TEAMWORK
S E R I O U S LY
AFFECTS
YOUR BRAIN
W H Y S T U DY AT
AALBORG UNIVERSITY?
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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A U NIQUE STU DY M ETHOD
AN INTERN AT I ONA L E N V I RON M EN T
AAU’s study method is called problem based project
work, or the Aalborg Model for Problem Based Learning (PBL), and has been shown to be close to optimal
for the learning process in an evaluation by the OECD.
The method involves you working on a large written
project every semester with a group of your fellow students. Together, you will work with real life problems,
often in cooperation with a company.
AAU has a student body of around 18,000 divided between AAU’s main campus in Aalborg and AAU’s campuses in Copenhagen and Esbjerg. 10 per cent of the
student body is made up of international students.
This makes for a highly international environment in
which you will meet and work with other students from
around the world.
AC AD EM IC ENGLI S H AT A H I GH L EV EL
W H Y S T U DY AT A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y ?
A A L B O RG U NI V ER S I TY ( AAU ) , BA S ED I N D ENMARK IN S CAN DINAVIA , OFFERS YOU Q UALITY ED UC ATION IN THE FIELD S O F
T H E NAT URA L S CI ENCES , ENG I NEER I NG, H EALTH SC IENC ES, SOC IA L SC IEN C ES AN D HUM AN ITIES. THE C OMB IN ATION O F
A AU ’ S F O CU S O N WO R L D CLAS S R ES EARCH A N D A AU’S U N IQUE ST UDY METHOD ENS U RES TH AT YO U WILL RECEIV E
H I G H -Q UAL I TY TE ACH I NG W HILE GA IN IN G FIRST-HA N D KN OWLEDGE OF YO UR FIELD.
FRIEND SHIPS THROUGH G ROU P WORK
Working in groups gives you the opportunity of quickly
getting to know your fellow students at AAU and thereby, you have the chance of building a network that you
can use in your professional life and the chance of
making friends.
Professors at AAU hail from all over the world, but all
teach in English at a high level. Even outside of the
university, you will find that the Danes’ English proficiency level is very high, just as some Danes speak a
number of other languages including German, French
and Spanish.
INFORMAL STU D ENT-TEAC HER RELATIONSHIP
M ORE THA N 60 PRO G RAM M ES I N E N GLI S H
At AAU, students and professors are at a first-name
basis and you will always be encouraged to speak
your mind during lectures. If you have any academic
or practical questions, you are always welcome to ask.
AAU offers a wide selection of both undergraduate
and postgraduate programmes in a number of areas. Areas include communication, international
relations and culture; physics, engineering, chemistry and nanotechnology; economics, innovation
and marketing; architecture,
design, IT, programming and
FIND YOUR
P R O G R A M M E AT
many more.
W W W. S T U DY G U I D E .
AAU.DK
A UNIQUE STUDY METHOD
TH E A ALB O RG M O D E L F O R PROBLEM BASED
L EAR N I N G ( P BL ) I S A N I NT E RN AT I O N AL LY
R E C OGN I SE D A DVA NCE D A ND E F F I CI E NT STUDY
M E TH OD. IN FACT, UNE S CO H AS P L ACE D IT S O N LY
DAN I SH C H AI R I N P BL AT A AU. P RO BL E M BASE D
PROJE CT WO R K T EACH E S YO U TO D O I ND E PE N DE N T
R E SE ARC H A N D G I V E S YO U TH E O P P ORT UNITY TO
WO R K W I T H T H E TO P I C S T HAT YOU FIND MOST
I NT E RE ST I NG.
CHO O SE T HE TO P IC YO UR SE LVE S
It is up to you and your group to decide what you want to
examine. Usually, each semester follows a defined, but very
broad thematic framework which your project must fit into.
However, you have very loose reins in deciding the topic for
your project. Although you are responsible for solving your
problem yourselves, your group will be assigned a supervisor, i.e. a professor or teacher who will guide you through
the process.
