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Timeline of SDU’s history

Experience the key milestones in SDU’s history, from the university’s opening in 1966 to the digital and global reality of 2026.

Explore SDU's history from the first 180 students in the barracks on Niels Bohrs Allé in 1966 to today's international multi-campus university.

The timeline brings together the people, events, and academic breakthroughs that have shaped the university over six decades.

1966 - 1976

  • Pioneers

    The early years were marked by pioneering work: establishing professional environments, education programmes and university infrastructure from scratch. Among the early professorial appointments were Bengt Algot Sørensen (German), Kristine Heltberg (Slavic), Paul Erik Plesner (Biochemistry) and Mogens Brøndsted (Nordic). The latter was the University’s first Rector and professor of Danish literature – a central figure in the foundation of the University’s professional and institutional identity. 

    Express-train Professors

    In 1969, the term ‘express-train professor’ was coined: lecturers who lived in Copenhagen or Aarhus and commuted to Odense to teach, whereas they did their preparation and research at home.

    This trend sparked a debate about presence and academic environments. In 1969, Tage Kaarsted, professor of history, proposed the moral obligation to live on Funen and participate in local life. One of the first professors describes his first encounter with the University: ‘I ended up in the middle of some barracks and I asked some random man if he knew where the university was. “Well, you're in the middle of it”, he said. At that point, I was ready to go right back to Aarhus.’ The culture of participation took shape as the students were organising during the 1970s, which increased the students’ influence in the bodies of the University.

  • A university in the province

    On 31 August 1966, Odense University welcomed its first students after many years of preparations and became the third university in the country. The establishment of Odense University can be seen as an expression of the welfare state’s vision of increased academic education and strengthened regional development in a part of the country that was rich in traditions but lacking in academic culture.

    The temporary barracks on Niels Bohrs Allé housed the modest beginnings of the University’s research and of its education programmes, on which 180 students were enrolled. Not until 1974 did the University move into the buildings on Campusvej, a brutalist construction of steel and concrete designed by Knud Holscher, which could be seen as a monument to the welfare state. In 1970, the break with the professorial rule led to greater student influence through new forms of governance.

    University city or city with a university?

    At the same time, the University changed Odense as a city. Students, communes and political activism had an impact on the city and its cultural life despite the University’s remote location in the fields of Hollufgaard. In the mid-1970s, as the economic crisis set in, its visions were superseded by a sobering struggle for resources and survival in the university landscape. In the period from 1966 to 1976, Odense University thus served as an expression of the wider societal changes in Denmark – from optimism to realism.

  • A university founded on new ideas

    The opening of Odense University was in many ways an educational experiment. In the temporary barracks, new forms of teaching were created: ongoing assessments, small classes and close dialogue between students and lecturers. The so-called basic year marked a significant break with traditional university culture, during which students of Medicine and Natural Sciences were introduced to a set of common introductory courses. Thus, a new way of learning was formed, based on proximity, democracy and the courage to try new things. In the years 1967/68, 100 male students and 34 female students were enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine.

    Students as co-creators

    One third of the first 180 students studied Medicine – a very small and manageable study environment compared to today. In 2025, the total admission to Medicine at SDU was approximately 345 students.
    At the start of the 1970s, the students gained exceptionally great influence. Before this became a legal requirement, the students participated in study boards and in the development of new models of teaching and learning. Project work, group work and critical academic discussion gained ground. The curriculum was gradually reformed with a greater emphasis on interdisciplinarity, often with open courses of study and flexible reading lists.

  • The early beginnings

    In the early years, the research at Odense University bore witness to the fact that the University was still under construction. There were limited resources, the academic environments were small and the research grew in parallel with the degree programmes. Moreover, in its first decade, Odense University had only two faculties: in the humanities and medical science. Measured in terms of the number of dissertations and publications, the activity was still modest but the foundations of the subsequent growth were laid during this period.

    Should research be political?

    The political context played a distinct role. University Marxism and the student revolt challenged the notion of the neutrality of research, and at Odense University it was also debated whether research should be politically or academically oriented.
    David Favrholdt, the University’s first professor of philosophy, illustrated this trend. In Filosofi og Samfund (Philosophy and Society) (1971), he argued that philosophy should take a critical approach to the contemporary ideological currents – including Marxism. The early years was thus a period in which the academic environments of the University took shape, and in which the question of the societal role of research became a topic of debate.

