3 March 2016

Masters of Mobility

At the Department of Political Science at UCPH internationalisation is not considered an add-on, but an integrated part of the field and study programme. That attitude is reflected in the department’s outbound mobility numbers – about 40 % of its students choose to study abroad.

Academic matchmaking

Books are lining every spare centimeter of Anders Berg-Sørensen’s office with a meeting table squeezed in between the bookcases. He is Head of Studies and a scholar with capital ‘S’, but his door is always open for students seeking guidance about studying abroad.

 “I think it’s important to advise students not only on procedures and deadlines, but to inspire them academically”, he says, “After all, it is the academic staff who knows which universities are specialized in a given subject and can match the student’s overall ambitions and abilities.”

Not only for straight-A students

Anders Berg-Sørensen finds that the department’s high mobility numbers can be explained by several factors. A primary one is the efforts that go into motivating all of the students. “We don’t just focus on straight-A students. All of our students are encouraged to apply and also to be realistic about which universities they apply for”, he says.

It is no secret that students are sometimes very focused on the destination. “Our spots in Paris are, for example, very popular and the competition is tough”, Berg-Sørensen says, “so I am explicit about pointing to universities, which are maybe not at the forefront of the student’s mind, but which are academically very strong. We want to have a differentiated outbound mobility and also make the best possible match between students and universities.”

New partners – new opportunities

A related success factor is the department’s scrutiny of its partnerships agreements. “We had to make tough decisions about which partners we wanted”, Berg-Sørensen admits. “We have revised our partnership portfolio to better match our student’s wishes and our academic focus areas”, “This way, we can also better ensure that our out- and inbound mobility is balanced."

For more information about the Department of Political Science at UCPH please contact Anders Berg-Sørensen or visit www.politicalscience.ku.dk.