With the new scanner, clinicians and researchers can see 3D images of what is going on inside the body, when it is actually taking place. That is one of the primary benefits of ultrasound - the images are seen in real-time. This for example makes it possible to put pressure on a blood vessel and see how it affects the flow:

- We will use the scanner to develop new ultrasound methods and we are currently developing a new technique to measure the blood's velocity in the body, explains Professor Jørgen Arendt Jensen, Head of Center for Fast Ultrasound Imaging at DTU.

Come visit us at NAFSA 2012 - to set up at meeting with a Danish university or to simply learn more about Danish Higher Education. You will find us at booth no. 219 - 'Study in the Nordic Countries', located in the exhibition hall in the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Danish Universities present at NAFSA 2012:

• Aalborg University
• Aarhus University
• Copenhagen Business School
• Copenhagen University
• Denmarks Technical University
• Roskilde University
• University of Southern Denmark

Measuring points

The U21 Rankings of National Higher Education Systems 2012 is based on the following measuring points

• resources (investment by government and private sector)*
• output (research and its impact, as well as an educated workforce to meet labour market needs)
• connectivity (international networks and collaboration which protects a system against insularity)
• environment (government policy and regulation, diversity and participation opportunities)

*Government funding of higher education as a percentage of GDP is highest in Finland, Norway and Denmark, but when private expenditure is added in, funding is highest in the United States, Korea, Canada and Chile. Investment in Research and Development is highest in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

The depht of world class higher education institutions

The nations whose research has the greatest impact are Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States, United Kingdom and Denmark. While the United States and United Kingdom have the world's top institutions in rankings, the depth of world class higher education institutions per head of population is best in Switzerland, Sweden, Israel and Denmark.

Lead author, Professor Ross Williams at the University of Melbourne, says that in a globalised world a strong higher education system is essential if a nation is to be economically competitive and attract international talent:

- While there are a number of well-regarded global rankings of individual institutions, these don't shed any light on the broader picture of how well a nation's system educates its students, the environment it provides for encouraging and supporting excellence. Students choose countries to study in as much as individual institutions, and the Universitas 21 Ranking offers clear data to support decision-making".

Universitas 21 is an international research network of 24 universities and colleges. Its membership works together to encourage international mobility and engagement between staff and students.

Denmark is an increasingly popular destination for foreign academics – and it's not difficult to see why. Denmark is ranked eighth in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report for 2011-12 and sixth in the INSEAD Global Innovation Index 2011. In the OECD's Better Life Index 2011 it comes sixth, the Global Gender Gap Report 2011 rates it seventh closest to achieving equality, and it came second (for the third year running) in the 2011 Legatum Prosperity Index – largely due to high levels of social equality and opportunity (see Denmark's rankings).

Still room for more

According to the latest Eurostat figures, there were just under 15,700 researchers in the higher education sector in Denmark in 2009, of which 11.2% had a non-Danish background. In addition, one third of the 2,603 PhD candidates enrolled at Danish universities in 2010 came from outside Denmark.

These are fairly high percentages, but according to Patrizia Marchegiani, Special Advisor at the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalization (part of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education), recruiting from abroad remains a high priority in Denmark. “Like many other western countries, Denmark needs to attract and retain international employees if we are to maintain and develop our society,” she says. “Higher education institutions play an important part in spearheading this effort."

Attracting top talent

All vacancies at professor and associate professor level must be advertised internationally, and universities are also allowed to offer a higher-than-usual salary to top foreign researchers. They may also cover travel expenses and contribute to additional costs associated with moving. Some, Marchegiani says, are developing dedicated support units to help international staff and their families settle in Denmark, including offering assistance for accompanying spouses seeking employment.

Various national schemes are in place to make it easy for top international professionals to settle in Denmark. Work and residence permits can be obtained immediately by those offered a job within a profession on the Positive List – a list of roles and sectors currently experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals. Under the Pay Limit Scheme, the same applies to those whose job offer includes an annual salary of at least DKK 375,000 (around US$65,800). Those who have not yet secured a position can also enter to seek work, subject to individual assessment, within the Greencard Scheme.

In addition, a special flat rate of 26% income tax (as opposed to the normal rate, which can creep over 50%) is available for foreign researchers and other key professionals, for a period of 60 months. Under this scheme, pension contributions must still be paid, and no deductions apply when calculating taxable income. With the exception of approved researchers, the employee's salary must total at least DKK 69,300 (around US$12,150) per month before pension deductions. Company cars and multimedia may be included in this total.