1976 - 1986

  • A golden crowbar  

    The occupation of the Administration in 1977 was organised by the student movement as a solidarity action against the closure of degree programmes at RUC. With the help of university officers, Rector Aage Trommer recaptured the Administration after three days. The student speaker at the 1977 Annual Celebration, humanities student Jens Lind, invited the Rector to come to the stage and presented him with ‘The Golden Crowbar’ with the inscription ‘Break down the walls around the University’. He remarked that this was a suitable gift, as Trommer had shown ‘excellent skills in using a crowbar’.

    A golden connection to society

    The period also included a focus on the role of universities in relation to society. Among the academic profiles of the period, Professor Jørn Henrik Petersen stands out: over 40 years, his research on the welfare state contributed to the increasing relevance of research. In 1983, Carl Th. Pedersen became Rector. From then on, Odense University experienced significant growth, and the number of students more than doubled. The Rector helped to establish Forskerparken (the Science Park) and to initiate a collaboration with Lindøværftet (the Lindø Shipyard), which are still of strategic importance for SDU’s research and education today.

  • The Occupation – in mini format

    The decade in which the relocation to Campusvej was completed was marked by student activism and ideological conflict. The brief occupation of the Administration in 1977 became a symbol of student commitment and the democratic university. At the same time, new fields of research were developed, particularly in topics such as the environment, occupational health and safety, and social critique, which reflected the societal debates of the time. 

    Conflict and Growth

    At the same time, the economic crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s left its mark. Cutbacks and increased state governance changed the conditions of the University and contributed to increasing professionalisation. At the same time, the University succeeded in consolidating its academic and organisational position. For instance, the Faculty of Science was established in 1976. In this way, the period was a time of conflict and change, during which the University was learning to balance ideals of democracy and critical thinking with the demands of the outside world. At the same time, in 1976 the University sought to approach the city of Odense with a formal cooperation agreement, which resulted in collaborations on sports facilities and the celebration of the city’s 1000th anniversary, among other things.

  • A decade shaped by student demands

    In the 1970s, extensive student reforms and protests took place at Odense University. The students insisted on democracy, dialogue and new ways of learning – and the University responded. The students were given 25% of the seats in the University’s governing body, the Consistory, and also participated in faculty and department councils. The Student Council – De Studerendes Råd in Danish (abbreviated DSR) – had its own premises with employees paid by the University. In 1980, students in Odense participated in protests against cutbacks and the University was symbolically declared ‘closed’ in an event involving posters and demonstrations through the city.

    When ideals meet realpolitik

    From the early 1980s, economic austerity and increased ministerial regulations had a major impact on the education programmes. Efficiency and documentation became buzzwords. At the same time, the student culture was changing from collective activism towards more individualism. The teaching was still a combination of lectures with seminars and group-based work, but the period was also marked by increased standardisation and fixed programme regulations. 

  • New subjects were developed

    During these years, the research at Odense University entered a new phase. The University was no longer newly established and it developed into a broader research institution with specialised academic environments. This was reflected in the development of the social sciences, for instance. Several new departments were established. This laid the foundations for the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, although this was not established until 1989. 

    Interdisciplinary research

    At the same time, interdisciplinarity, which had been a central ideal of the 1970s, remained a focus area. The University had been experimenting with interdisciplinary teaching since the 1970s, and in the 1980s this principle was continued in specific research collaborations. One striking example is health economics, in which researchers from the social sciences and the medical sciences established a collaboration of great relevance for society. The field evolved quickly: from an experimental laboratory in 1980 to an independent department in 1984. This development illustrates how the research at Odense University not only expanded existing subjects but also created entirely new academic environments.

1986 - 1996

  • A strong culture 

    This decade was characterised by new roles. Students and staff became political actors when the University’s future was at stake. The clearest example of this was the struggle to preserve the degree programme in Medical Science in Odense. In the summer of 1989, Bertel Haarder, the Minister of Education, was finally convinced following prolonged protests by students, researchers and the University’s management, specifically the newly elected dean Mogens Hørder. ‘You are too good to be discontinued!’ Bertel Haarder said at the time.

    Strong diversity

    At the same time, the student culture and population changed once again. The students’ commitment did not disappear, but it became broader and more individualised and at the same time more diverse. The adoption of the Erasmus cooperation programme in the EC in the summer of 1987 triggered an increase in the internationalisation of universities. Students were given optimal opportunities to study abroad and lecturers could visit other universities.

  • From threat to momentum

    The effort to prevent the discontinuation of the degree programme in Medical Science in 1988 mobilised staff, students and the local Funen community and demonstrated the regional importance of the University. The University began to position itself more as a modern knowledge institution with wider appeal to prospective students. In addition, 1989 brought about the creation of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, which was the fourth faculty of the University.

