The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...
in
Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, after
Uppsala University
Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
Initially fou ...
.
The University of Copenhagen consists of six different
faculties, with teaching taking place in its four distinct campuses, all situated in Copenhagen.
The university operates 36 different departments and 122 separate
research centres in Copenhagen, as well as a number of museums and
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
s in and outside the Danish capital. The University of Copenhagen also owns and operates multiple
research station
Research stations are facilities where scientific investigation, Data collection, collection, analysis and experimentation occurs. A research station is a facility that is built for the purpose of conducting scientific research. There are also man ...
s around Denmark, with two additional ones located in
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
. Additionally,
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the public hospitals of the
Capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
and
Zealand Region of Denmark constitute the conglomerate
Copenhagen University Hospital
Copenhagen University Hospital is a conglomerate of several hospitals in Region Hovedstaden and Region Sjælland in Denmark, together with the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences a ...
.
As of October 2022, 10 Nobel laureates and 1 Turing Award laureate have been affiliated with the University of Copenhagen as students, alumni or faculty. Alumni include one
president of the United Nations General Assembly
The president of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a yearly basis. The president is the chair and presiding officer of the General Assembly.
Election
...
and at least 24
prime ministers of Denmark.
History
The University of Copenhagen was founded on 1 June 1479 and is the oldest
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
in Denmark. In 1475,
Christian I of Denmark
Christian I ''(Christiern I)'' (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a German noble and Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1448–1481), King of Norway, Norway (1450–1481) and King of Sweden, Sweden (1457 ...
received a papal bull from
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
with permission to establish a university in Denmark. The bull was issued on 19 June 1475 as a result of the visit to Rome by Christian I's wife,
Dorothea of Brandenburg,
Queen of Denmark
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alrea ...
.
On 4 October 1478 Christian I of Denmark issued a
royal decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...
by which he officially established the University of Copenhagen. In this decree, Christian I set down the rules and laws governing the university. The royal decree elected
magistar Peder Albertsen as
vice chancellor
A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...
of the university, and the task was his to employ various learned
scholar
A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...
s at the new university and thereby establish its first four
faculties:
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
,
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
. The royal decree made the University of Copenhagen enjoy
royal patronage from its very beginning. Furthermore, the university was explicitly established as an
autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be defi ...
institution, giving it a great degree of juridical freedom. As such, the University of Copenhagen was to be administered without royal interference, and it was not subject to the usual laws governing the
Danish people
Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural.
History
Early history
Denmark ...
.
[
The University of Copenhagen was dissolved in about 1531 as a result of the spread of Protestantism. It was re-established in 1537 by King Christian III after the ]Lutheran Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
. The king charged Johannes Bugenhagen, who came from Wittenberg to Copenhagen to take up a chair of theology, with the drawing up of a new University Charter. The resulting Charter was issued in 1539. Between 1675 and 1788, the university introduced the concept of degree examinations. An examination for theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
was added in 1675, followed by law in 1736. By 1788, all faculties required an examination before they would issue a degree.
In 1807, most of the university's buildings were heavily damaged during the British bombardment of Copenhagen. By 1836, however, the new main building of the university was inaugurated amid extensive building that continued until the end of the century. The University Library
An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...
(now a part of the Royal Library), the Zoological Museum, the Geological Museum
The Geological Museum (originally the Museum of Economic Geology then the Museum of Practical Geology) was a museum of geology in London. It started in 1835, making it one of the oldest public single science collections in the world. It transfe ...
, the Botanic Garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
with greenhouse
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...
s, and the Technical College were also established during this period.
Between 1842 and 1850, the faculties at the university were restructured. Starting in 1842, the University Faculty of Medicine and the Academy of Surgeons merged to form the Faculty of Medical Science, while in 1848 the Faculty of Law was reorganised and became the Faculty of Jurisprudence and Political Science. In 1850, the Faculty of Mathematics and Science was separated from the Faculty of Philosophy
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
. In 1845 and 1862 Copenhagen co-hosted Nordic student meetings with Lund University
Lund University () is a Public university, public research university in Sweden and one of Northern Europe's oldest universities. The university is located in the city of Lund in the Swedish province of Scania. The university was officially foun ...