Work and play

Particular research strengths are in the fields of sustainable energy and health sciences. One current example is the team led by Danish scientist Eske Willerslev at the University of Copenhagen's Centre for GeoGenetics, whose research on ancient DNA has impacted on theories of human colonization, palaeogenetics, DNA and understanding cancer viruses – earning them the cover of Science magazine twice to date.

“As a knowledge-based society with a comprehensive welfare state and a bustling business life, Denmark provides ideal conditions for academic employment,” Marchegiani says. Facilities are excellent, salaries attractive, and career progression increasingly prioritized. PhD candidates are classed as employees and paid accordingly.

Other attractions include rich and diverse cultural and recreational opportunities, including music, theatre, cinema, art, museums and sports. And of course the rest of Europe is only a few hours' flight away, making a weekend in Berlin, Rome or London a viable option.

“Denmark offers great quality of life,” says Marchegiani. “It's an open and safe society with a good work-life balance, clean environment and nature on your doorstep. Children are a priority. There are international schools, free healthcare, and even if it takes some time to learn Danish, you can still interact with everyone, since most Danes speak English.” In higher education, an increasing number of courses are also taught in English.

International partnerships

As a partner in the Bologna Process and programs such as Erasmus and Tempus, Denmark has close ties with other EU countries. It maintains close cooperation with other Nordic countries through the Nordic Council of Ministers, which runs schemes such as the Nordplus education program for lifelong learning.

Individual universities also have exchange and cooperation programs with institutes both within and outside of Europe. On a national level, Denmark has signed research and education agreements with a number of other countries. One such agreement, with China, has led to the development of the Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research (SDC), based at the future Yanqihu Campus of the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS) and scheduled for full opening in March 2013.

The SDC collaboration involves the eight Danish universities, the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, GUCAS and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It will accommodate 100 researchers from both countries and offer high quality Masters programs for 300 students and PhD programmes for 75 students.

Denmark is also strongly involved in the development of the European Spallation Source (ESS), a materials research facility in Lund, Sweden, scheduled to open in 2019. Expected to cost around €1.5 billion, ESS will be one of the world's largest and most advanced facilities for materials research at atomic level.

About the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalization

The Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalization is a government agency within the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education. The Agency is responsible for supporting the internationalization of education and training in Denmark - and provides information on higher education Denmark for international students.

The Agency is also responsible for the assessment of international qualifications and for a number of Danish, European and Nordic student exchange programmes to support international cooperation and mobility in education. In addition, the Agency serves as an information centre on internationalisation of all the educational sectors in Denmark

The Agency’s professed goals are as follows:
• To compile, disseminate and utilize knowledge about mobility and international cooperation in education
• To encourage participation by Danish educational institutions in international cooperation in education
• To promote and enforce outbound student mobility
• To attract and retain international talent (inbound student mobility)
• To assess and recognise non-Danish degrees, diplomas and certificates

This article was written and first published by the british university ranking agency, QS. See original article at QS

Testdriving with HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark

On 12 May, sixty of the young ambassadors met with HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark and Danish Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard. The aim was to give the students a taste of how Denmark strives to remain a global leader in green innovation, showcasing Denmark's prominent role in the development and use of e.g. electric vehicles.

Prince Joachim engages with international students at Better Place in Copenhagen. Photo: Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education

Global marketing at eye level

If Denmark is to remain in the fast lane as a global leader in innovation the nation needs to attract and retain international talent. That is why Copenhagen Capacity, Wonderful Copenhagen and the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation have established the Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps, bringing together more than 100 current and former international students. The project aims to reach 350 youth ambassadors.

- We need international talents in Denmark if we wish to uphold a top position among innovative companies with a global outlook. Especially if  we are interested in keeping these companies on Danish ground. To meet these objectives, engaging foreign students is a great way to market Denmark and the business opportunities we can provide, says Danish Minister for Education Morten Østergaard.

The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps is a younger counterpart to Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador Corps that includes 75 Danish business leaders based abroad.

Read more about the background for the Youth Goodwill Ambassador project

- The youth ambassadors will promote Denmark as a talent destination for international students worldwide – at eye level. They embody and represent the story of Denmark's strengths and will use their extraordinary experiences and communication tools to promote Denmark. The project is unique, even on an international scale, and it creates a new innovative benchmark for how countries can market themselves, says Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, Chairman, Advisory Board, Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador Corps.