P RO B L E M BA S E D P ROJ E CT WO RK
CO L LABO R AT E WIT H BUSIN E SS
When each semester, you and your group write a large project,
you usually start out with a ‘why?’, meaning that you wonder
why a certain situation is the way that it is and set out to examine it. The question is the basis of your project and will be
your guiding point when you research your topic and solve
the problem. You will learn not just to describe a problem,
but to analyse and solve it, giving you a deeper understanding
of your topic and perhaps the opportunity to contribute with
new knowledge.
Project work provides you with the opportunity to work with
a company, an institution or perhaps an NGO. In that way, you
have the opportunity to work hands-on with a real-life assignment during your studies, e.g. creating a new advertisement
campaign for a company. Thereby, through project work, you
develop skills and can create business contacts that may be
useful when applying for a traineeship or a job.
THE PBL APPROACH
“From an academic perspective, problem based project work,
which is the central part of the way of learning at Aalborg University, gives you a lot more freedom as you are not demanded
just to memorise several books. Yet it offers a big challenge as
you are asked to “create” something and solve a problem using
your knowledge.”
T O M R A E S , C U LT U R E , C O M M U N I C AT I O N A N D G L O B A L I Z AT I O N
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH GROUP WORK
W H E N YOU AR E WO RK I NG O N A P ROJ E CT, YOU WILL
SP E N D A LOT O F T I M E W I T H YO U R G RO U P, SO YOU
GE T TO KN OW EACH OT H E R V E RY W E L L . OF T E N ,
YO U WILL NOT O NLY BE D I S C U S S I NG ACADEMICS
W I TH YOU R G RO U P, BU T A L S O F O R E X A M P L E G O
TO PARTI E S O R T H E M OV I E S TO G E T H E R . IN T HAT
WAY, G ROU P WO RK P ROV I D E S F O R A N E XC E L L E N T
O P P ORTUNI T Y TO M A K E NE W F R I E ND S.
L EAR N TO CO O P E RAT E
Working in groups teaches you both how to cooperate and how
to compromise. Sometimes, you may have to scrap your own
ideas. On the other hand, working with others who share your
interest and passion for a certain topic provides you with ideas and perspectives that you may not have acquired on your
own, giving you a deeper understanding of your topic.
STAN D OU T ON T HE L ABOU R MA R KET
SH AR E YO UR I NT E RE ST S W I T H OT H ER S
Learning how to cooperate and how to compromise is something you can utilise in many situations. In your professional
life, you will often be cooperating with your colleges to solve
tasks and in that way, both you and your future workplace
will benefit from the skills you have acquired through group
work at AAU.
You form the group yourselves based on your shared interest
in a certain topic. This means that you have the opportunity
of working with other students with the same academic interests as you, which is a great basis for potential friendships. It
also means that you have someone to discuss any academic
or perhaps personal worries with.
G R O U P W O R K AT A A U
“Group work at AAU offered me the chance to interact with people from
different academic backgrounds and different countries. The experience
was very constructive because I could learn a lot from the others and
share my knowledge with them. Likewise, I have gained a lot in terms
of interpersonal skills and taking responsibility. And last but not least,
group work can lead to beautiful friendships.”
C O S M I N A P U L B E R E , D E V E L O P M E N T A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E L AT I O N S
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TEACHING METHODS
PROJECT WORK IS THE CENTRAL PART OF
AC QU IRING K NOWLED GE AT AAU. H OW EVER , YOU
WILL ALSO EXPERIENC E M ORE TRAD ITIONAL
TEAC HING M ETHOD S SUC H AS LECTU RES, WHERE
YOU WILL BE INTROD U C ED TO NEW TOPIC S A ND
NEW K NOWLED GE WITHIN YOUR FIELD THAT YO U
CA N A PPLY TO YO U R PROJ ECT.
D ED IC AT ED LECT UR ER S
Your lecturers at AAU conduct research within the fields that
they teach, and in that way, you will be presented with the
most recent scientific knowledge within your field during lectures. At AAU, the teacher-student relationship is informal
and dialog-based, and professors are very interested in hearing your opinions and ideas. At many study programmes, a
number of guest lectures will also be organised, giving you
the opportunity to meet some of the most prominent researchers in your field.
