2,654 young people. So many will have to put their dream of a university education on hold from next year. This comes as a result of the government's university reform.
"It's a blow for the students and for the entire university sector. But it's also an irreplaceable loss for us as a knowledge society. Denmark thrives on its knowledge and good ideas," says DTU President Anders Bjarklev.
On average, universities must admit 10 percent fewer students annually starting from 2025. According to the Ministry of Education and Research, the purpose is to encourage more young people to apply for major welfare programmes such as early childhood education or nursing, in order to address the shortage of skilled professionals. However, it is illogical to imagine an improvement in welfare on that basis, according to Anders Bjarklev.
"When you aim to increase welfare by making cuts where the key to solving the future's greatest challenges lies, it's a political own goal. How are we supposed to achieve the green transition, digitization of society, and optimization of the healthcare system if we lack highly specialized employees?" he asks.
High demand for engineers
At DTU, there will be a specific cut of 6.5 percent in the admission of new students. The cut is made despite the Ministry of Education and Research's own figures showing that DTU is among the universities with the lowest graduate unemployment rates in the country.
Meanwhile, the demand for engineers from the business sector is extremely high.
"Companies, especially in the Capital Region, lack specialists in technology, life sciences, and IT like never before. It's paradoxical that we have to cut admissions when the need is so great," says Anders Bjarklev.
Sector dimensioning will apply for the period 2025-2029. It is part of a comprehensive university reform, which also includes a reduction in the length of several master's programmes.
