Christian W – The Post

Denmark unveils plan to make bachelor degree holders more employable

100 Danish companies sign up to Bachelor Pledge initiative

Practical experience between degrees can be invaluable (photo: Pixabay)

April 2nd, 2019 12:51 pm| by Christian W

In a bid to encourage more university students to enter the job market, the government has teamed up with over 100 of the biggest companies in Denmark as part of the new Bachelor Pledge initiative.

The Bachelor Pledge aims to give students with bachelor degrees better access to the job market and the option to return to university after some years of working.

“I’m super happy that the companies have taken action and want to be part of giving students the opportunity to gain some experience and knowledge from the job market before taking their master’s degrees,” said the education and research minister, Tommy Ahlers.

More to come
Among the many companies that have signed up are Maersk, Danish Crown, DSV, Jysk, Pandora, Ørsted and TDC (see the entire list below). Ahlers contends the list is just the tip of the iceberg as he expects many other companies to join up in the future.

The Bachelor Pledge is part of a political agreement struck in December 2018 that involves extending the right of academic bachelor degree holders to be accepted into a master’s degree within three years. The law is expected to come into effect on July 1.

It is not legally binding for companies to sign up for the Bachelor Pledge, and the list will be updated on a regular basis so bachelor students can see where they can seek jobs.

The 100+ companies involved:

A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S

ALDI Danmark

Aleris-Hamlet Hospitaler

Alm. Brand – bank, forsikring og pension

Aros Forsikring

Arriva Danmark

Atea

BaltNav A/S

BDO

BEIERHOLM Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab

Bilagscan

Billy

Canon Danmark A/S

Cashboard

Clipper Bulk A/S

COWI

Dagrofa

Danish Crown A/S

Danmarks Skibskredit

Dansk Erhverv

Dansk Industri

Danske Bank

Danske Rederier

Dell A/S

DFDS

Den Jyske Sparekasse A/S

Djurslands Bank

Droids Agency

DSB

DSV A/S

DXC Technology Denmark

EDU – internationale universitetsstudier

ESVAGT

Falck

Flying Tiger Copenhagen

Forenede Koncernen

Frode Laursen

Frørup Andelskasse

Frøs Sparekasse

Fynske Bank

Ganni

GN Store Nord

Google

Grundfos

H&M Danmark

Haldor Topsøe

Handelsbanken

Heartland

Hello Great Works

HOFOR

Industriens Pension

J. Lauritzen A/S

JYSK

Jyske Bank

Kamstrup A/S

KMD

Kreditbanken

Ledernes Hovedorganisation

Lollands Bank

Lægernes Pension & Bank

Maersk Broker K/S

Maersk Drilling

Maersk Supply Service A/S

Matas A/S

Microsoft

Monjasa

MT Højgaard

Nemlig.com

Netcompany

Nets

Nomeco A/S

Norlase

Norlex Systems A/S

Orifarm Group A/S

Pandora

PFA Pension

PwC

Queue-it

Roche A/S

Rocket57

Salary

Salling Bank

Salling Group

Scandic

Scandlines

Siemens A/S

Siemens Mobility A/S

Signify

SILVAN

SOUNDBOKS

Sparekassen Kronjylland

Sparekassen Thy

STARK Group A/S og STARK Danmark A/S

Succesteam

Swedbank

Sydbank

SYSTRA Denmark

TDC

Teach First Danmark

Telia Danmark

Ticra

Topdanmark Forsikring A/S

TORM A/S

Trendhim ApS

Trendsales

Tryg

TwentyThree™

Verisure

Visma Enterprise A/S

WindowMaster

Ørsted

Aalborg Portland A/S

Denmark among countries undergoing most rapid temperature change

Temperatures have increased over twice as much as the global average

Danes have seen a 1.2 degree temperature rise since 1999 (photo: Pixabay)

April 2nd, 2019 10:38 am| by Christian W

The first Global Conference on Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement is currently being held in Copenhagen, and perhaps the Danish capital is the perfect city the host the event – for more reasons than one.

That’s because, aside from being a global leader in green solutions, a new report has documented that over the past 20-30 years Denmark has seen a temperature increase that is twice as high as the rest of the planet.

The figures, published by the Climatic Research Unit and the Hadley Centre (HadCRUT4) in the UK, showed that the average temperature in Denmark has increased by 1.02 degrees over the past three decades – twice as much as the global average increase of 0.43 degrees.

21st century roast
The spike is even more extreme when looking at the past two decades. Since 1999, the average temperature in Denmark has shot up by 1.2 degrees – compared to 0.52 globally. In fact, last year ended up being the second warmest in recorded history, and 13 of Denmark’s 20 warmest years have been in the 21st century.

Aside from Denmark, other countries to experience similar temperature increases were Norway, Sweden and Canada.

The rise in temperature can have a long range of consequences, such as rising sea levels, flooding, heatwaves and more forest fires.

More non-western youngsters accepting of homosexuality

But there’s still a way to go to catch up with ethnic Danes

Being gay is okay for more youngsters in Copenhagen (photo: Pixabay)

April 2nd, 2019 10:23 am| by Christian W

According to a new report from Copenhagen Municipality, young Copenhageners with a non-western background are more tolerant of homosexuality and lesbianism than just a few years ago.