    Individualism

    The University was developing into an organisation with clearer structures and requirements for teaching as well as outcomes. As a result of the desire for increasing internationalisation, the PhD degree was introduced in 1989 as a replacement for the licentiate degree, and in 1993 the bachelor’s degree was introduced for similar reasons. The period was thus a time of transition, during which the University consolidated its role nationally and internationally in the individualistic spirit of the time.

  • Degree programmes under pressure to improve efficiency

    From the mid-1980s, there was an increased political focus on regulations, quality and efficiency in the education sector. National reforms introduced new requirements for documentation, measurability and the tighter control of resources. This also affected the universities, whose teaching had to comply with implementation and standardisation requirements.

    Individualisation as a new study model

    In the 1990s, individualisation emerged as a pedagogical principle. The students were encouraged to develop their own learning style, take individual responsibility and organise their own courses of study. This trend characterised everything from tutoring to study planning and was a reflection of broader societal developments. The curricula were further structured with requirements for progression, often including clearer academic specialisations and structure.

  • Research with societal relevance

    In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the trend towards research with distinct societal relevance continued. One striking example is the Danish Twin Registry, which dates back to the 1950s but gained a new significance in 1995 when its various data sources were brought together into one research resource at the University. With Kirsten Ohm Kyvik at the helm, the Registry was developed into a central tool for the study of health, disease and the link between genetic inheritance and environmental conditions.

    World-class research

    The Twin Registry contains information on thousands of Danish twins and makes it possible for researchers to follow this group over extended periods of time. The link between extensive data and long-term research makes the Register a unique resource in Denmark as well as internationally. The Twin Registry is one example of how Odense University made its mark internationally during this period: through research collaborations, the University became an active participant in the global development of health and population research. 

1996 - 2006

  • New academic environments 

    In 1998, the University of Southern Denmark was created, and Henrik Tvarnø, the first Rector, was in charge. In addition, the University was also managed by a board with external members, and the first one was comprised of people such as Johannes Due (chair), Mette Bock, Bent Kristensen, Karsten Ohrt and Ninna Würtzen. With the merger, multi-campus programmes and regional academic environments became part of the University’s identity. New environments in business, engineering, social sciences and regional studies expanded the number of students and employees.

    Public experts

    In 2003, the Danish University Act also changed the management structure: a board and an employed rector replaced the previous internal self-government system. At the same time, the researchers increasingly became public experts, who were visible in the media, in politics and in the public debate. This role opened the University up to the surrounding society and increased the requirements for clear dissemination. Among the earliest experts in the media were Kjeld Møller Pedersen, professor in health economy, Kaare Christensen, professor in epidemiology and ageing research, Johs. Nørregaard Frandsen, professor in literature and cultural studies, and gastrophysicist Ole G. Mouritsen, professor in physics.

  • The great merger

    During this period, Odense University underwent the largest structural changes to date. Most important was the merger in 1998–99 when the University merged with several educational institutions in Jutland as well as with the University Library and changed its name to the University of Southern Denmark. In doing so, the University became a major driver of regional development and now had campuses in Sønderborg, Kolding and Esbjerg and also offered a broader range of academic specialisations. New degree programmes, students from across the country and a higher degree of orientation towards the business community; all of this reflected society’s increasing focus on knowledge as a driver of growth.

    No more self-government

    In 2001, the Campusvej complex finally got an actual main entrance; however, the biggest changes took place behind the facade. The Danish University Act of 2003 put an end to academic self-government: elected rectors, deans and heads of departments were replaced by employed managers. At the same time, the development of the University was influenced by globalisation, increased competition for students and a stronger focus on profiling. The institution grew into a complex organisation with great ambitions. In this way, the period marks the transition to a new university system, in which collaboration, visibility and strategic development took centre stage.

  • New programmes and new opportunities

    The new SDU was established as a national multi-campus university with greater academic range, increased capacity and distinct political momentum. The merger set the stage for a new identity; SDU was no longer only a regional university, it also had nationwide appeal. The engineering programmes in Sønderborg, the business economics programmes in Kolding and Esbjerg, and later the business school degrees in Slagelse, expanded the University’s academic and geographical reach.

    A growing national profile

    In the 2000s, SDU’s development towards becoming a modern university continued. The teaching methods still included lectures, seminars and group work, but there was an increasing use of digital tools and learning platforms. New campuses in Slagelse and Kolding, increasing internationalisation and strengthened research areas – including robotics – gave SDU national impact. 
    With more students and increased visibility, SDU became a university that increasingly made its mark throughout Denmark. The curricula were given a fixed structure through the division into bachelor’s and master’s degrees, including the ECTS system and clear learning objectives. All this was rooted in a meeting in Bologna in 1999, in which ministers of education from 29 European countries joined forces to initiate the harmonisation of the structure of higher education across Europe.