LECTURES AT AAU
The lectures at AAU are all centred around PBL and will provide you with more general knowledge and a broader understanding of your study field. The lectures can give you inspiration for your project, both in terms of choosing a topic and
in terms of finding the right theories. By the end of each semester, you will defend your project in an exam, just as you
will take a few individual exams based on some of the lectures
throughout the semester.
T E AC H I N G M E T H O D S AT A A U
“The student-professor relationship at AAU is very close. The professors are extremely
well prepared and always ready to help out. Just pass by their office with any inquiry and
get the question answered. As well as that, courses are divided between lectures and group
work, when students get to apply the knowledge they are introduced to during the lecture.”
C ATA L I N A P E R J U , I N N O VAT I V E C O M M U N I C AT I O N T E C H N O L O G I E S A N D E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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TRAINEESHIP
MOST POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM M ES AT AAU
ALLOW YOU TO D O A TR AINEESHIP. IT IS A
GREAT OPPORTU NITY FOR YOU TO GAIN WORK
EXPERIENC E AND TO TEST YOU R ABILITIES IN
PRACTICE. YOU DECIDE WHERE YO U WANT TO DO
YOU R TR AINEESHIP, SO IT IS UP TO YO U WHETHER
YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THE DANISH L ABOUR
M ARK ET OR PERHAPS SEE M ORE OF THE WORLD.
THE ADVANTAGES OF A TR AINEESHIP
“I AM DOING MY
TRAINEESHIP
IN BRUSSELS”
A traineeship gives you the opportunity to combine your theoretical knowledge with practice, and it may give you competencies invaluable for your career. You gain inside knowledge
of the business world, and you have the chance to build a network that you may make use of later when searching for a job.
“The traineeship is a good opportunity to gain professional experience, to find out what exactly you
would like to do, and it prepares you for the real job
search after graduation. The successful traineeship
takes time, efforts and nerves, but in the end, you find
out that it is worth it, not only because you expand
your professional network, but also because you can
meet great friends and live with inspiring people who
might be like family in the end.”
YOU DEC ID E W HERE TO G O
Usually, you decide whether you wish to do your traineeship in
Denmark or abroad and which type of company or organisation you prefer. In that way, you can choose everything from a
multinational cooperation to an NGO, as long as it is relevant
for your study field.
JENI ORESHKOVA , EUROPEAN STUDIES
F O R M O R E D E TA I L S O N T R A I N E E S H I P S , P L E A S E V I S I T :
W W W. I N T E R N AT I O N A L O F F I C E . A A U . D K
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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STUDYING IN DENMARK
DAN ISH VA LU E S A N D WE L FA R E SYSTEM
Denmark enjoys a large degree of freedom, and tolerance and
equality are very important values. Denmark has one of the
world’s highest tax rates and living costs are relatively high.
However, in turn, Danes enjoy a great deal of security and
flexibility through the famous Scandinavian welfare system,
e.g. free health care, which you as an international student
with a residence permit for Denmark is likewise eligible for.
A AL BO RG, ESBJE RG A N D CO P E N HAGEN
The three cities in which AAU is placed offer a lot of opportunities. Combining city life with incredible nature experiences,
Aalborg is the fourth largest city in Denmark with a population
of 125,000, 20 per cent of which are students. Esbjerg is Denmark’s fifth biggest city with a population of 71,000. Located
by the Danish Wadden Sea, it is a very attractive university
town and has twice been voted ‘City of the Year’ in Denmark.
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is a modern city with a
population of 2 million, offering lots of cultural experiences
and opportunities to socialise.
