TOKAI UNIVERSITY EUROPEAN CENTER

Student Delegations from Tokai University Explore Danish Society, Education, and Culture

4/14/2025

Between February and March, we welcomed three student delegations from Tokai University.

The Judo Club delegation:
The first group to arrive was the Judo Club. Their visit began in Copenhagen, where they spent a few days at the Tokai University European Center (TUEC) in Vedbæk. During their stay, they enjoyed a sightseeing tour of Copenhagen, accompanied by TUEC staff. Following their time in the capital, the delegation traveled to Vejle to take part in the annual Matsumae Cup, held from February 14 to 17.

The Medical School delegation:
The second delegation came from the School of Medicine and consisted of 12 students and 2 teachers. They visited Denmark from February 23 to March 1. During their stay, they followed a program prepared by the TUEC staff.

The group visited two general practitioners, the Association of General Practitioners, and the Danish Agency for Digitalization, where Ph.D. Karen Ejersbo Iversen gave a presentation on digitalization in Denmark, including a comparison with Japan's digital infrastructure.

They also toured the Medical Museion in Copenhagen and visited the University of Copenhagen’s medical school, where a local medical student provided a guided campus tour. Another highlight was their visit to Statens Serum Institut (the State Serum Institute), where they learned about the institute’s work and had the opportunity to see the laboratories and sample storage facilities.

Later in the program, the delegation visited the University of Copenhagen’s South Campus to attend a cultural exchange event called The Japanese Café, organized weekly by students from the Japanese Studies department.

On their final day, they visited a care facility, where they learned about the daily routines of caregivers, the structure of elderly care services, and the range of social activities provided for residents. After the visit, the group had free time to explore Copenhagen, do some sightseeing, and enjoy a bit of shopping before returning to Japan the following day.

The School of Childhood Education delegation:
The third delegation came from the School of Childhood Education and consisted of 15 students and 2 teachers. They visited Denmark from March 2 to March 11, following a program prepared by the TUEC staff.

During their stay, the group visited two kindergartens—one a more traditional urban kindergarten, and the other a forest kindergarten. At both locations, the students learned about different approaches to early childhood education in Denmark and were surprised by some of the cultural differences. For example, it is common for infants in Denmark to nap outdoors in baby strollers, even during winter. Danish children also typically spend much more time outside compared to their Japanese counterparts, who are usually indoors. The visiting students brought origami paper and had the chance to interact with the children by teaching them how to fold various figures.

On another day, the group visited a private school for gifted children, where the principal explained that only students with a certain IQ level are eligible to attend. The delegation observed classes, learned about the school’s teaching methods, and had the opportunity to ask a few questions to both students and teachers during lessons, while being careful not to disrupt the classes.

The group also visited UC Absalon, a Danish teacher training college. There, they observed a class in session and had the opportunity to speak with Danish students in smaller groups. The Danish students had been given a small assignment to come up with fun and creative ways to teach children—such as through games, songs, and playful activities—which they then shared with the Japanese delegation. The visit also provided insight into the structure of the Danish teacher education program, including how the degree is organized, the balance between theoretical coursework and practical training, and the various subject specializations available to student teachers.

Another highlight was the visit to Grundtvigs Højskole, where the students learned about Denmark’s unique folk high school tradition. They toured the dormitories and communal spaces—many of which had been built or decorated by the students themselves—and enjoyed lunch at the school before heading to nearby Frederiksborg Castle.

Over the weekend, the students had time off to explore on their own. Some joined TUEC staff at the University of Copenhagen South Campus to experience a Friday Bar, a popular social event among Danish students. Others chose to go sightseeing or attended a football match in Copenhagen.
On their final day, the group visited a public school to compare it with the private school they had seen earlier. They observed several classes, including an arts and crafts lesson that left a strong impression on the Japanese students. The teacher instructed the students to pick up from where they had left off in the previous session, and the class got to work building a festival chair. Working in groups, the children engaged in various tasks such as sawing, drilling, screwing, painting, and even sewing fabric.
What stood out most to the Japanese students was the contrast in teaching style. In Japan, a similar class would likely be more structured and rigid, with all students doing the same task at the same time under close supervision from the teacher. However, in this Danish class, there was a greater sense of freedom. The children worked on different tasks simultaneously, with less direct oversight from the teacher. This more independent and flexible approach left a strong impact on the visiting students, who were surprised by how the Danish classroom environment encouraged creativity and self-directed learning.

The following day, the delegation returned home to Japan after a full and enriching week in Denmark.

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