The short-term objective of the youth ambassadors is to attract more international students to Denmark. In a long-term perspective, the international talents will make up qualified manpower for Danish companies in Denmark as well as in their global subsidiaries to tap into.

One hundred international students have been selected Youth Good Ambassadors to Denmark. On this photo some of them are joined by HRH Prince Joachim (far left) and the Danish education minister, Morten Østergaard just left to CEO, Better Place Denmark, Johnny Hansen (far right). Photo: Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education

Denmark needs highly educated employees

The Danish economy is driven by innovation and a higly skilled workforce. However, according to Denmark’s Economic Council of the Labour Movement (ECLM), Danish companies will by 2020 experience a shortage of up to 21,000 professionals. One of these companies is Better Place.

- Denmark accommodates a number of leading innovative companies and Better Place is one of them. As an international company we have chosen to focus on Denmark as one of our first-mover markets, because we hold a leading position within innovation here. However, we can only stay market leading if we think internationally and bring in the right talent. That is why, we are happy to host the youth ambassador event and to support their efforts to attract talented foreign students, says CEO, Johnny Hansen, Better Place.

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ABOUT
The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps is founded by Copenhagen Capacity, Wonderful Copenhagen and the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation. Partner institutions include Copenhagen University, Aarhus University, Aalborg University, Copenhagen Business School and the Technical University of Denmark. The program is supported by the foundations Karl Pedersen og Hustrus Industrifond and Industriens Arbejdsgivere in Copenhagen, both administered by the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI).

CONTACTS
Head of Secretariat, Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador Corps - Morten King-Grubert
Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation - Julie Selch Larsen, jsl(at)iu.dk

- We are exceptionally pleased that DTU will be responsible for the creation of a national wind tunnel and in this way support the further development of Denmark as a powerhouse for research and education in sustainable energy technologies, says Rector of DTU, Anders Bjarklev.

A boost to leading Danish wind energy research

The new wind tunnel will contribute to the development of a next generation wind turbines and give Danish research institutions and companies access to the most advanced testing facilities.

- It's very exciting that Denmark will now be getting a big national wind tunnel which will strengthen research and innovation in wind power significantly. It will further emphasise Denmark’s position as a world leader in wind technology, says CEO of Danish Wind Industry Association, Jan Hylleberg.

Ambitious goals for sustainable energy in Denmark

Over the past five years the Danish government has invested approximately 110 million euros into Danish research infrastructure of which a national wind tunnel is the most recent.

- The Danish government has set very ambitious goals for sustainable energy in Denmark. This requires new knowledge and investments that can support sustainable growth. And in this regard, the new wind tunnel makes an important contribution, says Education Minister Morten Østergaard.

About the national wind tunnel project
The Wind Tunnel will be owned by the Danish Technical University while the operation and development will be undertaken in cooperation with future private and public users of the tunnel. The total budget is 10 million euros of which half is financed by the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education (the Danish Education Ministry). The Technical University of Denmark has invested 2.7 million euros in the project, while Region Zealand has invested 1.9 million euros. Read more (in Danish only)

Why Denmark?

Why do students choose to study in a tiny, cold country in northern Europe? The fact that they benefits a Danish society that is driven by knowledge and innovation. And the young Goodwill Ambassadors give some inspiring answers. The potential pitfalls such as poor weather, expensive prices, closed Sunday’s and lack of student housing comes second to high quality education, culture, design, a healthy work-life balance and Danish companies as future job opportunities.

Students from all over the world

The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps have carefully been selected with regard to the students' comptencies, diversity and interest in sharing their experiences of studying in Denmark. The students come from the BRIC Countries, Next Eleven, the U.S. and Europe.

Maria from Spain calls Aarhus the city of smiles. Houman from Iran praises Aalborg University for teaching some of the best problem-based learning in the world. Curtis from the U.S. thinks that Copenhagen simply sells itself with its cultural offerings, lifestyle, cuisine and green areas. Other students mention in chorus sustainability, bike culture, living comfort, Roskilde Festival, H.C. Andersen, Skype, LEGO, Noma, Vestas, Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, Grauballe Man, Jomfru Ane Gade and Tivoli as something Denmark is known for.
Read more about what other students say about studying in Denmark

- The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps is an effective way to spread the positive experiences of studying in Denmark and thereby inspire other international students to follow in their footsteps. These students are the leaders of tomorrow that can help further grow our innovative companies of today, says Morning King- Grubert, Head of Secretariat, Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador Corps.