  • Research becomes measurable

    In the years around 2000, the conditions of research changed significantly. Whereas research had previously been managed by the academic environments, to a greater and greater extent it subsequently became subject to measurement, regulations and financial incentives. The focus was on output: that is, publications, visibility and measurable results. One early step was the introduction of the taximeter system in 1994, which meant that the University received payment per examination that was passed. In this way, the education programmes, and indirectly the research, were given an economic incentive that was linked to the production of students. 

    From research to invoice

    With the Danish University Act of 2003, this development was boosted. The University was organised as a hierarchical business, and at the same time the importance of external funding grew, whereby research funds had to be secured in open competition. Research was thus given an additional aim: to generate economic growth as well as new knowledge. According to then Minister for Science Helge Sanders’s slogan, the goal was a movement ‘from research to invoice’. 

2006 - 2016

  • Technicians, elite athletes and internationalisation

    During this decade, SDU became more diverse in terms of its academic environments, its geographical locations and the people working and studying there. With the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering, the University gained new technical research environments and a broader staff and student profile. Per Michael Johansen was the first dean of the Faculty.

    Students and colleagues from all over the world

    At the same time, internationalisation became a part of everyday life. By 2016, just under 15 percent of the students and about 20 percent of the researchers were international, so people from many nations were brought together on the campuses. In addition, special conditions were established for elite athletes: with Syddansk Elite, they were given optimal conditions for completing a university degree while pursuing their sports career. For almost the entire period (2001–2013), Rector Jens Oddershede was at the helm of a university in rapid development, including getting its first common Management and Strategy Basis.

  • Consolidation and new ambitions

    In the 2000s, the University of Southern Denmark developed into a modern multi-campus university with strong regional roots and students from all over the country. Research was strengthened through targeted efforts in areas such as robotics, health data and welfare technology. These areas reflected the growing societal focus on innovation and collaboration between research and business. Internationalisation, professionalisation and strategic development became key drivers, and SDU stood out more and more clearly as a competitive player nationally and internationally. In 2006, the Faculty of Engineering was established, and the following year Slagelse became a part of the University's campus structure.

    Campus as part of the city

    At the same time, the University took on a new role in the development of Odense and the Region. New student housing, the plans for the tram and the upcoming University Hospital tied the campus more closely to the growth and identity of the city. The University’s development also reflected broader societal trends: increased governance, competition and documentation in research and education. Overall, SDU strengthened its position as a key driver of knowledge, innovation and regional development.

  • Quality management is key

    From the mid-2000s, SDU intensified its work on quality in education. 
    A comprehensive audit in 2005 pointed to the need for a more integrated quality assurance system. Various initiatives were developed with the goal of achieving coherence, transparency and high academic quality. Student life became increasingly structured and time-regulated. There was a strong focus on rapid implementation and relevance for the business community. SDU also introduced tighter regulations on exams and the study environment (such as the smoking ban in 2007 and the alcohol policy in 2009), which were met with student protests.

    Campus Odense as a growing knowledge district

    During the period 2006–2016, the area around Campus Odense underwent significant development. 
    The 2015 master plan included new buildings, expanded common areas, improved infrastructure and close integration with the tram and Nyt OUH. Campus Odense was expanded to accommodate more students and new academic environments. The goal was a cohesive district in which research, education and urban development would merge. The ideal was the so-called triple helix model, in which the University, the business community and public authorities collaborate on development. This model was explicitly used in the campus planning process around 2015–2016.

  • TEK is established

    As an extension of the focus on economic relevance in the 2000s, research at SDU gained a new and more technologically oriented profile in the years after 2006. One reason for this was the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering in 2006, when Ingeniørhøjskolen Odense Teknikum (Odense University College of Engineering) became a part of the University. This development was a continuation of the merger in 1998, through which SDU had also gained a strong presence in Southern Jutland. In the first merger, the engineering programmes in Sønderborg had become a part of the University, and in the years after 2006 this environment was strengthened as an important hub for technical research.

    Collaboration with the business community

    In Sønderborg in particular, SDU developed a close collaboration with large companies such as Danfoss. Research in energy and electronics was linked directly to industrial needs, and the University became a key player in the technological development of the region. With the Faculty of Engineering, SDU took a decisive step from a traditional university to a broad research university, where technological innovation and collaboration with business became a central part of the purpose of research. 

Last Updated 27.08.2026