Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Students' Magazine

Interview with Elina Cate about Aarhus Business School on behalf of the Master Study Project.

How well-known and respected is Aarhus Business School on the world scale world? 

Aarhus University advances in the top 100 in the new ranking of the world’s 17,000 universities. In a recently published Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings, Aarhus University has moved up from position no. 81 to no. 63. Aarhus University is among the youngest universities in the top 100.

The EQUIS accreditation places Aarhus School of Business and Aarhus University among the best business schools worldwide and on a par with London Business School, INSEAD in France, and the University of Washington, USA. Moreover, ASB has close to 8,000 students, which makes it one of Europe’s largest accredited institutions.

An internet-based library called Social Science Research Network (SSRN) has made a ranking of international business schools, and ASB has been ranked 69 out of 800. On the list of schools outside the US, ASB has been ranked 18 out of 435 and is thus the best-ranked Scandinavian Business School (www.asb.dk).

Does studies in Denmark differ from studies at SSE Riga? If yes, how?

Overall, the studies here are more relaxed and more up to you. If at SSE Riga we are used to tough schedule and many assignments, then here no lectures are compulsory, and there are less assignments and group projects. However, in other programmes it may vary. Lectures also do not take so much time - on average 3 hours per day and usually only 4 days a week.

All the academic matters, lecturing style and structure of courses are very similar to ones at SSE Riga, and this is very advantageous to SSE Riga graduates, as students from other countries have difficulties with reading academic articles and books, etc.

Another different thing is that ASB is a huge university with many international students, in contrast with SSE Riga where you know everybody, so people are not spending 24/7 in the campus. Due to a high number of students, you also might not get a lot of nannying from the staff. Also you have to buy all your books (if you decide that you need them) and pay for printing and copying.

Overall, I am satisfied with the study environment here.

How do you cover your tuition fee, living expenses, etc.?

There is no tuition fee in ASB for EU students; however, living expenses are much higher than in Latvia - average living expenses are approximately 600-700 Euro per month without any luxuries. Currently I am covering my expenses working and with my parents support. However, later the money earned here will be enough. Most of the students are working here parallel to studies; usually some 10-15 hours of work per week will cover basic living expenses mentioned, as salaries in Denmark are high. But I have to add that finding a study relevant job is almost impossible without being fluent in Danish.

Are there any major cultural differences?

Danes are the same as all other Scandinavians, so there might be a problem to fit in. If you want to get into a Danish group, then you have to do it, not expecting that they will welcome you. Danes are closed when it comes to foreigners, but if you are more persuasive, then you will find out that they are very nice. It is very important here to meet a lot of people, sneak around, because that will give you a lot opportunities to find a job. You just have to attend different social events, and there are a lot of those in Aarhus, as it is a city with a lot of students (35,000 if I remember correctly). And, of course, there are very many international students and you can always party, study, and socialize with them as you are all in the same situation.

Why did you decide to study in Denmark and attend this particular school?

Well, first of all, because there was no tuition fee and the university is internationally recognized. As SSE Riga has a partnership with ASB, I got a lot of information about the university beforehand and was satisfied with what they offered. One of the reasons why I decided to come here was that in some programmes there is a double degree programme, for example, I, as a student of MSc in Marketing, had the possibility to apply for EURECA double degree programme, which means that in 2 years time I will receive 2 master diplomas. I was awarded with this opportunity, which means that the next autumn I will be studying in Munich, Germany, and in the end I will receive a MSc in Marketing from ASB and a MSc in Consumer Affairs Management from TUM (Technical University of Munich). And one additional reason why I came here is that I didn’t have to take GMAT or any other English test (because I studied at SSE Riga).

Was the competition on admission tough? 

ASB has an experience with SSE students and they know that we are good, so there should not be major problems to be accepted for any of SSE graduates. The admission process is simple: there is an application deadline on the 1st of June (not 100% sure), when you have to fill in an online application form and send all the document copies to ASB, and that’s all. There is also a possibility to contact the staff before the deadline if you need to know that you are admitted or not, and receive a conditional admission if you have to decide between universities, so you actually don’t have to wait till the end of the deadline.

How many students from SSE Riga study there?

There are not many SSE Riga graduates currently studying in ASB, as far as I know, but overall, it is beneficial because they can share experiences and give suggestions.

What do you intend to do after studies? 

Well, at the moment (as I have just started my studies) it is hard to say, I am thinking of going back to Latvia and use my knowledge to find a job there; however, if a good opportunity comes here, I can stay also here for a while. But, yes, not sure yet!

In your opinion, are there any drawbacks when studying abroad and in Denmark particularly?

Well, there are some - difficulty to find a job, high prices, homesickness and closed Danes; however, it is all up to you to overcome them. This year there was a huge number of students coming to Aarhus, so it was hard to find a place to live in, especially dorms. Basically, it is the same everywhere abroad, and I think that Denmark is quite a good place to study: good education, many social activities, and good environment.

Mārtiņš Kozlovskis