Krischan Behrendt - MSc in Marketing and Innovation

Hi, my name is Krischan Behrendt, I am 26 years old and I am a full degree student at SDU from Germany.

Why did you choose to study the Master in Marketing and Innovation?
I chose to study Marketing and Innovation at SDU for different reasons. Among a lot of various motives, one of the main drivers was the given opportunity to enhance my knowledge in areas that strongly interested me during my Bachelor studies, such as buyer’s behaviour and how to align a companies’ strategy in order to remain competitive. The programme at SDU offers the possibility to focus on these topics and also extend knowledge in other challenging areas, for instance project management and innovation management. Besides that, studying an English programme in a foreign country was very appealing to me, as this would not only improve my English skills but also bring me together with numerous open-minded students from all over the world, who share their stories and culture with me.

How do you like the study environment at the campus?
I quite enjoy the study environment at the campus, as it is very familiar and therefore easy to meet other students from other programs and other countries. Furthermore, I overall observe the staff and teachers as, at least for my experience, unusually helpful, open-minded and approachable in every matter. All professors make the impression that they really want to support you, regardless if it fits into the current lecture or not. Moreover, the staff members always have an open ear for someone’s matter, which enormously simplifies the overall studying.

 How is studying in Denmark different than in your home country?
Being a student in Denmark is quite different than back home. First of all, it appears to be more challenging due to lots of group works and projects, which are closely related to real cases. The combining of theoretical frameworks and practical applications prepares one for future tasks. I experience this study approach as fairly balanced.

How was your arrival to Denmark?
Everything was quite simple. The university helped me with my accommodation before I came to Denmark and also organized that a student assistant would pick me up, even though I arrived late. The student brought me to my room and showed me around the same night. During the introduction week SDU offered all new students several tours and activities to get to know each other and explore the city. Besides that, they provided easy structured checklists on what to do within your first week. I never had the feeling of being stuck in a foreign countries’ bureaucracy.

What would you like to say to someone who is interested in studying here in Denmark?
Without hesitating, I would recommend to study in Denmark for the full programme or even just an exchange semester. The Danes are open-minded and friendly, that makes it utterly simple to get in touch with local people and explore another culture.
The Danes are fairly welcoming and skilled in English, therefore one should never feel left out due to language barriers.
Besides that, studying in Denmark gives you the opportunity to experience the northern way of teaching, which is innovative, challenging, and with a practical orientation.
In your spare time, you can easily explore this rather small but interesting country, Aarhus and Copenhagen for example are definitely worth a trip or two.

Remus Gabriel Bejinaru, MSc in Marketing and Innovation

Hi, my name is Remus Gabriel Bejinaru, I am 27 years old and I come from Romania. I’m engaged in a full Master degree at University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg.

Why did you choose to study the Master in Marketing and Innovation?
I chose to study Marketing and Innovation as a continuation of my Bachelor studies which was Accounting and Information Management Systems. This small shift to marketing came because I would like to better understand the business world and to have more knowledge and insights on the interconnections and processes within a business in respect to how they are viewed by others or how they present themselves to their clients and stakeholders. Also, the part of Innovation had an important weigh in my decision to choose this program, especially because the innovation aspect will always give you an advantage over the competitors.

How do you like the study environment at the campus?
The study environment in the campus is just perfect in my perspective. It’s full of friendly people that are coming from all over the world, you can get a lot of useful tips and help from everyone. I haven’t met not one person that will not help you if you’re in need of something. Everyone is open minded and well educated, thus it’s a very healthy and prosperous place to study.

How is studying in Denmark different than in your home country?
The first thing that comes to mind is diversity and openness. The international environment in Denmark is something that in Romania you can’t find, at least not at the same level. Another thing that is somewhat different is the fact that studying here in Denmark is more challenging and there is much more emphasis on the student and on creativity but also there is a closer relationship between the teachers and students and you can get help very easily. But the biggest difference of course the fact that for the first time I’m studding in a foreign language which is extraordinary.

How was your arrival to Denmark?
My arrival here in Esbjerg went flawless. The accommodation office from the University was very helpful and prompt. They have helped me with finding me a place to stay which is wonderful and I have received a lot of useful information to make my adjustment period as short as possible. I was assigned a student assistant which met me in front of the apartment building and afterword he presented me the place where I am to stay and gave me all kind of information referring to the equipment inside. After that, within the introduction days, the University took it very seriously to provide brochures and to organize events and reunions so that any newcomer could get in to the way of life in Denmark.

What would you like to say to someone who is interested in studying here in Denmark ?
I feel that words are not enough to express all the good things you can accumulate by choosing to study in Denmark. I would highly recommend to anyone who thinks of going abroad to study, to come here without a second thought. The people are wonderful, the teachers are very qualified, the staff will always help you with anything you need and you can have many career opportunities in divers multinational companies. After all who wouldn’t like to study in one of the happies countries of the world and one of the oldest democracies on the planet.