Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Education Special – Højskoler
Located by the sea, just 25 kilometres from the Danish border to Germany, Højskolen Østersøen has always had a strong international focus.
Building a sustainable world Located on the threshold between southern Denmark and the rest of the world, Højskolen Østersøen is setting out to offer its students the chance to transform the world – or at least take the first step. With its new course, World Lab, the folk high school is aiming to bring together students from all over the world to develop solutions for a better and more sustainable world. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Højskolen Østersøen
Since its foundation in 1993, diversity and tolerance have been key values at Højskolen Østersøen, which is clearly reflected in the school’s new World Lab course. Inspired by the school’s participation in the global innovation lab UNLEASH (which brought together 1,000 people in August this year to work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals), the course will bring together young people from all over the world. Together, they will work to develop solutions for a better and more sustainable world, build strong global networks and transform ideas into 80 | Issue 106 | November 2017
workable solutions. Principal Annemarie Morris explains: “UNLEASH was such a huge success here, and that made us think about how much the content of the United Nations charter is actually in line with what we already do as a good folk high school. Seeing this in combination with our existing focus on European students, we thought that it would be natural to take the next step to become a more globally orientated institution.” Due to its proximity to the Danish/ German border, Højskolen Østersøen
is one of a few folk high schools in Denmark to have been given an exemption from the rule that half of the students must be Danish.
Working together to create change During the four-month World Lab course, participants will, inspired by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, work to develop their own ideas into solutions for a better and more sustainable world. The students will meet key players from Danish industry, NGOs, foundations and the government sector to help them develop their ideas – but, most of all, they will rely on each other. “You might have one student with a technical background, one with a background in social sciences and someone coming from somewhere entirely different; that mix of backgrounds is what the Danish folk high school has always