Language subjects receive a temporary multi-million boost – "We are in a much better position now than we were last year," dean of Arts says
The government has allocated an extra DKK 68 million to support German and French degree programmes at Danish universities through to 2029. It’s fantastic that the minister for higher education and science has found the money, says Dean of Arts Maja Horst, who would have preferred to make the grant permanent.
The Faculty of Arts' appeal on behalf of the struggling foreign language programmes has been heard. Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (Moderates) has now allocated DKK 68 million to French and German language programmes, to be distributed among the country’s universities that offer the programmes.
Language programmes at the country's universities have experienced declining application numbers and enrolment for years. From 2011 to 2025, enrolment in general language subjects fell from approximately 1,900 to approximately 1,000, according to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. This corresponds to a decrease of 47 per cent. In German and French programmes, enrolment has fallen by approximately 60 per cent over the same period. Meanwhile, overall enrolment in higher education degree programmes has increased by five per cent.
DKK 20 million will be allocated to German and French in 2026, followed by annual grants of DKK 10 million in 2027, 2028, and 2029. This is included in the Finance Bill for 2026, which the government presented on 29 August. The remaining DKK 18 million will be allocated to what the ministry refers to as "quality funds for initiatives in the area of foreign languages."
This is not the first time that language subjects have received a boost worth millions. In 2021, a unanimous Danish Parliament allocated DKK 40 million to language programmes at the country's universities, which expired in 2024. In 2025, there was no financial assistance from politicians. This surprised Dean of Arts Maja Horst, who explained last year that language subjects can’t survive unless permanent measures are taken to secure their funding.
Dean of Arts questions lack of political will to continue funding for language programmes
Now, a temporary solution has been found, and even though Maja Horst would prefer a permanent solution, she is pleased that the minister has prioritised the languages that are in need.
"It’s fantastic that funding is actually coming through, and that we have this horizon (up to and including 2029, ed.)." We are in a much better position now than we were last year," Maja Horst says.
"But of course I would like to see a permanent increase, as language programmes require a lot of resources because languages are difficult to learn," Maja Horst says.
The money can help fund new language courses
Maja Horst notes that the ministry hasn’t yet provided details on the exact allocation of the funds, and the Finance Act for next year is still awaiting approval. However, the dean expects Arts to use the money to develop the German and French programmes and make them more contemporary. As part of the Master's reform, Arts has already decided in its master plan that Spanish, German and French must be rethought in new programmes at both Bachelor's and Master's level. The new Bachelor's programmes are set to come into effect in 2027. In the plan, Arts mentions that there should be a focus on "strengthening intercultural elements, functional language training, communication, business cooperation and knowledge and use of language technology." Some of the elements are also recommended by the National Centre for Foreign Languages (NCFF).
"We have planned some rather ambitious changes to our language programmes, and this will help to further that process and emphasise that we can provide high-quality programmes. We are currently considering how we can achieve this, so this support and backing comes at the perfect time," Maja Horst says.
The money can probably also be used for German and French as supplementary competencies. In recent years, AU has successfully offered several foreign languages as free courses, allowing students from other programmes to learn a language alongside their studies.
“It’s important to remember that languages are not just for students who choose a full language programme. When we offer German and French as supplementary competencies, it’s something that all disciplines at AU can benefit from – from engineers and computer scientists to medical students,” Maja Horst says.
The dean has been invited to a meeting at the ministry regarding the multi-million boost.
The problem wont be solved by 2029
According to Maja Horst, targeted work on language training should be carried out with a longer time horizon. Ideally, a ten-year horizon, because the major problem for foreign language programmes lies all the way back in primary and lower secondary school. The universities depend on more young people having the necessary qualifications to enrol in the university language programs, as well as the desire to do so.
"Unfortunately, I don't think we can expect the problem to be solved by 2029, because there will still be food chain issues. "But now we can take action over the next few years, using this opportunity to develop the programs," the dean says.
"A combination of things is needed. For example, the NCFF has pointed out that we need to place greater emphasis on functional grammar in language teaching – ensuring that students have the opportunity to practise and use the language actively. There are good tips on how we can develop the programmes," she says.
60 per cent decrease in enrolment
The trend of declining enrolment in language programmes continued again this year at AU. French, for example, offered places to only four applicants, which is 11 fewer than last summer.
In addition to the decline in enrolment in language subjects, there are also fewer educational institutions offering German and French courses today than there were 20 years ago.
In connection with the launch of the multi-million boost (in Danish) to German and French programmes, Christina Egelund stated that it’s not "sustainable that we only speak English together if we want to be a cultured society".
"Especially given the current state of the world, it’s important that we are able to communicate, understand each other and interact with each other across borders and cultures. I would even go so far as to say that language skills are part of our European identity. That’s why we will allocate funds for a significant, multi-year investment that can strengthen German and French language education and highlight the importance of foreign languages," the minister said.
This text is machine translated and post-edited by Cecillia Jensen