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HRH Prince Joachim took international students for an electrical spin

HRH Prince Joachim took newly appointed young Goodwill Ambassadors for a test drive of electrical cars – and taught them a few old tricks about being a first-mover and representing Denmark abroad
HRH Prince Joachim took international students for an electrical spin

A corps of dedicated young international Goodwill Ambassadors to Denmark has been established to represent Denmark abroad and attract other talented students to study in Denmark. To become Goodwill Ambassadors, the students complete a unique programme that includes meeting with and learning from top profiles in the Danish society.

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.

After sharing his his experiences with representing Denmark and of studying abroad, his HRH joined the young ambassadors for a test drive of the electrical cars at Better Place in Copenhagen.

 

prince joachim
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