The report, which has been commissioned annually since 2015, revealed that tolerance among the 18-29 age group has increased from 69 to 80 percent in just a few years.

”It’s definitely something to celebrate. We should be pleased about the big rise, but we can’t pop the champagne corks just yet, as there is a minority we still need to get hold of – and they are tough to reach,” Cecilia Lonning-Skovgaard, the city’s deputy mayor for employment and integration, told DR Nyheder.

Tough 18 percent
The report also found that 98 percent of ethnic Danes supported an individual’s right to choose a partner of the same gender.

Lonning-Skovgaard said bridging the gap between the two groups meant raising awareness in some of the most closed and rabid environments, but she was optimistic in terms of changing hearts and minds.

“I think we’ll have completely closed that gap in three to four years, but it requires that we continue our co-operation with schools, clubs and housing organisations, as well as religious organisations.”

Sports Round-up: US investors take over Danish club

Elsewhere, Danes made news on the ice, the football pitch, the links and the badminton court

Jordan Gardner (left) and club CEO Janus Kyhl sealing the deal the old-fashioned way (photo: FC Helsingør)

April 1st, 2019 5:39 pm| by Christian W

FC Helsingør might have been relegated from the Superliga last season, but the future looks bright up in north Zealand following news that a US investor group has acquired a controlling stake in the club.

The potential consortium, which took over 51 percent of the club, is led by Jordan Gardner, the co-owner of Irish outfit Dundalk FC.

The investors have stated they are drawn to FC Helsingør due to its proximity to Copenhagen and potential to build a new stadium and nurture young talent.

“We want to create one of the best youth academies in Denmark, where a good mix of young Danish players and the best US talents from our co-operation partners can be developed for top Danish football and, in the long term, abroad,” Gardner said.

One of the ambitions of the club will be to establish itself as one of the top 15 clubs in Denmark. The club is currently second-last in the Danish second tier.

Bjerregaard strong in Austin
Danish golfer Lucas Bjerregaard enjoyed a solid weekend at the WGC Matchplay in Austin, Texas, where he eventually finished fourth in the knockout tournament. Among others, the 27-year-old beat Tiger Woods on his way to the semi-finals, before falling to Matt Kuchar and then to Francesco Molinari in the third-place playoff. The Dane can take solace in taking home winnings of over 3.8 million kroner.

Bjorkstrand hot on the ice
Oliver Bjorkstrand continued his recent strong run of form in the NHL by scoring for the fifth consecutive game last night, becoming the first Dane in history to do so. The 23-year-old winger netted for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, which means he has now racked up 32 points in 74 games this season. Frans Nielsen, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jannik Hansen and Mikkel Bødker have all managed four-game goals streaks in their NHL careers.

Poulsen lighting up the Bundesliga
Thanks to a hat-trick for Red Bull Leipzig against Hertha Berlin over the weekend, Denmark international Yussuf Poulsen has reached 15 goals in the Bundesliga – the highest seasonal goal tally for a Dane in the division since Peter Madsen got 13 for Bochum in 2004. The 24-year-old forward now sits fourth in the Bundesliga top scorer rankings, just four goals behind Bayern Munich goal machine Robert Lewandowski, who leads the way with 19. Poulsen said he has a goal of scoring 25 goals this season across all competitions, and he is currently on 18.

Eriksen equals Beckham mark
With an assist for Tottenham against Liverpool on Sunday evening, Christian Eriksen reached 10 assists for the season and equalled Manchester United legend David Beckham’s record of having at least ten assists for four seasons in a row. Eriksen dished out 15 assists in 2016 and 2017, 11 last season and is now on 10 for this season. Beckham managed the same feat for United from 1998-2001. Eriksen has assisted 62 goals in his 199 Premier League appearances, a tidy sum indeed, but he is still a fair distance behind Ryan Giggs, who tops the assist record list with 162.

Axelsen dominates in India
Danish badminton star Victor Axelsen achieved the biggest result of the season so far by winning the men’s singles at the India Open. Axelsen didn’t drop a single set on his way to the Super 500 tournament final, where he beat Kidambi Srikanth 21-7, 22-20 despite the Indian enjoying considerable support from the home fans.

Denmark in first FIFA eNations draw
Taking part in the inaugural draw for the FIFA eNations Cup, Denmark drew Portugal, Russia, the Netherlands and Australia in Group D. The tournament will feature 20 of the world’s top eFootball teams across six federations and will take place in London from April 13-14. Each match is decided over three rounds: one on Playstation, another on Xbox and a third involving a two-versus-two on one of the platforms. The tournament will include group games after which the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage. The tournament will be streamed live across FIFA’s digital channels.

Cracking week for weather ahead in Denmark

Loads of sunshine on the immediate horizon

Should be plenty of sunshine this week (photo: Pixabay)

April 1st, 2019 10:56 am| by Christian W

No, it’s not an April Fools’ Day gag. The national weather forecaster DMI has predicted a week brimful with sunshine.

Six out of the next seven days are expected to have ample sunshine and temperatures in the double figures, with only Wednesday offering up a morose menu of clouds and rain.

