Studying Abroad for the Summer

What is the Summer School programme?

This programme provided the opportunity to study International Business at the International Business Academy in Kolding. I discovered what it was like to study the ‘’Danish way’’ within a Scandinavian setting that has been inspiring. We were lectured on a range of topics that built up a wider picture of what working life in Denmark was all about. From cultural studies (which I found to be the most interesting), to the Danish economic system; we were able to learn and discuss employee motivations and the nature of their welfare system.

The group were also lucky enough to visit the headquarters of a Danish multinational engineering company called Danfoss, which included an extensive tour around the site and learning all about the history of how the business grew. In addition to this, our sessions included an introduction to the entrepreneurial hub and the innovation hub, to really understand how business is done in Denmark. All of which set us up with the knowledge we needed to complete our final assignment. This included delivering a presentation that summarised and applied our learning during the programme. I know that may sound intimidating for some, but it was honestly so worth it. Not only did it build my confidence, but I experienced studying in a completely different environment to what I was used to, which turned out to be an eye-opening experience.

Where did you stay?

At first I was unsure what to expect with Kolding as it is not your typical tourist or study destination, and it appeared to be quite small. I carried out research prior to visiting to find out what to do whilst there, and I admit I came up short. However, it turned out to be a hidden gem! We got to experience the culture of Denmark in a completely different way, in a place barely touched by tourism. It was charming and it had a sense of authenticity and a feeling of community. The small city of Kolding is colourful and charming with a mix of old and new buildings, a lovely lake and a range of small businesses offering a variety of tasty, sweet treats.

Kolding is known as a seaport and for its shipbuilding which dates back to around 1200. We were surrounded by water, which we had a view of from our accommodation. We stayed in a hostel that exceeded my expectations in comparison to others I have stayed in before. The rooms were spacious and very clean, and again we had a lovely view as we managed to snag one of the rooms on the second floor! We were only a short walk away to the city centre, which turned out to be a beautiful walk through to the university every morning.

What did you do in your spare time?

We managed to go at a time when the sun was shining, which I think improved the experience. On one of our hottest days we spent time at the beach, explored Koldinghus Castle and visited Copenhagen during our free weekend. These are only some of the highlights! We experienced the nightlife of Kolding thanks to our student buddies from IBA, who showed us the highlights of the city. We were quite surprised at how much there was to do, especially given how small the city was in comparison to Leeds.

Kolding was fairly cheap (depending on your budget) and some meals were included in the programme so you had more to spend on leisure. Copenhagen was more expensive in comparison but I would highly recommend the trip. I stayed for one night and got to experience seeing Nyhavn at night which was just amazing! I know others used this time to travel to Germany or Billund so there are plenty of other opportunities if Copenhagen isn’t on your bucket list.

Would you recommend this trip to others?

Overall, I would highly recommend the International Summer School, especially for those who want to experience studying abroad on a smaller scale, rather than committing to a full semester or year. Meeting a range of new people from other courses itself has been so refreshing. Overall, it was such an enriching experience, especially being able to experience a different culture to see how it differs from my own and I feel like I’ve learnt so much in such a small amount of time. It has genuinely changed my outlook on life, and I’m taking away a lot from it that I can apply to my studies as I move into my final year.