D E N MAR K I S A R E L AT I V E LY S M AL L CO UN T RY
W I TH AP P ROX I M AT E LY 5 . 5 M I L L I O N P E O PL E , BUT
I T H AS A LOT TO O F F E R. I T I S S U RRO UN DE D BY
SE AS , W H I C H P ROV I D E S F O R LO N G ST R ETCHES
OF SA N DY B E ACH E S A N D S H I M M E R I N G WHITE
D U N E S. TH E DA NI S H CO UN T RYS I D E W I T H GREEN
H I LLS AN D D E E P F O R E ST S H O L D S I N C R EDIBLE
B E AUTI E S, B U T D E NM A R K AL S O H A S A NUMBE R
O F LA RG E R C I T I E S W I T H CA F E S , S H O P P IN G A N D
N I GH TLI FE O P P O RT U NI T I E S . I T I S K N OWN FOR
I TS F U N CTIO NA L I ST D E S I G N A ND F O C US ON
R E N E WAB LE E NE RGY, T H E LAT T E R O F W HICH IS
RE FLE CTE D I N T H E FACT T HAT W I ND M I L L S C AN BE
SE E N T H RO U G H O UT TH E COU NT RY.
LIVING
IN
DENMARK
“I feel safe here in Denmark. You can
always feel calm and secure no matter
at which hour at night you have to come
back home: either cycling or walking.”
G R E TA M I N E L G A I T Ė , E N V I R O N M E N TA L
ENGINEERING
T RAN SP O RT AN D TR AVE L L IN G
Regardless of whether you study at AAU in Aalborg, Esbjerg
or Copenhagen, you will find that getting around in Denmark
is easy. Within the cities, public transportation will take you
wherever you need to go, and near all three cities you will find
airports taking you to destinations in and outside of Europe.
Denmark also has an excellent bike paths network that enables you to explore both the cities and the countryside.
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S T U DY I N G AT A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y
AAU WILL D O ITS U TM OST TO HELP YOU SET TLE
IN A ND HAVE A GREAT STAY IN D ENM ARK. AAU’S
I NTERN ATIONAL OFFIC E WILL PROVID E YOU WITH
PR ACTIC AL INFORMATION E.G. ON HOW TO APPLY
AND WILL WELC OM E AND INTRODU C E YOU TO
AAU WHEN YOU ARRIVE.
STU DEN T ACT I V I T I ES
At AAU, there are a number of opportunities for you to meet
other students and get involved, e.g. as a volunteer at one of
AAU’s campus cafés. AAU also offers free Basic Danish Language and Introduction to Scandinavia courses, which will not
only give you an understanding of Danish and Scandinavian
culture, history and politics, but also the opportunity of meeting other international students across faculties.
ACCOMMODATION
THE B UDDY P ROGR A M M E
In both Aalborg and Esbjerg, you are guaranteed accommodation if you apply within the deadline. AAU’s International
Accommodation Offices in Aalborg and Esbjerg will allocate
accommodation to applicants and can help you with a number
of questions. Finding accommodation in Copenhagen may be a
bit more challenging and it is necessary to start searching in
good time, but AAU will help you as much as possible.
Studying abroad can be an overwhelming experience and it
may be difficult getting to know a new city. Therefore, AAU has
implemented the Buddy Programme. A Buddy is a Danish or
an international student who has volunteered to be your contact person during your first weeks at AAU and help you with
any questions, practical, academic or otherwise.
F O R M O R E D E TA I L S , P L E A S E V I S I T :
W W W. S T U D Y G U I D E . A A U . D K
AC C O M M O DAT I O N I N E S B J E R G
“The Accommodation Office at AAU Esbjerg was very helpful in finding
me a place to live in Esbjerg. I just contacted them by mail before coming
and sent them the money, so they could book my accommodation. Then
they dealt with everything and I just came and got the keys.”
PIERRE LEFEBVRE, OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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D E F I N I N G A N I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D E N T
YO U H AVE SE V E R A L D I F F E R E NT O P T I O NS IF YOU
W I SH TO ST UDY AT A AU. YO U CA N C H O OSE TO
STUDY AS A F UL L D E G RE E STU D E NT O R A S A
G UE ST, E XC H A NG E O R ER A S MU S ST U D E NT. FOR
A LL ST U D E N T S F RO M AN E U /E EA CO U N TRY OR
SW I TZE R LAN D AS W E L L A S STU D E N T S E NROLLED
AT O N E O F AAU ’S PA RT NE R U NI V E R S I T I E S OU TSIDE
O F TH E EU /E EA , T U I T I O N AT A AU I S FRE E .