“Wednesday will be the wettest and most cloudy day this week. It will start off with some slight drizzle but turn into proper showers as the day progresses,” Anja Bodholdt, a meteorologist with DMI, told BT tabloid.

Life’s a birch … soon
But things will clear up on Thursday again with temperatures reaching upwards of 15 degrees, leading to more sunshine again on Friday and Saturday.

But the good weather will also have its pitfalls – for allergy sufferers at least.

Over the past two years, the birch pollen allergy season has kicked off between March 29 and April 11, so there is a decent chance of it commencing sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Keep an eye on pollen developments here.

Long before April Fools’ Day took hold, Politiken was happy to oblige

From fake alien landings to cannibals eating theatre promoters, the newspaper was a bastion of fake news a century ago

A train crashes at Rådhuspladsen in 2001: perhaps the most famous Danish April Fools’ Day prank of them all (photo: Lars Andersen)

April 1st, 2019 5:51 am| by Dave Smith

April Fools’ Day – how we have laughed! From fooling half the foreign staff at the US Embassy in 2017 with the news that their new ambassador would be the golfer John Daly, to trying to convince you that Scandinavians are more proficient at English than the Brits (partly due to their erroneous use of the word ‘literally’), we’ve done our best over the years.

But given the rise of fake news emanating from a White House where every single day it is Groundhog Day stuck on April Fools’ Day, there has been an undeniable trend amongst newspapers in recent years to not include a hoax story – with the majority now coming from the business community.

In Denmark, it is a tradition that began in 1914 when a Copenhagen newspaper tried to convince its readership that the sun had ‘slept in’ and was nine minutes late rising. But in reality, one newspaper had been at it for years, although it didn’t always need April Fools’ Day as an excuse to publish a bogus story.

Telegram from the Moon
In August 1904, fully three decades before Orson Welles’ famous ‘War of the Worlds’ radio broadcast caused panic across the United States, an advertorial in Politiken for the Dalsgaard’s Coffee Company claimed that aliens living on the Moon had sent an optical telegram to an observatory in Mexico.

The problem was that it wasn’t marked ‘advertorial’. And it was placed on the front page! It led to a priest in Frederiksberg pronouncing that Judgement Day was imminent and that we would soon be walking “hand-in-hand with our brothers from the Moon”.

But this was not the first time that the newspaper had courted controversy, as seven years earlier one of its young journalists decided to invent a story.

Digestion issues
Nothing in the career of Valdemar Koppel, 25, had suggested he would one day disregard the standards advocated by the newspaper’s founder Edvard Brandes, who decreed Politiken to be “an organ of the highest quality”.

But after five years in the job, Koppel had clearly had enough. Assigned to the most mundane stories, and with no sign of promotion, the young journalist decided to have some fun. In April 1897 he wrote a news article that was completely fabricated.

The story went to print and caused uproar on the streets of the capital as the public digested the alarming realisation that the city was playing host to a group of people with very different digestion problems: cannibals!

Impromptu midnight feast
Koppel mischievously timed his story to coincide with a performance by a group of some tribesmen at the Circus Theatre on Studiestraede – the Danish leg of their European tour – and claimed in his article they had very likely murdered their booking agent, Carl Scheel-Vandel.

Many spluttered into their coffee as they read about a “drama so horrible and so inhumane that at first your mind will not allow you to accept it as the truth”, learning that the popular promoter had “come to a gruesome end”.

The story related that when Scheel-Vandel had entered the theatre’s sleeping quarters late one night to check on the tribesmen, disaster struck. In the aftermath of the midnight feast, a witness described how half-eaten bones were left on the floor, while the walls were covered in bloodstains.

“All the promoter’s clothes, including his hat, were placed neatly in a pile. The only conclusion could be that Mr Scheel-Vandel had been eaten by cannibals,” wrote Koppel.

“The only person who could give an accurate account of what occurred that night is no longer with us.”

On the fleshy side
Having already broken the cardinal rule of journalism, Koppel then went on to break the second: speculation.

How could a “powerful man, if a little fleshy”, he reasoned, be overpowered by his diminutive guests? The journalist suggested they must have “leaped on him from behind, overpowering him before he had chance to utter a sound”.

The report caused uproar, and soon an angry crowd had gathered outside the theatre. Despite the indignant tribesmen claiming they had eaten nothing more sinister than Danish meatballs that evening, they were led away in handcuffs by police.

One officer, who had no doubt read the article, described the “cannibals” as having “sinister grins and bared teeth, lacking only a bone through their nose to complete the picture”.

Esteemed infamy
It was not until the next day that the truth came out. After Scheel-Vandel appeared intact, apparently none the worse for his “grisly ordeal”, demanding to know what all the fuss was about, Koppel was summoned to the editor’s office to explain himself.

When they discovered that they had been duped, angry subscribers deserted the paper in droves and a number of grovelling apologies had to be issued – not least to the innocent tribesmen.

The question of how the paper’s editor had allowed the story to slip through was answered by Koppel himself, who claimed that his boss had glanced at it and grunted: “Stick it on page seven.”

In his story, Koppel had joked: “Although a grand funeral has been planned, very little remains to be buried.” And the same was true of his career, although his infamy lives on thanks to articles like these.