Students: Denmark has it all

Talking to the young goodwill ambassadors it becomes clear that when they chose to study in Denmark they were looking for 'the whole package': quality of education, career opportunities, culture, student life and work-life balance were all factors in the equation that made them choose Denmark.

As Goodwill Ambassadors, the students complete a unique programme that includes meeting with and learning from top profiles in the Danish society. They also learn from Danish and international business leaders as well as experts in marketing and communication and business. This programme gives the students a thorough understanding of Danish society and culture, allowing them to carefully guide other students about the benefits and opportunities of studying and working in Denmark.

The aim is to have 350 young goodwill ambassadors around the world, spreading the word about Denmark as a study and career destination:

- The youth ambassadors will promote Denmark as a talent destination for international students worldwide – at eye level. They embody and represent the story of Denmark's strengths and will use their extraordinary experiences and communication tools to promote Denmark. The project is unique, even on an international scale, and it creates a new innovative benchmark for how countries can market themselves, says Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, Chairman, Advisory Board, Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador Corps.

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About the program (you too can become an ambassador)
The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps is founded by Copenhagen Capacity, Wonderful Copenhagen and the Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation. Partner institutions include University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Aalborg University, Copenhagen Business School and the Technical University of Denmark. The program is supported by the foundations Karl Pedersen og Hustrus Industrifond and Industriens Arbejdsgivere in Copenhagen, both administered by the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI).

The students have developed a business model that can support the NGO project ‘One Laptop Per Child’ in reaching its goal of educating poor children with the aid of child-friendly laptops. We congratulate the brilliant students from Aarhus University.

Read more about the winning project on Aarhus University's homepage

Collaboration key to success

A key to the success of Danish biotech is the close collaboration between universities, hospitals and companies in Denmark, known as the Danish Biotech Cluster.

Become an expert in commercializing biotech innovation

Based on teaching across biotechnology and business, the new master programme is a unique opportunity for students who want a thorough understanding of how to commercialize biotech innovation. Harvard University in the U.S. is currently the only other university that offers a similar interdisciplinary programme.

Professor and Program Director of the new BioBusiness & Innovation Programme (BBIP), Finn Valentin explains that the programme enables students to combine knowledge across science and business in order to identify commercial opportunities. These are highly sought after skills among companies.

"The BBIP master programme provides the competences needed in the various stages from bio-innovations to commercialization. These competencies are critical for start-up entrepreneurs as well as for those providing the framework for entrepreneurship, such as venture capital", says Finn Valentin.

Teaching by industry leaders

The new master programme has been developed in close collaboration with major Danish biotech companies, such as LEO Pharma, Novozymes, Coloplast, Symphogen and Zealand Pharma as well as the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation. The companies support the programme financially and provide lecturers and internships.

The programme is a further development of the elective course in BioBusiness and Innovation, offered by Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in collaboration with the Department of Systems Biology at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Watch the video above about the 2-year master programme

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About the BioBusiness & Innovation Programme

• The programme is a collaboration between CBS, the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark
• The new two-year master's programme begins in September 2012. The application deadline is August 10^th 2012 at 10:00
• The programme ends with a three-month internship in a Danish life-science company
• The programme has found inspiration in both USA and Sweden
• Read more about the new programme at www.cbs.dk/bbip

Head of UCSJ’s international office, Morten Pristed, explains that having access to a bike makes students’s daily routines a lot easier: "In recent years, UCSJ has received many international students. From this we know that it is very useful for the students to have access to a bicycle, as it makes daily commuting to and from social and academic activities much more convenient", says Morten Pristed.

Sponsored bikes

The free bikes at UCSJ will be of good quality, with puncture-proof tires, kickstand, lock, reflectors, bell, bike helmet and other regulatory devices. The bikes will be kept safely in bycycle racks on campus.

The bikes will ia be sponsored by the builders of the new UCSJ campus in Roskilde, which stands ready to open in August. Thus, the University College hopes that contractors, suppliers and others will see purpose and value in sponsoring one or more cycles with their name and logo on them.