DE G R E E ST UDE N T
As a degree student at AAU, you can choose to apply for a
Bachelor’s degree of three years and/or a Master’s degree of
two years. You can find AAU’s many degree programmes on
www.studyguide.aau.dk.
E XCH AN G E STU DE N T
If you are enrolled in a university that has a bilateral agreement with AAU, you can study one or two semesters at a number of AAU’s study programmes. Please consult with your own
university to see if it has an agreement with AAU.
ER ASMU S STUDE N T
If you are enrolled at a university that participates in the Erasmus Programme, you can apply for enrolment at AAU for 6-12
months. For more information, please consult your own university or AAU’s International Office.
G UE ST ST UDE N T
If you are enrolled at a university that does not have a cooperation agreement with AAU, you can study as a guest student
at AAU for one or two semesters. You will need to pay tuition
fee in accordance with the study programme you apply for.
For more information, please contact your own university or
AAU’s International Office.
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T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L O F F I C E
T H E I N TE R N AT I O N A L OF F I C E I S R E S P O NSIBLE
FOR A N UMB E R O F S E RV I CE S AND ACT I VITIES
A I ME D AT I N T E RNAT I O N AL ST UD E NT S , I NCLUDIN G
TH E AD MI NI ST RAT I O N O F T H E A P P L I C ATION
P ROC E SS, TH E W E LCO M E AND I NT E G R ATION OF
N E W STU DE N T S , A N I NT E RNAT I O NA L CAMP U S
E N VI RON ME N T, S E ND I NG ST UD E NT S ABROA D O N
IN TE R N SH I P S O R AN E XCH A NG E STAY AT ONE OF
O UR PARTN E R UNI V E R S I T I E S , A ND P ROV IDIN G
AC C OMMO DAT I O N F O R I NT E RNAT I O NAL
ST UD E NT S A ND STA F F.
campus and in our three cities. The purpose of the Welcome
Week is to ensure that you get a good sense of what it means
to be part of the university and become familiar with Aalborg
University’s study method Problem Based Learning.
T HE IN T E R N AT IO NAL ACCO MMO DAT IO N OFFIC E
In addition to these services, the International Office runs an
International Accommodation Office in Aalborg City and at the
Esbjerg campus, and there is also some accommodation services in Copenhagen. In Aalborg, we can offer you more than
600 student accommodation units ranging from rooms in student halls of residence (dormitories), to rooms in big apartments in central Aalborg, to self-contained flats.
W E A R E H E RE TO H E L P
F I ND YOU R P ROG R AM M E H ER E:
A N E XCHA N G E STAY AT A PARTNER UN IVERSITY
In relation to the application process, the International Office
offers all the necessary information in order to apply for admission to a given study programme at Aalborg University.
This includes details on entry requirements, how to apply,
fees and finance as well as advice on residence permit, accommodation etc.
If you are interested in a traineeship outside of Denmark or
in studying abroad, you can seek information and assistance
at the International Office. The International Office administers the cooperation agreements between Aalborg University
and foreign universities as well as other educational institutions in relation to student and staff exchange. You can benefit
from more than 1000 exchange agreements with universities
worldwide.
W E LCO M E A ND I NT E G RAT I O N
As a new international student arriving at Aalborg University,
you can take part in the ‘Welcome Week‘ at the semester start
in September and February. During this period, staff from the
International Office is ready to introduce you to life as a student in Denmark and at Aalborg University, present you with
the accommodation you may have chosen, and introduce you
to the various social and sports offerings that you can find at
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L
O F F I C E O R T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L A C C O M M O D AT I O N O F F I C E ,
P L E A S E V I S I T : W W W. I N T E R N AT I O N A L O F F I C E . A A U . D K
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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W W W. S T U D Y G U I D E . A A U . D K
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
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