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As autumn brings new arrivals, familiar traditions and a change of pace, Lyndsay Jensen reflects on what it means to feel welcomed in Denmark - from September’s international celebrations to the conversations shaping the country we call home. Photograph: International Citizen Days Text: Lyndsay Jensen As The International begins a new chapter with our seasonal issues, autumn feels like exactly the right place to start. A season of arrivals, changing colours and settling in, t

For Diana Medrea-Mogensen, moving abroad and entrepreneurship have more in common than we might think. Both require us to adapt, take risks and learn to navigate unfamiliar waters. Photograph: Vlada Karpovich on Pexels Text: Diana-Medrea Mogensen I sometimes wonder whether I would ever have explored entrepreneurship if I had not moved to Denmark. I had never dreamed of owning a business, yet here I am, many years later, having built businesses myself and spent the last severa

CPH-Fashion-Week-By-Malene-Birger-Backstage-Bryndis-Thorsteinsdottir As summer gives way to autumn, Ophelia Wu explores how fabric, colour, proportion and texture can help us navigate the in-between season - making more of what we already own while staying true to our personal style. Photographs: Various Text: Ophelia Wu Last month, as Copenhagen Fashion Week marked its 20th anniversary with the Spring/Summer 2027 collections, and another season of New York, London, Milan, an

Denmark prides itself on equality and inclusion, yet for those who need more than a standard accessible toilet, everyday life can become restricted. Lyndsay Jensen asks whether it is time our building regulations caught up. Photograph: AI-generated Text: Lyndsay Jensen For most of us, going to the toilet is something we barely think about. We go to work. We meet friends for lunch. We spend an afternoon shopping, visit a museum, attend a concert or take our children somewhere

This Autumn, Natasha Liviero shares easy-to-prepare muffins and rusks that are the perfect treat to warm up your day. Enjoy them on the go or with a relaxing mid-morning or afternoon kaffepause - a little taste of comfort as the cooler days settle in. Photographs: Natasha Liviero Text: Natasha Liviero Pecan and Orange Muffins (Makes 12 regular-size muffins) Ingredients: 200g oranges/mandarins, deseeded and cut into quarters with the skin on 200g light brown sugar 100g pecans,

Alexandra Beck challenges the way we think about fitness, looking beyond appearance to strength, stamina, balance and mobility - and why real fitness is about building a body capable of supporting the life you want to live, now and in the years ahead. Photograph: Hendrik Morkel on Unsplash Text: Alexandra Beck I have a slightly annoying question I like asking people: what exactly are you trying to get fit for? We tend to use the word “fit” all the time. We want to get fit, st

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s guide through Danish summer culture, from sommerhus escapes to the Scandinavian love of outdoor living. Photograph: Kristoffer Trolle Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey When we left off in our June edition, I signed off with “God sommer!” dreaming of all the possibilities a Danish summer might bring. Now it’s September, and I have to be the one to say it: Sommeren er slut. The summer is over. Summer, we barely knew ya! With a little tear in my eye at how fast i

New to Denmark and ready to focus on your career? Leslea Petersen shares a practical 90-day plan to help you build your network, get visible and navigate the Danish job market with confidence. Photograph: Marten Newhall on Unsplash Text: Leslea Petersen September is a busy month for job seekers and can feel overwhelming if you have just arrived, finally got your family settled, and now you need to focus on your career. Where do you even start? Summer holidays are over, office

New rules are reshaping the landscape for international students in Denmark. But as Kelly Draper Rasmussen digs into the latest residence permit data, the numbers reveal a much wider story about who is coming, who is staying - and what Denmark could stand to lose. Photograph / Graphs: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash / Kelly Draper Rasmussen Text: Kelly Draper Rasmussen As the new academic year begins, international students arriving from outside the EU face tightened rules around w

A new school year is underway, and Denmark is rethinking how children learn - and international families are part of the story. Photograph: CDC on Unsplash Text: The International Summer in Denmark has a habit of ending almost as quickly as it arrives. The summer houses begin to empty, offices refill, bicycles multiply on the morning commute, and children carrying school bags that somehow look almost as big as they are head through the school gates once again. By September, t

