Welcome

Welcome

At our school, Kruses Gymnasium, we have decided to give highest priority to the development of Global Partnerships with High Schools and Secondary Schools in different parts of the world. For that reason, we have reached out to other schools in several countries, and have succeeded in setting up Exchange Programs in Downingtown, PA, USA, Normandy, France, and Germany.

We remain open to other offers, and dedicated towards seeking new opportunities for even more of our students to experience a foreign culture and country, and a foreign school culture in particular.

This site provides you with information on our school and outline what we look for in terms of an exchange program and a mutual academic partnership – and also what sort of Exchange programs we already have in place.

Our high school

Kruses Gymnasium (High School) has a very high degree of competence in Science, Political Studies and Arts, in a close and positive community, focused on excellence in academics, but also on maintaining a friendly and safe environment for young students. We currently have close to 400 students divided into three separate years (somewhat like sophomores, juniors and seniors in the US). Therefore it is a school with a small but relaxed and positive student body, where everyone knows everyone, and where teachers and management are close to the student community.

Kruses Gymnasium has a tradition of excellence in academic standards and is consistently ranked among the highest nationwide at the final exams. Furthermore, more than 90% of our students go on to attend University or College after leaving us, which is in fact the highest number in Denmark.

Farum and Copenhagen

Farum is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Copenhagen. It is a peaceful and safe suburb with a mixed population, but mainly upper middle class. It is located next to a large and scenic lake, called the Furesø. Public transportation to Copenhagen City is around 40 minutes by light rail.

Copenhagen City (and Greater Copenhagen) offers an abundance of European and Danish culture and many historical sites, and is also home to internationally famous Danish corporations like Novo Nordic and Maersk Line, and it houses the royal family and their palaces as well. The City of Copenhagen is an ancient trading port. It has a very long and colorful history.

Over the last 20 years, the City of Copenhagen has truly flourished. Its economy has grown very strong and it has become a vibrant, very international City. Its great focus on sustainability and bicycling has made it a role model for many other major cities around the world. In London and New York, to “Copenhagenize” means to make room for bicycles and focus on a more eco-friendly great city. The inner city canals have been cleaned up so thoroughly that you can now swim in them and Copenhagen has recently been named the cleanest capital in the world.

Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe, bordering Norway, Sweden and Germany to the south. Denmark’s history revolves around the great belts, or straits, separating the Baltic Sea from the North Sea. Today, it consists of the peninsula of Jutland and 443 islands of many sizes. Farum and Copenhagen are located on the largest of these isles, called Sealand. Also part of the Kingdom are the North Atlantic Faroe Islands and Greenland, home of the American Military base at Thule. And, at least according to the Danes, home of Santa Claus as well.

The Danish population consists of more than 90 % ethnic (Germanic) Danes and less than 10 % immigrants of many different ethnicities. By the autumn of 2018, the population stood at 5,806,015 which is increasing slightly over time, mostly due to immigration.

The official language is Danish, a Germanic/Nordic language, which, in fact, has many similarities to English, due to common ancestry and the Viking impact on the English language. The vast majority of Danes understand English very well and kids are taught English from the start of their schooling, at age 6-7.

Denmark is a Constitutional Monarchy, with the Queen as head of state, but the Royal House is completely non-political. The Prime Minister, currently Mrs. Mette Frederiksen, is the factual leader of the Government.

Academic options

Academic options during an exchange program

History
Possible themes include the Viking Age and the Danish Middle Ages, possibly as part of excursions to Frederiksborg castle or Kronborg. It could also be the history of the Danish welfare state and national Health care along with political and Social Studies. Another possibility would be national Identity. Or more general topics like World War ll and the Great depression.

Political Studies
We could work with themes such as national Identity and Immigration or the role of Religion in Danish Society. Of course the Danish welfare system might be interesting for you to study or the role of Denmark in the European union.

Physical Education
Denmark has a very particular sports culture, and we would be happy to introduce your students to it. Danes practice many of the same sports as the rest of the world, but we also have some very popular sports that are relatively unknown to most countries, such as Badminton and Handball. They might prove a fun experience for your students.

Danish
Of course, mastering the danish language is a bit ambitious but other foreign students have enjoyed being introduced to Danish literature, either working with world famous danish authors like Kierkegaard, Karen Blixen or H. C. Andersen, whose works have been translated into, or written originally in english. Or with less known Danish authors that may bring insight to Danish culture. We could also work with some of the danish movies that have won international acclaim in recent years, such as the Hunt, Drive, the Celebration or the works of Lars Von trier.

English
The English faculty would in general function as assistants to the other faculties, to hopefully ensure the complete absence of any language issues. But we could also teach a danish/european angle on any themes or literature you might have worked with beforehand. Danes generally master English at a relatively high level, at least according to our American partners?

Science
Kruses Gymnasium has a very strong Science-profile and Science is taught at a very high level in Danish High Schools. We have very gifted teachers and would be happy to work with your students in this field as well. A particular focus in Denmark now is Bio-technology, but we have all the classical fields of study at our school, from Physics to Geology and Astronomy.