More than 200 people signed up for the International Evening held on Wednesday 24th February.
The event was hosted by the Aarhus University International Club, and was a chance for international as well as Danish employees at the university to network across nationalities and fields of work.
UNIvers attended the event, and asked three of the international employees about the challenges and surprises of working abroad.
Name:
Nuria Gonzalez Bofill
Position:
PhD scholar, Århus Hospital
Nationality:
Spanish
In DK since:
2004
What has been your biggest challenge as an international employee in Denmark?
To learn Danish! And to get in contact with Danes. You are nice people, but I think cultural differences make it difficult to meet on common ground. After I learned Danish it was much easier to socialise, though.
What is the biggest difference between working here and in Spain?
It’s easier to do research in Denmark because doing a PhD is a full-time position here. In Spain you need an extra job to pay the bills.
What advice would you give to a newcomer?
Try to learn Danish as soon as possible, and join the international community to meet people.
Name:
Sanford Gaines
Position:
Professor, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University, Department of Business Law
Nationality:
American
In DK since:
2009
What is the biggest difference between working here and in the United States?
The biggest difference on a day-to-day basis is that there is much more collaboration here, and more collegiate spirit. In the U.S. people do their own thing. There is no community feeling.
What has been your biggest challenge as an international employee in Denmark?
It was hard and confusing in the beginning to understand how things work here. I had a lot of help from the university, but they can’t cover everything. For instance, the instructions on telephone answering machines are in Danish. And I had to get help to set up a bank account and an e-box (an electronic mailbox service).
Tell me about your most surprising work experience.
What surprised me the most when I first came here was your examination system – the oral examination with an external examiner. That was completely new to me. In the U.S. we only have one oral exam – on the final stage of a PhD.
Name:
Elena Bouzinova
Position:
PhD scholar, Århus University Hospital Risskov
Nationality:
Russian
In DK since:
1999
What is the biggest difference between working here and in Russia?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the standard of scientific work changed dramatically. In Denmark I found a very high standard – the way it should be.
What has been your biggest challenge as an international employee in Denmark?
The language. But it’s not a problem any more. For me, with my background and culture, it has been an easy transition. People here are very helpful – if you have problems you can just get help.
What advice would you give to a newcomer?
Don’t be afraid to be open. Get out there and learn to understand the Danish mentality. Then everything will be much easier.