From Denmark to Vietnam, Jannie Aasted Skov-Hansen explores how internationally mobile professionals can rethink the traditional career path - building a portfolio of skills, connections and experiences that can travel with them wherever life takes them. Photograph: Mizuno K on Pexels Text: Jannie Aasted Skov-Hansen Here we go again. For the third time, I said ‘Yes’ to my husband: I will follow you to Asia. And here I am, settling into our new life in Vietnam and exploring ho

For Autumn, writer Aamna Tauheed explores the story behind #TheForgottenGold and asks the bigger question: if Denmark is so successful at attracting international talent, why is it struggling to make them stay? Photographs: Kinga Howard on Unsplash Text: Aamna Tauheed The term “Forgotten Gold” refers to untapped international talent residing in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark. It represents the voices of international professionals who struggle to gain visibility and opp

Designer/Photographer: Maja de Silva / Location: Hellerup, CPH, DK Maja de Silva explores why a beautiful home isn’t defined by what it costs, but by how it feels, functions, and reflects the people who live there. Photographs: Maja de Silva Text: Maja de Silva A common assumption in interior design is that the more expensive something is, the more beautiful a home will become. A rare material, a designer sofa, an important piece of art, or a custom-made object can certainly

After 18 moves across three countries, Canadian-born teacher Makoda Gascon thought she knew a thing or two about starting over. Now, newly married and building a life in Denmark, she finds herself on the other side of the classroom – learning a new language, navigating immigration once again and discovering that home may be less about where you come from than where you choose to belong. Photographs: The International Text: Lyndsay Jensen There is a moment in almost every inte

Katrine Mandrup Tang - CEO of the Danske Handicaporganisationer Inclusive design is often seen as complicated or expensive - but Viggo Gori explores how one Danish building is changing that mindset. Photograph: Handicaphus press pictures Text: Viggo Goris Visiting the headquarters of Danske Handicaporganisationer in Høje Taastrup, I entered what is said to be the world's most accessible office building. Opened in 2012, the building was created around one central idea: making

Tracing the roots of #TheForgottenGold Movement back to a debate at Folkemødet, Aamna Tauheed explores how a conversation about overlooked international talent grew into a wider Scandinavian call for visibility, inclusion, and change. Photographs: Lyndsay Jensen Text: Aamna Tauheed During the summer of 2023, Lyndsay Jensen, founder and Editor of The International Denmark, was invited to a debate as a panellist at Folkemødet by Danske Idustri. Folkemødet is Denmark’s annual “

2013: Behind the scenes at a shoot in Hong Kong With everyone suddenly becoming a “stylist” online, Ophelia Wu reflects on the difference between dressing well and understanding people. Photographs: Various Text: Ophelia Wu You think styling is easy? That’s the biggest misconception. There’s a myth that styling is glamorous and that anyone can do it. No, it is a whole package of different skill sets, experience, judgement, people skills, emotional intelligence, intuition and

As housing pressure grows in Denmark’s largest cities, Kelly Draper Rasmussen explores the shifting movement of internationals toward overlooked municipalities. Photograph / Graphs: Pexels: Ketut Subiyanto / Kelly Draper Rasmussen Text: Kelly Draper Rasmussen Between 2020 and 2025, 110,000 international migrants arrived in Copenhagen. Over the same period, an estimated 16,600 left Copenhagen for other parts of Denmark. The city's international population still grew, but the i

As nature-based education gains attention worldwide, Makoda Gascon explores how outdoor learning shapes the experiences of students across age groups. Photograph: Pexels: Cottonbro Studio Text: Makoda Gascon For those unable to experience outdoor learning, or who anticipate their own children being part of it, what is outdoor learning, and how does it work for the youth of today? What is outdoor learning? The concept of outdoor learning is not new - it rests on the idea that

Why your fitness routine needs flexibility in summer - not more discipline, according to fitness writer, Alexandra Beck. Photograph: Pexels: Yaroslav Shuraev Text: Alexandra Beck There’s a point every year where your routine starts to feel slightly unrealistic. The class you usually attend suddenly clashes with a last-minute dinner outside. Evenings stretch longer than planned, sleep changes, and plans pop up more often. Before you know it, the structure that felt solid in Ma