to have these courses recognized after coming back, so make sure you arrange this before you leave. Soon after choosing the courses, you will be asked to register for exams – this means that you should be absolutely sure what kind of exam for each course you would like to take. Choosing courses or registering for exams is not really a problem as there is always someone you can talk to when in doubt and the secretaries of the Department are also very helpful. After all, you’re going to have a mentor who is a student of the Department responsible for helping and advising you. You definitely should not feel embarrassed to ask him/her whenever you’ve got a problem because to help you is his/her job. In the beginning of semester, the Department of English usually organises an introductory meeting for exchange students – a cosy Danish breakfast – and there you’ll get all the information relevant to your studies.

Another thing I would like to mention as important is the Orientation Day. This event is designed to give new students an introduction to the university and the city of Aarhus. It consists of talks, tours and a welcome party to allow students to get to know each other and get oriented. You certainly shouldn’t miss it! Also the ISC /International Student Centre/ is something crucial to your social life in Aarhus. You’ll be told more about the ISC on the Orientation Day.

Concerning the accomodation, don’t be surprised about strict rules the Danes have. You will have to pay the deposit /usually 2-3 months’ rent/ but you’ll get it back after moving out and leaving your room in good condition.

Yet another surprising thing about living in Denmark/Aarhus – they don’t accept international payment cards /Visa, EuroCard, MasterCard,.../ in supermarkets like Foetex, Netto, Bilka etc. which are the most widely used for buying food /and especially by exchange students/, they only accept cash or Danish Cards /Dankort/ which you can get after opening a bank account in Denmark. But as a compensation for this inconvenience, opening a bank account is really easy.

     Generally, Aarhus is a great place to live for an exchange student. To take the full advatage of it, I recommend you to try to enjoy every single minute of your stay here and to try to accept the Danes the way they are however, this can sometimes be difficult. They are very nice and helpful indeed, but still, they can make you realise you’re a stranger. I’ve found out that it’s true that the Northerners are more reserved and that they need more time to allow other people to get closer to them. To be more like them, you should bring your bike or rent/buy one. Because it’s bikes they love and use to get everywhere and in all weathers. So if you can, get a bike and enjoy Aarhus!

Jana Valábiková

For more info: janavali@hotmail.com; or valabikova@mail.muni.cz