Expand your universe. Go on exchange

Anja C. Andersen

When Anja is not doing research on cosmic dust and the history of the universe, she teaches at the University of Copenhagen and acts as a student counsellor. Being in close contact with students, she knows first-hand why many students within her academic field are wary of studying abroad. But Anja is not at all wary – she knows why it is so important. The universe is bigger than UCPH and beyond the textbook there is a new horizon.

Doctor Who?
“Learning is much more than what you find in textbooks,” Anja says, referring to both the personal and the academic outcomes of going on exchange. “Other countries have other contexts and other ways of building a curriculum. Not everyone is as interested in Doctor Niels Bohr as we are in Denmark, and different countries and universities have different approaches to physics than we do.” This often leads to a specialisation that really sets the student apart, while enabling him to see his own field from a different perspective.

Solvejg Jørgensen

Becoming unique
At another part of the Faculty of Science, Associate Professor in Chemistry, Solvejg Jørgensen, agrees with her colleague. “Going abroad is a way to make yourself unique, while gaining a new perspective – and enjoying a new culture in the weekends”. It also prepares you for a global labour market, where you may need to speak English with international colleagues, appreciate different cultures and work with different types of people.

Another one bites the dust
So if your place of study were one of the best in the world, would you go on exchange? If not, you might want to reconsider. Learning new methods or a new curriculum not only helps you differentiate yourself from the rest; it also helps you put your own knowledge into perspective. “If you can make it happen one way or the other, do it – it’s a fantastic opportunity,” Anja says. Over at Chemistry, Solvejg agrees: “Just take a chance!”