ARRIVAL ORIENTATION HANDBOOK FOR FULBRIGHT STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS DENMARK 2016/2017 CONGRATULATIONS & WELCOME to Denmark and to your Fulbright experience. On behalf of the Danish-American Fulbright Commission, we are looking forward to helping you have a great Fulbright experience. Hopefully, what you are now setting out to do will change the rest of your life. Nothing less than that! Please remember that this will be your experience, and you are the only person who can really ensure the success of your stay here. Your positive attitude and capability for coping with things unfamiliar – sometimes uncomfortably so - will be the decisive factors for the outcome of your stay in Denmark. By making you responsible and in charge, we follow the spirit of the Fulbright exchange program. But naturally it does not mean that the Danish-American Fulbright Commission will not be there to help you while you are in Denmark. We trust that you will contact us if you need our help and we’ll be there for you – but we will not be forcing us on your experience. During the Arrival Orientation the Danish-American Fulbright Commission will try to share with you some of our knowledge of the Danish society at large. Hopefully this will be a good introduction to your Danish life. You will also get to know the other Fulbrighters and the staff of the secretariat, and we will get to know you. Clearly, we cannot possibly cover everything in one day. But with your help we will try – so please help us by asking a lot of questions. The collection of information you have here we have called a “Handbook” - a fancy title for “a changing work in progress”. This is a collection of handouts compiled over the years based on the experiences of previous Fulbrighters to Denmark. But let us not drown in all the practicalities! The goal of the Fulbright Program is much broader than your individual project: We encourage you to involve yourself in Denmark and the Danish culture, and in doing so to share your American background whenever possible. By adding this dimension you will get a genuine Fulbright experience. On behalf of the Danish-American Fulbright Commission, Marie Mønsted Executive Director TABLE OF CONTENTS AGENDA 7 STAFF 8 KEY FIGURES 9 10 TRANSITION TIPS 10 SECURITY MATTERS 12 SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION 15 THE DANISH HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM 16 FULBRIGHT - MORE THAN A GRANT 22 MUNCIPALITY INFORMATION - MOVING TO DENMARK 25 COPENHAGEN - EMERGENCY SERVICES 28 ODENSE - EMERGENCY SERVICES 29 AALBORG - EMERGENCY SERVICES 30 AARHUS - EMERGENCY SERVICES 31 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN DENMARK 32 DANISH TRADITIONS 35 THE DANISH FLAG - DANNEBROG 36 RELIGION 37 CURRENCY 38 LIVING EXPENSES & GENEREL INFORMATION 39 TRANSPORTATION 42 MEDICINE & HEALTH 46 CLOTHING SIZES 49 TEMPERATURE SCALE 50 WEATHER 51 SOME USEFUL WEBSITES 52 FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 56 U.S TAX INFORMATION 57 AMERICAN FULBRIGHT GRANTEES IN DENMARK - 2016-2017 58 PERSONAL NOTES 65 FULBRIGHT ARRIVAL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 2016 ARRIVAL ORIENTATION: A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO DENMARK AGENDA Thursday, August 25, 2016 12:30 p.m. Lunch We will meet at the Fulbright office in Nørregade for sandwiches 1:00 p.m. Welcome and introductions Marie Mønsted, Executive Director 2:00 p.m. Practical and Academic Information Michala Hedelund, Program Coordinator & Advisor Anne Villumsen, Advisor & Program Coordinator 3:50 p.m. We walk towards Holmens Kirke for the Canal Tour 4:20-5:20 p.m. Canal Tour in Copenhagen Harbor Friday, August 26, 2016 10:00 a.m. Practical and Academic Information Michala Hedelund, Program Coordinator & Advisor Anne Villumsen, Advisor & Program Coordinator 11:00 a.m. Financial Issues & Opening Bank Accounts 12:00 p.m. Lunch A selection of lunch dishes from RizRaz 1:00 p.m. Academic Life in Denmark vs. the U.S. Speaker: David E. Nye, Professor. Center for American Studies, University of Southern Denmark 2:00-3:30 p.m. Danish History and Politics Carsten Pape, External Lecturer DIS, Study Abroad in Scandinavia Conclusion: A glass of wine or beer - a Danish Friday tradition 7 FULBRIGHT ARRIVAL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 FULBRIGHT ARRIVAL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 STAFF KEY FIGURES Marie Mønsted Fulbright Commission’s Fiscal Year 2016, U.S. and Danish Allocations Executive Director Cand. mag. in Scandinavian Literature & Art History from the University of Aarhus. U.S.: Overall responsibility of the Denmark-America Foundation & Fulbright Commission (including management, finances and fund raising, programming et al.). Been with DAF since 1994, Fulbright U.S. Government allocation FY 2016 USD 284,651 since 1995. E-mail: [email protected] U.S. Income Total: USD 284,651 Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 05 Michala Hedelund Danish: Program Coordinator & Advisor Cand.mag. in English, Copenhagen