Early Rejser: A diverging road from Brexit

In it to bin it (photo: Michael Coghlan)

March 31st, 2019 6:01 am| by Adam Wells

After three years of calling Copenhagen ‘home’, I now have a tiny piece of it to call my own – or perhaps not exclusively my own, but shared with a brave partner and a braver bank.

Rats up a drainpipe
You can debate whether my partner is brave or simply foolish, but the bank is inarguably brave, entering as it is into a deal with Brits, a primitive island people known for their masochistic passion for economic self-harm.

With a little manoeuvring I might have delayed the reference for another line or two, but you can only postpone Brexit for so long. Much like the gloriously warm weather we enjoyed this winter, it’s impossible for me to talk about buying an apartment in Denmark without addressing the sinister forces behind it.

We left the UK just before the ‘titanic success’ that is Brexit set sail, so we weren’t exactly rats fleeing a sinking ship. We were rats that saw through the ‘unsinkable’ hype and disembarked at Queenstown, Ireland, the last stop before disaster.

All that’s passed since then has made the move look like a masterstroke, making the decision to commit to this city one even a fool would make (as indeed one of us may be).

In stark contrast
We recently found refuge in Ireland in a less metaphorical way when my partner received her Irish passport. Our perilous EU status, combined with more restrictive loan options introduced in 2018 and the fact we didn’t have a clue what we were doing, had been a source of concern, so this was a welcome relief.

In the end, we overcame the obstacles – those placed in our way by others and those we placed there ourselves – and arrived at a deal everyone was happy with.

This outcome stands in stark contrast to Brexit, which at the time of writing is still without one. This seems especially incredible when I think that even I, the least productive person I know, have achieved things since the referendum.

To name but most of them, I’ve moved country, found a job I love, learned a musical instrument, bought my first home, completed several ultra-marathons and built some great friendships.

Neverending marathon
In fairness, Brexit is the ultimate marathon, but they haven’t completed it and they certainly haven’t made any friends along the way. When I try to understand why getting Britain out of Europe has been such a shipwreck, when my voyage the other way has been such a success, a few possibilities occur to me.

Firstly, I must concede there was less resistance to my decision to leave Britain than to Britain’s decision to leave the EU: fewer communities divided, fewer petition signatories, and less debate at a parliamentary and social media level.

Secondly, the vagueness of my goal (‘start a new chapter in life’) makes it hard to identify failure. It’s easier to identify failure when a series of specific and incompatible goals are promised and pursued (e.g an end to free movement, a continuation of the economic benefits of EU membership, a withdrawal from the customs union and an avoidance of a hard Irish border).

The third, and likeliest, cause of our divergent fortunes is my superior negotiating skill, forged in the fires of DBA and buy/sell/swap Facebook groups.

Whatever the truth, it’s clear those primitive islanders could learn a lot from me – and especially my recent property purchase, which was not as a demonstration of said negotiating skill, but one of prioritisation. By tying myself to a more powerful partner I chose prosperity and togetherness over sovereignty. And that’s always the right call, fool or not.

Adam Wells

Adam is a nanny, a multi-sports fanatic and a budding ultra runner. He was faster off the mark than his fellow Brits, quitting England for Denmark moments before they voted to stay out of Europe. When he isn’t caring for kids, screaming at a screen or tearing up his feet, he writes unsettling poetry and prose.

Return of the naturist: Why liking your body shouldn’t be a crime

Danish artist has been battling Copenhagen’s authorities in order to show her larger-than-life naked depictions

Too prude to go nude? (all photos: Mathilde Grafstrom)

March 30th, 2019 6:00 am| by Ali Gold

Getting her work displayed in central Copenhagen has been no easy feat for Mathilde Grafström. For years, she has been fighting censorship and criticism from the public and the police.

Grafström is persistent in her mission to improve body acceptance and promote education regarding the female body.

Her March exhibition ‘Female Beauty – Celebration of the Feminine’, which will be on show in Nytorv square until March 31, is a larger-than-life, eye-catching display of completely nude female models posing in natural surroundings.

“Danish people have an image of being very free and very relaxed, and it might be that we are compared to other countries,” she explained to CPH Post.

“But in general, loving and showing the body [here] is very looked down on these days; you are being judged a lot if you enjoy or like your body. This is a negative trend amongst young girls.”

Not so free-spirited
Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, giving it the reputation of a free-spirited, body-positive, sexually-open nation.

Grafström recalls her upbringing in northern Jutland as being a source of inspiration for the photos. Well into her teenage years she can remember enjoying the beach entirely in the nude.

When she moved to Copenhagen at the age of 20 she immediately noticed a culture of modesty – especially among young women.

As if to emphasise that, large text panels at the exhibition encourage viewers to “be your true self”.

“I like to make things as beautiful as I can – as aesthetic as I can. That’s why I use nature and not some studio, because nature is so amazing, natural, and relaxed,” explained Grafström.

“I really love it. I’m actually trying to match the body with nature: to make the sitter fall back into what she really is. Underwear is not a part of that.”

An early bath
After years of opposition and censorship trying to get her work displayed in Copenhagen, this is the first time Grafström has been able to show unfiltered images.

