The world’s most human university with meaningfulness on the curriculum list
Esbjerg wants to create the world’s most human university with a central focus on education, human development and a high degree of belonging.
Voluntas and the star architect company Bjarke Ingels group are supporting the project.
Based on Morten Albæks philosophy of a meaningful life, the students must embark on an educational journey based on becoming self-realized people who master their encounters with life’s coincidences, opportunities, and challenges.
%
have sought a doctor or been on sick leave from education due to stress
More and more students suffer from loneliness, stress and unhappiness and therefore our main idea is to embrace existential aspects of learning at least as much as the academic ones. All learning starts with self-understanding and insight into who you are and want to become, as well as what you can and cannot do. We therefore want to educate people for life skills through a culture that stimulates self-insight and self-respect and thus the foundation for a healthy and meaningful life
Morten Albæk
Founder and CEO
%
Only feel good enough if they get top grades in their education
Education Esbjerg will open its doors in 2026 for around 2,500 students
Esbjerg Municipality and the largest companies in Esbjerg stand behind Education Esbjerg such as Blue Water Shipping, Microsoft, Mærsk, Deloitte and Ascanius.
Through a master’s course, the students must be linked to the companies, in order to build a bridge between theory and practice, students will be linked to companies throughout their masters course
.
Education Esbjerg is created and run through the university’s three virtues:
Master teaching
We believe in core expertise, digital frameworks, mentoring schemes with the business world and translation of academic knowledge into practical knowledge and application.
Affiliation
We believe in togetherness and well-being through cooperation, friendships and unforgettable moments.
Self respect
We believe in fostering self-knowledge and self-respect and realizing human potential.
Sense of belonging
The project focuses on increased cooperation between universities, companies and academia.
Education Esbjerg combines academic knowledge and applied experience with training in self-understanding and healthy social relationships. This combined curriculum will breed well-being, self-respect, and lifelong learning.
Dean of Meaning and Belonging
Convert knowledge and data about students into meaningful initiatives and optimizations
Self-Awareness Groups
Creation of greater self-insight and self-knowledge through conversations with fellow students about existential topics
Coaching & Learning in life mastering
Lecturers and graduate students are offered a free coaching education, where they share their own insights and experiences with bachelor students via individual coaching sessions
Belonging Events
Build Denmark’s strongest student communities in collaboration with cultural and sports associations
Systematic measurement of meaningfulness
Ongoing measurement of the drivers of students’ sense of meaning – from the day they first enter to their graduation. The measurements of meaing provide continuous insight into the direction for the further development of the framework for the students’ everyday life
THE LOCAL AREA AND STUDENTS
8 out of 10 of the country’s students in higher education feel stressed – and close to half feel lonely[1].
In Southwest Jutland, 19 out of 20 young people leave the region when they have to start a master’s degree – and only 1 out of 7 return three years after completing their education[2].
If the number of highly educated people in Southwest Jutland is raised to the national average in 2030, estimates indicate that if the number of highly educatied people in Southwest Jutland is raised to the national average by 2030, the region would see 800 new jobs and an additional 600 billion DKK in GDP (2018 level)[3] 3) strengthening of public finances by over DKK 200 billion DKK (2018 level) [4].
[1] Dansk Magisterforening, Stress blandt studerende, 2020
[2] Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut, Et nyt perspektiv på trivsel: Studierelaterede følelser på de videregående uddannelser, 2019
[3][4] Højbjerre Brauer Schultz, Samfundsøkonomiske konsekvenser af uddannelsesniveauet i Sydvestjylland, 2020
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