…Graduates to be retained to fill labour shortages in the country

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) is set to open a new campus in Vejle, Denmark, next year, offering technology and engineering courses taught in English to attract a diverse intake, including international students.

The initiative aligns with the Danish government’s strategy to address the shortage of skilled workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and IT (interactive technologies) fields by encouraging overseas talent to fill critical labour gaps.

Developed in collaboration with the LEGO Group, the new campus aims to foster a robust research and educational environment in Vejle, with the company providing financial support to establish centres within the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science.

LEGO is the first of several corporate partners expected to contribute to SDU’s academic expansion.

The first student intake is scheduled for 2026, with bachelor’s programmes available in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Interactive Technology Engineering.

Plans for the Vejle campus were initially set in motion in 2021, supported by both the LEGO Group and Vejle Municipality, marking a significant step towards strengthening Denmark’s position as a hub for technological education and innovation.

Collaboration with international companies

Jens Ringsmose, Rector of SDU, emphasises that the new campus has a collaboration with both local and international companies to ensure that the campus contributes solutions to specific challenges and promotes sustainable growth in the Region of Southern Denmark.

“With SDU Vejle, we will create a world-class research and educational environment where we bring research closer to practice and innovation in collaboration with the local business community”.

“We see it as a fundamental core mission to educate talented graduates for the entire Region of Southern Denmark, and we have great ambitions to offer research and education that combine a strong national anchoring with a clear international profile”, he says.

Having identified a growing demand for STEM and IT professionals across Denmark, SDU has secured approval to proceed with student admissions for 2026.

More information can be found here: https://www.sdu.dk/vejle

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.

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