Winter admission 2026

As many of you have probably noticed, in recent months, universities have been criticised for admitting international students from third countries outside the EU/EEA - the so-called foreign self-payers. In particular, the universities' admission of students from Bangladesh and Nepal has been criticised, as there is a presumption that the study periods are largely used for labour migration. The criticism has also affected SDU, and I would therefore like to inform you about the measures we have taken.

In recent years, SDU has also seen a significant increase in the number of international applicants from Bangladesh in particular. This has raised serious questions about whether all the students we admit actually have the necessary academic prerequisites and the required purpose of study.

Act responsibly

Let me emphasise: This is not about us not wanting international students at SDU. Quite the contrary. We would love to attract talented students from all over the world, but they must be students who have the right qualifications and the right motives for taking a programme here. This is crucial for both the quality of our programmes and the credibility of the university.

To ensure that we, as a university, act responsibly, we have launched several initiatives. First and foremost, we have decided to close the winter intake 2026 for students from third countries outside the EU/EEA - students who pay for their own education. This is a temporary measure that only applies to the winter intake until we have a full overview and can analyse the situation further. It should be emphasised that everyone will have their application fee refunded in connection with the rejection.

Stricter requirements

In addition, we have decided to carry out extra checks on the students from third countries who have already been admitted in the summer intake 2025. We must ensure that no one is admitted on the basis of fake exam certificates. Therefore, the students in question have been given one month to get their original educational institution to send an official confirmation directly to SDU. If the documentation does not arrive, they will be disenrolled. Students without a valid residence permit in Denmark will also be disenrolled.

I am aware that these steps may be perceived as suspicion of students from certain countries - and I regret that. But as university management, we have a responsibility to ensure that the students we admit are genuinely fit to study, have the papers in order and possess the necessary academic qualifications. It's about protecting the quality of our degree programmes so that we can have a solid foundation in our intake of international students in the future.

Yours sincerely

Jens Ringsmose
Rector