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Become a sponsor:

Companies and individuals interested in sponsoring a bike can contact UCSJ. Click here for more information

This summer, Aarhus University, School of Engineering offers an extended Summer School programme with a multidisciplinary focus on energy technology. You will be introduced to the latest in the development and use of renewable energy and get the opportunity to work with leading industry experts.

Specifically, the programme offers four intensive courses in:

• Wind Turbine Technology
• Smart District Energy
• Biofuel Production Technology
• Power

The summer school is a unique opportunity to develop your engi­neering skills in collaboration with leading companies in the field. Thus, you will gain a course specific theoretical in­sight, but also be challenged to apply this theory to real-world and complex tasks in the industry.

Deadline for signing up is 1 May, 2012. 
For more information visit: www.iha.dk/summerschool

Denmark - a world leader in renewable energy
Thirty years of focused energy policy has placed Denmark at the forefront in the development and use of renewable energy, such as biofuels, wind, wave and solar power. Denmark aims to get 50 pct of electricity from wind power by 2020 an to be fossil-free by 2050. Today, Denmark is a world leader in both cleantech production (as a percentage of GDP) and cleantech innovation.

A world-class qualification 
At the study exhibition you can learn more about your study options in Denmark and what makes Denmark an excellent choice for studens looking for a quality education in a safe, friendly and international environment. At the exhibition, go to the 'Study in Denmark' booth and meet the following Danish universities:

• Aalborg University
• Aarhus University
• Copenhagen Business School
• University of Copenhagen
• University of Southern Denmark
• Roskilde University

For more information about the Danish universities attending the exhibition in Bangkok, you can either contact the institution directly or contact Study in Denmark via our Facebook page
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About the APAIE Conference and Study Exhibition
The Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) aims to develop the scientific and educational cooperation in Asia and the Pacific. In April 2012, APAIE will be holding its 7th Annual Conference and Study Exhibition at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.

“The idea is to provide easy access to the many biological samples we have today and will get in the future,” says Professor Mads Melbye, the director of the Division of Epidemiology at the State Serum Institute (SSI). “We expect that the biobank will be a goldmine for Danish research and will be the foundation for many important discoveries in the future,” he adds.

More than 15 million biosamples

Denmark is at the very front when it comes to epidemiological research. This is to a large extent thanks to the unique Danish registries which provide detailed information on the entire population. Denmark is the only country in the world with registries that include everyone living in the country, making it possible to access, among other things, their medical history from cradle to grave.

Equipped with the most advanced robotic technology on the market, the Danish National Biobank will make more than 15 million biosamples available to researchers over the coming years, making it possible to map the entire country and its diseases.

Online access to biosamples

The Danish National Biobank consists of a biobank building of more than 3,000 m2 for storing and retrieval of biological samples. Moreover, the biobank consists of a national biobank register containing information on samples available in large Danish biobanks, including tissue samples from Danish hospitals. Scientists will be able to gain online access to this register.

The cost of establishing the Danish National Biobank amounts to a total of DKK 179 million, financed largely by funds from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Other important contributions have come from the Danish Government Programme for Research Infrastructure and from the Lundbeck Foundation.

Read more on the website of the Danish National Institute for Health Data and Disease Control

Find your study programme in Health Sciences in Denmark

Besides the Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster, the group met with companies such as Vestas, Samsø, and the waste- and energy company Amagerforbrændingen, before they continued to Spain to learn more about solar energy.

Danes should focus on "a higher level"

Emmanuel Boros describes the strengths of the Danish renewable energy industry as our ability to have a high penetration rate and to help the country move towards its goal of energy independence. The industry seems to be well represented with interest groups and at the policy level. But there are also areas where Danes and Danish companies should pay more attention.

- We noticed that the focus in Denmark really is on renewable energy for economic and energy independence reasons, and not recycling or sustainability at a higher level. Therefore, one area to improve would be to take these efforts to the next level and encourage recycling and other behavior that complements the great achievements in the renewable energy sector, Glendon says.

Talents look to Denmark

The study trip also helped CCC to create a good relationship with MIT and create international relations around the Danish cluster.

- It is very encouraging that the world's leading talents choose Denmark as their study trip destination, and that they show such a great interest in our companies and in our cluster. But they can also teach us a great deal, not least in regards to looking at cleantech from a market oriented perspective rather than just focusing on technological innovation and our own solutions, Michael Johansen, Project Development Manager in CCC, states.

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Article is reproduced from www.cphcleantech.com