In the top three best workplaces

7 May 2009

A recent survey ranked the University of Copenhagen third out of the most desirable workplaces among natural science students.

The result has been published in Universum Graduate Survey – an annual, impartial questionnaire of Danish students’ career preferences. In the survey the University of Copenhagen was rated as a workplace within the category Engineer/ Natural Science, surpassed only by Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, which were ranked first and second place, respectively.

Work should be meaningful The survey shows that as a result of the current financial situation, changes are beginning to develop in students’ career preferences. After many years in which the public sector has been viewed as less attractive, the picture is now changing, with large areas of the public sector witnessing development. Specifically, engineering and natural science students place emphasis on a company’s reputation and on both challenging and meaningful work in a greater social context, compared to other students. According to Niels Balslev Wendelboe, Director for HR and organisational development at the University of Copenhagen, this plays a part in explaining the University of Copenhagen’s top ranking in the survey.

“I think the good ranking reflects the fact that many students find it attractive to be part of an innovative and internationally recognised research and education environment. Meaningfulness, influence and freedom, together with a high level of professionalism, are qualities that make the University of Copenhagen attractive as a workplace,” said Wendelboe. The director added that it was decisive for the university’s development that the University of Copenhagen can continue to attract and maintain the sharpest minds, making the latest ranking something to be proud of.

Facts about the survey In the period from November 2008 to March 2009, 7,263 students within the areas of economics, law, IT, engineering and natural science completed an online questionnaire created by Employer Branding’s consultancy firm Universum. The students were asked, among other things, to choose five employers that they regard as attractive and describe what they associate with these employers. In addition to the category Engineer/Natural Science, the survey also covers the areas of Economics, IT and Law.

This is the first time that the University of Copenhagen has been selected as one of the top 100 companies evaluated in the survey. The majority of the respondents attracted to the University of Copenhagen as an employer are students from the natural sciences.

The result of the entire student survey can be read at Universums website.