Her first exhibition in 2015 – which showed models in more modest poses, such as with crossed legs – was at a Copenhagen swimming baths. It was taken down a month early because of complaints.

“People are scared. There are complaints, and then they take it down. That’s how it is. That’s just how it works. This reaction made me realise this work was quite important, so I decided to continue,” she said.

Her next exhibition was at the top of the gangplank of a boat and was destroyed when people defaced the pictures – sometimes burning them, ruining them with food, or throwing them into the harbour. And a small exhibition in the so-called free city of Christiania lasted only four days.

However, media in 30 countries have reported on her art and the opposition it faces in Copenhagen.

Try, try, try again
In 2018, she applied to the authorities again with only one request: she wanted her work shown in a highly-trafficked area. Initially, the city gave her permission to display in a more secluded part of the city. Grafstrom argued for Nytorv, which is part of the Strøget walking street and about as highly-trafficked as Copenhagen gets.

“The police made no objections this time, which was amazing,” she revealed.

Grafstrom has also started sitting at her exhibitions and photographing passers-by to record their reactions. While many are shocked and upset, young women in particular are touched by many of the photos.

Grafstrom says the photos educate viewers about female anatomy and encourage them to love their bodies.

Rejecting negative self-image
“I think that female empowerment is already in our minds, especially among young girls. They are feeling repressed due to pressure from society regarding how they should look and all of this. This is what the exhibition is driving at: that you should let go of this negative self-image that can be destructive for your life and your mood,” she said.

Grafstrom adds she is always looking for models and funds to expand into new countries. Those wishing to support her mission can do so via her website mathildegrafstrom.com.

For now, enjoy the exhibition while it lasts – March 31 is the last day on Nytorv.

Brexit could devastate Denmark’s fishing industry

Danish fleet lands 30 percent of income from British waters

Lots at stake for the Danish fishing industry (photo: Department of Food and Resource Economics)

March 29th, 2019 10:43 am| by Christian W

Should the controversy that is Brexit eventually come to pass, Danish fishermen might find themselves up a less-than-amicable creek without a paddle.

Because if Denmark’s fishing fleet is denied access to British waters, the country’s fleet will lose out on 30 percent – about 1 billion kroner – of its total annual income, according to a new report from the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen.

“A Brexit without access to fishing in British waters can potentially have serious consequences for the fishermen and that is very concerning. Additionally, Brexit can impact the industry, associated sectors and local communities, with hundreds of jobs being at stake,” said the fishing minister, Eva Kjer Hansen.

Big boys bracing
Hansen said that the government was working towards a scenario in which the Danish fishing fleet would have access to British waters even if the UK leaves the EU.

According to the report, Brexit would have the most negative influence on larger fishing vessels and corporations, which could end up losing about 61 percent (worst case scenario) of their total income.

Read the entire report in English here.

Danish companies employ a record number of people abroad

The UK, India, China and Germany lead the way for Danish subsidiaries

Danish companies employ almost 100,000 people in the UK alone (photo: Pixabay)

March 29th, 2019 9:37 am| by Christian W

New figures from the national statistics keeper Danmarks Statistik have revealed that Danish companies employ a record number of people in subsidiaries abroad.

The figures reveal that Danish firms employ 1.4 million people across the world, while some sectors, including industry and business services, employ more people abroad that they do at home.

“Danish companies have customers across the planet and are therefore also present in foreign markets. The companies are embracing the global opportunities and, through subsidiaries abroad, companies can reduce delivery times and get better access to more employees and new markets,” said Allan Sørensen, the head analyst at the confederation of industry, Dansk Industri (DI).

UK leading the way
The figures reveal that Danish subsidiaries employ the most number of people in the UK with 91,719, followed by India (85,351), China (83,122), Germany (83,061) and Thailand (74,691).

The US (74,125) came in sixth, followed by Indonesia, Poland and Sweden which were all within 200 people of each other at around 69,000. France came in tenth with 56,381, while the remainder of the world accounted for 639,877.

The news comes a week after it was found that about 10 percent of all employees in Denmark are foreigners born outside the country.

Quarter of a million Danes getting free access to Superliga games

3F union is the new main sponsor of the top Danish league

3F union taking over next year (photo: 3F)

March 28th, 2019 2:00 pm| by Christian W

In the near future, over 272,000 Danes will be able to watch their favourite Superliga clubs play for free as trade union 3F takes over as the primary sponsor of football’s top flight in Denmark.

Starting next season, all members of 3F will be able to attend matches for free in a new sponsorship deal that stretches over four seasons.

“Denmark’s biggest union is the perfect partner for Denmark’s biggest sports tournament. It’s a unique co-operation that includes 3F boosting the atmosphere at the stadium by bringing more fans to the stands,” said Claus Thomsen, the head of the Superliga.

VAR in 3F Superliga
The more precise financial aspects of the agreement have not been released as of yet, but the news come on the heels of the league association Divisionsforeningen looking into incorporating Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Superliga in the 2020-21 season.

3F takes over as main sponsors of the Superliga from insurance giant Alka, which ended its sponsorship at the end of last season. The league has been without a primary sponsor since then.

Aside from the free tickets to 3F members, the start of next season will also see the league change its name to 3F Superliga.