University. In charge of the administration of DAF and Fulbright Danish Government allocation FY 2016 student and scholar programs. Cooperating with the Advisor & Program Coordinator on student Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation USD 360.902 advising and outreach activities. Been with DAF & Fulbright since 2016. E-mail: [email protected] Danish Government Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 01 Special allocation for rent USD 30.075 Danish Ministry of Culture USD 25.564 Anne Villumsen Advisor & Program Coordinator Danish University Funding USD 6.015 Cand.ling.merc in English and American Studies, Copenhagen Business School. In charge of student advising including outreach to Danish educational institutions. Coordinator of the website as well as Danish Institutions Co-Funding USD 56.391 Facebook. Co-administrator on several grant programs together with the Program Coordinator & Danish Private Funding USD 3.008 Advisor. Been with DAF and Fulbright since 2014. E-mail: [email protected] Danish Income Total: USD 481,955 Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 02 (Exchange rate , June 2016: 6,65) Birgitte Klinge Financial Officer Number of AY 2016 Fulbright Grantees: Bachelor in Economics. Responsible for finances and budgets in close cooperation with the U.S. Graduate Students: 11 U.S. Scholars: 6 Total: 17 Executive Director. Been with DAF & Fulbright since 2012. E-mail: [email protected] Danish Graduate Students: 22 Danish Scholars: 4 Total: 26 Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 03 Fulbright Specialist: 4 Total: 4 Christel Tage Personal Assistant Arctic Initiative : 2 Total: 2 Cand.soc.HRM, Copenhagen Business School. PA to ED and in charge of administrative procedures SUSI for student Leaders: 1 Total: 1 for both DAF & Fulbright. Been with DAF & Fulbright since 2014. E-mail: [email protected] US Grant Program Total: USD 409.775 Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 04 DK Grant Program Total: USD 336.103 Danmark-Amerika Fondet & Fulbright Kommissionen Nørregade 7A, 1.tv., 1165 København K. Phone: (+45) 33 18 10 00 8 9 FULBRIGHT ARRIVAL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 FULBRIGHT ARRIVAL HANDBOOK 2016-2017 10 TRANSITION TIPS (adapted from “What’s Up With Culture?”) 6. Find a Mentor Almost any local person knows more about the country than 1. Know Your Destination a newcomer, but you should try and find someone who is It is impossible to learn too much willing to listen to you and talk over any problems you are about the history and current encountering. events of the country you are going to visit. 7. Stay Curious Often a change of scene or mini-vacation from habitual activities will give 2. Prepare to be Understood and to Understand you the physical and psychological rest you need to cope with whatever It is essential to be aware that each culture has its preferred difficulties you are having. mode of expression and traditional ways of conducting conversations. If you go abroad with absolutely no understanding of how that culture expects to give and receive information, you are going to inevitably experience increased 8. Watch for Culture Shock miscommunication and misunderstandings. This directly Monitor your own mental and physical state. contributes to culture shock. Like many symptoms, sometimes just putting a name on the problem makes it easier to admit and seek help to alleviate. 3. Learn the Language (even when it is English) At a minimum one should know the proper daily greetings, how to make requests, ask directions, and how to say 9. Keep a journal or notebook ”thank you”, ”please”, etc. It is not only polite to do so but One of the ways to both record and recall your time abroad is universally appreciated. Assume nothing, keep your ears is to keep a daily or weekly journal. It not only allows you open, and learn as much as you can about the language to have an internal dialog with yourself but also to look before you go. back upon your experiences and see the ups and downs as they happened. 4. Learn Why Culture Matters Once you begin looking for an insider’s reasons for behaving a particular way or trying to understand a situation from another 10. Chill out Cultivate your sense of humor; realize that sometimes a negative perspective, it opens up new ways to interact appropriately in experience is not personal but cultural; be as non-judgmental as you can the new culture. while being as open to new ideas and experiences as you dare; be flexible, adaptable and cheerful without abandoning your core values or compromising your sense of self. When things are not going well, stop 5. Get the Logistical and Practical Arrangements Settled Concentrate on getting basic needs worked out before tackling larger and try to figure out why. issues. Part of culture learning includes mastering an often bewildering array of how to do simple things like banking, internet access, or booking travel, not to mention more serious things like obtaining medical care or Source: contacting authorities if necessary.