In spite of the global covid-19 pandemic, the number of NON-EU applicants for the computer science program at Aarhus University has increased significantly. In 2021, we see an increase of 76% in applicants to the Computer Science programme compared to 2020. The applicants - 25% female and 75% male - come from all over the world, with a majority from China and India. In total, 90 applied for Computer Science and 8 for IT-Product Development, which accounts for 43,5% of the applications to the Faculty of Natural Science.
“I’m delighted to see such great international interest in our department, even during the pandemic and with fierce international competition, we continue to see an increase in the number of NON-EU applicants” says head of department Kaj Grønbæk, and continues, “We have very strong Master’s programmes including new specializations from 2021, world-class research groups, and high QS and THE rankings. But I also wish to thank our dedicated student ambassadors for helping to attract more international students to Aarhus University”.
As part of Aarhus University’s digitization strategy, the department has since 2017 - with great success - worked on attracting more international students for the computer science master’s programme. Since the beginning, there has been an increasing interest in studying computer science, at Denmark’s leading CS department, from both European and non-EU applicants.
Studying in Denmark can be very different from other countries, but the current international students really like the Danish way of teaching. “The academic atmosphere here is relatively equal, and it pays great attention to the communication between professors and students. There are no 'silly questions', and you can discuss anything, you do not understand, with the professors. Professors encourage students to think independently. The overall academic pressure is not too heavy, and the grade accounts for a very high proportion of the final exam. Most of the exams are oral tests (for example, a topic is drawn on the spot, and you make a presentation for about 10 minutes), which develops your expressive skills,” says Shuwen Liu from China, who joined the department in 2020.
Many of the international students who completed their master’s degree, have chosen to stay and work in Denmark, as there are great career opportunities for computer science students in Aarhus. The Department closely collaborates with the IT industry network Destination AARhus, which helps international students find relevant jobs both during, and after their studies in the greater Aarhus region.
The number of international students who will join the department is at this point unknown, as those accpeted have to accept/decline the offer on April 1. The number of applicants from European countries is not yet available, as the application portal is open until March 1.