No quarter given: Children of Danish foreign fighters lose citizenship right

Danes support Swedish desire for tribunal for fighters

Certainly cute, but not Danish (photo: Pixabay)

March 28th, 2019 1:00 pm| by Christian W

As a result of a new agreement between the government and Dansk Folkeparti (DF), children born abroad to Danish foreign fighters who went to Syria and Iraq to fight on behalf of terror organisations like Islamic State (IS) will lose their right to Danish citizenship.

Currently, the rules stipulate that children of foreign fighters with Danish citizenships will automatic become Danish. But that is about to change.

“We are tightening the rules so children born in areas where it is illegal to be or travel to are not automatically given Danish citizenship at birth. Their parents have turned their backs on Denmark, so there is no reason for their kids to become Danish citizens,” said the immigration minister, Inger Støjberg.

Supporting the Swedes
In related news, Denmark has voiced support of a Swedish desire that foreign fighters should be prosecuted by international court-like bodies in the local areas where they took part in conflict.

The Danish support of their Nordic brethren comes in the wake of a meeting yesterday between PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven.

“Neither of us wants them back, but nor do we want to see them arbitrarily prosecuted. I’m very inspired by Swedish thoughts on international co-operation,” Rasmussen told DR Nyheder.

“We’re not doing anything actively to try and bring the foreign fighters home, but if they return, we will crack down hard on them. The worst possible thing would be for us not to apprehend these people, as then we will have people with Danish passports with a completely different value set and who are a threat.”

The Danish intelligence agency PET estimates that at least 150 people have left Denmark to take part in the war in Syria and Iraq since 2012. Only about one third have so far returned.

Radio24syv pulling the plug

Popular station would rather close than move away from Copenhagen

Things are looking bleak for Radio24syv (photo: Radio24syv)

March 28th, 2019 12:09 pm| by Christian W

One of Denmark’s most popular radio stations, Radio24syv, has decided that it will go off the air in October following a decision not to pursue an extension of its broadcasting permit.

PeopleGroup, which co-owns the station with Berlingske Media, contended that it didn’t make any sense to continue as a new agreement would entail moving 70 percent of its operations 110 km away from Copenhagen as part of the government’s media agreement from last year.

Election hope
According to the owners, the quality of the hosts and accessibility of Copenhagen is far more conducive to attracting guest and producing high-quality programs.

However, the radio station – which has around 1.1 million listeners every week and first aired in November 2011 – said its decision could change, depending on the results of the coming Parliament election. The idea to move was pushed by Dansk Folkeparti (DF), one of the parties supporting the government.

“We only want to continue with Radio24syv, so we’ll sleep with our boots on. But for now we need to admit defeat and accept that DF has won the battle and made our business impossible to operate,” wrote PeopleGroup.

Copenhagen to invest in growing children population

Danish capital eyeing more daycare and kindergarten options

Copenhagen looking out for its little ones (photo: Christian Wenande)

March 28th, 2019 10:22 am| by Christian W

Copenhagen is growing with about 10,000 people every year, and that is putting pressure on daycare institutions, kindergartens and schools in the capital.

Yesterday, the politicians at City Hall signed a budget agreement for 2019 that will see 84.4 million kroner set aside for new daycare institutions and 42.4 million kroner for the planning and launching of additional child-related institutions.

“I’m happy that a very broad group of parties once again stood together to solve the challenges faced by a Copenhagen in riveting growth. Now we have ensured that all the children can be seen to and we have decent offers for the city’s vulnerable,” said the city mayor, Frank Jensen.

The agreement also earmarks 19.2 million kroner for special education and 39.2 million kroner to boost efforts pertaining to children with special needs and diagnoses.

Jensen’s mention of the vulnerable of Copenhagen is related to an additional 17 million kroner being dedicated to shelters and crisis centres for victims of violence.

Best of the rest
Another package agreed upon involves improving the areas designated as ‘hardcore ghettos’ on the government’s ‘Ghetto List’ and preventing news areas from being designated as such.

To this end, 26.4 million kroner has been set aside to increase safety and security and curb the negative social heritage in nine vulnerable neighbourhoods, including Mjølnerparken and Tingbjerg.

Other funds are going to tackle the issue regarding the lacking number of GPs in the city, summer camps for children in vulnerable districts, and a project for more environmentally-friendly cruise ships in Nordhavn through the establishment of power sources on land at Langelinie.

Finally, funds have been set aside for the required reports concerning future visions and plans, including the new Lynetteholm artificial island and more parking spaces for business owners.

Miracle in Basel! Denmark in epic comeback against the Swiss

Danes overturn three-goal deficit in last six minutes to steal a draw in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier

What a comeback! (photo: UEFA.com)

March 26th, 2019 11:34 pm| by Christian W

Football is a funny old game sometimes.

One minute your are down 3-0 with six minutes to go, and the next you’ve managed to claw back and somehow eek out a result.

That was the reality tonight in Basel as Denmark somehow found a way to get a 3-3 draw against Switzerland in the their opening match of Group D of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, thanks to three goals in the last minutes of a game they had been outplayed in for 85 minutes.

