Global Business Informatics and Free Mover Programmes.
Photographs: Unsplash
Text: Skyler Bentley Hall
Five minutes outside Copenhagen's city centre, you will find IT University of Copenhagen (ITU), an international and modern university that encourages entrepreneurial endeavours. Aside from PhD programmes, ITU offers three Bachelor of Science and four Master of Science degrees focused on interdisciplinary studies within the Sciences, Humanities and/or Design and Business. Julia Trock-Jansen is currently studying a BSc in Global Business Informatics, and in September, she looks forward to studying abroad in Spain as part of the Free Mover programme. Julia shares a bit about her experience so far.
What are you studying at ITU?
We are dealing with various IT issues, primarily regarding how technology affects our society and businesses in the global world. Some say we become the "middleman" between the software developers and business people. From the second semester, we collaborate with companies as part of "IT & Work Design" and "Database Use and Design" courses. We have learned theories and methods which we put into practice, building a bridge between the practical and theoretical work. Collaborating with companies at such an early stage encourages insights into the "real world" and is a great way to create a network. Companies are open to collaborating with students, making the cooperation a positive experience. For example, a project from a fourth-semester course, "Enterprise Systems and Information Management, " provided us with an opportunity to collaborate with a company whose goal was to optimise its workflow. Through observations and interviews with different employees and applying theory from the lectures, we proposed a prototype to the company which would optimise a specific department in their company.
"Nearly all universities in Denmark offer an exchange or Free Mover programme, allowing students to study abroad for a semester."
What is the Free Mover Programme?
Nearly all universities in Denmark offer an exchange or Free Mover programme, allowing students to study abroad for a semester. Exchange programmes are when the university has an agreement with another university inside and outside Europe (Erasmus or Bilateral agreements). I was initially accepted for the exchange program at Inha University in South Korea, which is on the approved list at ITU, but I have always wanted to study in Spain. Unfortunately, at the time of application, ITU did not have an agreement with a university in Spain, so I applied as a Free Mover, which means you find a university independently and arrange for the courses to be approved by the home university. Fortunately, my application was successful, and in September, I will study at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid!
Advice for Potential Students
Deciding on which university to apply to can be a tough decision. I recommend reaching out to students to get as much inside of life as a university student. Most universities have an Instagram page, where students take over every week to show their daily routine. I also recommend attending Open Houses at universities or contacting the Study and Career Guidance for any concerns you may have. They are always keen to help you through the process.
You may also consider the BSc in Data Science offered in English if an international student is interested in ITU.
Learn more: https://en.itu.dk