The Swiss took the lead after 19 minutes through Remo Freuler, a goal that should clearly have been disallowed for handball, as the Danes languished through an immensely feeble first half.

Granit Xhaka hammered home a second on 66 minutes, and Breel Embolo bundled in a third on 76 minutes as the hapless Danes looked on their way to disaster.

But when Mathias Zanka Jørgensen’s header gave the Danes a sliver of hope with six minutes left and substitute Christian Gytkjaer added another on 88 minutes, the chase was on.

And the hero on the night turned out to be right back Henrik Dalsgaard who headed home three minutes into injury time to secure the valuable, albeit unlikely point for the Danes. Check out the goals in the video below.

Streak remains alive
Aside from the point, Åge Hareide’s boys can also appreciate that their 26-game unbeaten streak (in regular time at least – they lost to Croatia on penalties at the World Cup last summer) remains intact.

The Danes haven’t lost since succumbing to a 0-1 home defeat to Montenegro on 11 October 2016.

They look to continue that impressive run at home against Group D leaders Ireland on June 7 and then, at the Telia Parken Stadium again three days later, against Georgia.

Denmark's last 26 games:

Switzerland – Denmark 3-3
Kosovo – Denmark 2-2
Denmark – Ireland 0-0
Wales – Denmark 1-2
Denmark – Austria 2-0
Ireland – Denmark 0-0
Denmark – Wales 2-0
Croatia- Denmark 1-1 (4-3 penalty shootout)
Denmark – France 0-0
Denmark – Australia 1-1
Peru – Denmark 0-1
Denmark – Mexico 2-0
Sweden – Denmark 0-0
Denmark – Chile 0-0
Denmark – Panama 1-0
Ireland – Denmark 1-5
Denmark – Ireland 0-0
Denmark – Romania 1-1
Denmark – Montenegro 0-1
Armenia – Denmark 1-4
Denmark – Poland 4-0
Kazakhstan – Denmark 1-3
Denmark – Germany 1-1
Romania – Denmark 0-0
Czech Republic – Denmark 1-1
Denmark – Kazakhstan 4-1

Students vanishing in UK during Danish study trips

Five African youths have used study trips to abscond

The UK has a significant Eritrean community (photo: Pixabay)

March 26th, 2019 11:17 am| by Christian W

According to JydskeVestkysten newspaper, a total of five African youngsters have used a study trip with their Danish schools as a platform to vanish in the UK in recent weeks.

Last Thursday, a 17-year-old Eritrean boy with a refugee background from Helsingør vanished from the hotel the class was staying at in Manchester.

Authorities in the UK contend there are indications that the boy planned to abscond from the trip as there is a large Eritrean diaspora in the UK.

Houdini in Hoxton
In fact, three other Eritrean students aged 19-20 from an educational institution in Zealand disappeared earlier this month while on a study trip in London. There are signs that their vanishing act was also pre-planned.

Finally, a 17-year-old boy from a school in Aabenraa also vanished while on a study trip in London. He was discovered two days later and is now in the custody of the social authority in the UK awaiting a decision on his situation.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that it is aware of the situation, but it could not comment on it at this time.

Danish delegation on development visit to Ethiopia

Two-day trip to the east African country focusing on gender equality and migration

Ethiopia is trending up, but there is still much to be done (photo: Pixabay)

March 26th, 2019 9:57 am| by Christian W

Today and tomorrow, Crown Princess Mary and the development minister, Ulla Tørnæs, will be in Ethiopia to take in a country in riveting development.

One of the key aspects of the visit will revolve around gender equality, as well as the rights and opportunities of women and girls.

The new Ethiopian government has set ambitious targets in terms of reform, and that includes 50 percent of ministers being women and a female president, Sahle-Work Zewde – a far shout from the past, when basic rights were suppressed for years.

The Danish delegation will bear witness to this development by meeting with female decision-makers, officials, business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Work in progress
Despite clear progress, the future for many Ethiopian girls and women remains bleak as they have inadequate access to sexual and reproductive rights – the decision to decide for themselves when and with whom they have children with.

The country continues to struggle with gender-based violence, child marriages, and lacking social and economic opportunity.

Another area of focus is Ethiopia hosting one of Africa’s biggest refugee populations, and the visiting Danes will visit a refugee receiver centre, a home for unaccompanied minors and a local school all built using Danish aid funds.

Tørnæs will also visit a centre for women who are victims of human trafficking and enter into discussions that focus on stability, irregular migration and the green transition.

Late last year, Denmark launched its first national aid program for Ethiopia.

Long lost Einstein letters found in Denmark

Century-old correspondence discovered in archives of Danish Astronomical Society

Einstein and Niels Bohr in 1925 (photo: Pixabay)

March 25th, 2019 10:30 am| by Christian W

The Danish Astronomical Society made a rather startling discovery the other day, finding long forgotten letters written by Albert Einstein in its archives.

The letters were penned in German in 1920 as part of a correspondence between the legendary physicist – who would be awarded the Nobel Prize a year later – and the head of the Danish Astronomical Society at the time, Elis Strømgren.

The subject of the series of letters, two of which are hand-written, revolve around Einstein’s invitation to Copenhagen to deliver a lecture on his theory of general relativity.

“We were surprised, to put it mildly, when we came across hand-written and typed letters, a postcard and telegrams signed by Albert Einstein himself while we were going through our archives. It’s a unique peek into the history of science and contemporary letter exchanges at the time,” said Majken B E Christensen, the head of the Danish Astronomical Society.

Copenhagen calling
According to Christensen, Einstein and Strømgren discuss a number of issues related to his visit to Copenhagen, including where he will stay and when he will arrive.

The Danish Astronomical Society, which was founded in 1916 to raise awareness and interest in astronomy and astronomical research, is looking into how the letters can be preserved and digitalised.

See some of the letters in question here.

Startup Community: Creating value through PMF

Once it fits, everything glitters (photo: Pexels)

March 24th, 2019 5:00 pm| by Thomas N Horsted

Product/market Fit (PMF) is a common concept in the startup world, but while widely applied in conversations concerning new high-growth companies, what does it really mean? And how do you measure it? Let’s begin!

A useful mental model
Understanding PMF can be a useful mental model for the interplay between business, the product and customers in a startup.

Learning about it will help inspire new ways to create value for your customers and grow your business.

So, what is it?
Marc Andreesen, a US entrepreneur, investor and software engineer, called it “the only thing that matters” in a post back in 2007, when he coined the term.

“Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market, he explained, which is a bit vague, but a beginning.

When it’s not happening
PMF is equally detectable when it isn’t happening.

“The customers aren’t quite getting value out of the product, word of mouth isn’t spreading, usage isn’t growing that fast, reviews are kind of ‘blah’, the sales cycle takes too long and deals never close,” ventured Andreesen.

And when it is
You can always feel PMF when it is happening.

“The customers are buying the product just as fast as you can make it – or usage is growing as fast as you can add more servers,” continued Andreesen.

“Money from customers is piling up in the company account. You’re hiring sales and customer support staff and reporters are calling because they’ve heard about you and want to talk to you about it.”

Signs of success
A complimentary definition, and more concrete way to think about it, is when your customers are spreading and selling your product for you. When people understand and use your product enough to recognise its value – that’s a big win.

But when they begin to share their positive experience with others – when you can replicate the experience with every new user who your existing users tell – then you have PMF on your hands.

Your customers are becoming your sales people.

Thomas N Horsted

Thomas (@thomas_hors) is the former co-founder of Startup Guide – The Entrepreneur’s Handbook and a former startup scout for IKEA Bootcamp. He is currently the COO for Tiimo, a Danish startup delivering an assistive app to kids with ADHD, autism and brain damage. He is also a limited partner and investor in The Nordic Web Ventures, which invests in early-stage Nordic startups

We’re welcome – honest: No-deal Brexit, our generation’s millennium bug?

Remember this pest? (photo: Pixabay)

March 24th, 2019 6:00 am| by Karey-Anne Duevang

Sat at my desk I felt the severe tone of the man talking – even though he wasn’t talking directly to me.

Ultimate bugbear
That was the first time I heard the words ‘Millennium Bug’ and now, nearly 20 years later, I find it almost amusing to describe those worrying weeks leading up to the Millennium to my young children.

Worries about trade ceasing, queues backing up at the channel, transport coming to a stop, digital systems failing and absolute chaos – the news reported the worst-case scenarios and people began to panic.

Worse with social media
Facebook was still three years from launching and the world’s most liked photo was still an egg or chicken depending on your philosophical point of view.

Social media has enabled misinformation and scaremongers to share opinions, swaying public opinion and causing misunderstanding and chaos. Sound familiar?

So what do we know?
No-one knows what the outcome of Brexit will be, so here’s what we know so far: the UK will either leave the EU on March 29 without a withdrawal agreement, or that departure date will be delayed; and things will stay broadly as they are until December 2020, whilst a permanent trade deal is agreed.

The official message is ‘business as usual’, but with Honda, Unilever and Dyson preparing to move their headquarters out of the UK, it’s difficult not to be caught up in Brexit fever or should it be Brexit Bug?

A manic day alright
Just like the millennium, people feared what would happen on or after a specific date. Some feared that computers would combust, planes would fall from the sky, and life would cease to exist as we knew it.

As I stood, pint in hand, with 57,000 others swaying to the Manic Street Preachers at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on NYE 2019, I had a strange sense of living in the moment – mixed with the unknown of what would happen over the next 24 hours and beyond!

By the seat of your pants
The truth is that no-one knows what impact Brexit will have on UK citizens or industry – and particularly those Brits living abroad.

For a country built on precedence, we are for the want of a better word currently ‘winging it’.

Karey-Anne Duevang

As a British mum of three who has lived in Denmark for 15 years, Karey-Anne started Welcome Group Consulting to address the challenges expats experience in settling into a new country dominated by unspoken rules. A law graduate, former diplomat and now CEO of WGC Relocation Company, she has also experienced first-hand the trials and tribulations of relocating.

Author: Christian W

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Miracle in Basel! Denmark in epic comeback against the Swiss

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Long lost Einstein letters found in Denmark

Startup Community: Creating value through PMF

Thomas N Horsted

We’re welcome – honest: No-deal Brexit, our generation’s millennium bug?

Karey-Anne Duevang

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