.
The first female student was enrolled at the university in 1877. The university underwent explosive growth between 1960 and 1980. The number of students rose from around 6,000 in 1960 to about 26,000 in 1980, with a correspondingly large growth in the number of employees. Buildings built during this time period include the new Zoological Museum, the Hans Christian Ørsted
Hans Christian Ørsted (; 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851), sometimes Transliteration, transliterated as Oersted ( ), was a Danish chemist and physicist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields. This phenomenon is known as ...
and August Krogh Institutes, the campus centre on Amager Island, and the Panum Institute.
The new university statute instituted in 1970 involved democratisation
Democratization, or democratisation, is the structural government transition from an authoritarian government to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction.
Whether and to what ...
of the management of the university. It was modified in 1973 and subsequently applied to all higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
institutions in Denmark. The democratisation was later reversed with the 2003 university reforms. Further change in the structure of the university from 1990 to 1993 made a Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
programme mandatory in virtually all subjects.
Also in 1993, the law departments broke off from the Faculty of Social Sciences to form a separate Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
. In 1994, the University of Copenhagen designated environmental studies
Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human behavior, human interaction with the Natural environment, environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sci ...
, north–south relations, and biotechnology
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
as areas of special priority according to its new long-term plan. Starting in 1996 and continuing to the present, the university planned new buildings, including for the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Humanities at Amager
Amager ( ), located in the Øresund, is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 216,000 inhabitants (January 2022). The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (including Kalvebod Fælled) makes up more than one-third of the ...
(Ørestaden), along with a Biotechnology Centre. By 1999, the student population had grown to exceed 35,000, resulting in the university appointing additional professors and other personnel.
In 2003, the revised Danish university law removed faculty, staff and students from the university decision process, creating a top-down control structure that has been described as absolute monarchy, since leaders are granted extensive powers while being appointed exclusively by higher levels in the organization.
In 2005, the Center for Health and Society (Center for Sundhed og Samfund – CSS) opened in central Copenhagen, housing the Faculty of Social Sciences and Institute of Public Health, which until then had been located in various places throughout the city. In May 2006, the university announced further plans to leave many of its old buildings in the inner city of Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, an area that has been home to the university for more than 500 years. The purpose of this has been to gather the university's many departments and faculties on three larger campuses in order to create a bigger, more concentrated and modern student environment with better teaching facilities, as well as to save money on rent and maintenance of the old buildings. The concentration of facilities on larger campuses also allows for more inter-disciplinary cooperation; for example, the Departments of Political Science and Sociology are now located in the same facilities at CSS and can pool resources more easily.
In January 2007, the University of Copenhagen merged with the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University and the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Science. The two universities were converted into faculties under the University of Copenhagen, and were renamed as the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In January 2012, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the veterinary third of the Faculty of Life Sciences merged with the Faculty of Health Sciences forming the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences – and the other two thirds of the Faculty of Life Sciences were merged into the Faculty of Science.
Campuses
The university has four main campus areas that are located in the Capital Region (three in Copenhagen and one in Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...
):
* North Campus – home to most of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
* City Campus – home to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Central Administration as well as parts of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Science.
* South Campus – houses the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
, the Faculty of Theology, and a small proportion of the Faculty of Science.
* Frederiksberg Campus – home to sections of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Science also use the Taastrup Campus, which is located in Taastrup
Taastrup (or Tåstrup) () is a Denmark, Danish railway town and suburb of Copenhagen – 18 km west of Copenhagen's city centre. The town forms a twin urban area with neighbouring suburb Høje Taastrup, Taastrup rising since 1859 and Høje Ta ...
on the western outskirts of Copenhagen. The Faculty of Science also has facilities in Helsingør
Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...
, Hørsholm
Hørsholm () is an urban area on the Øresund coast approximately north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers most of Hørsholm Municipality and straddles the borders neighbouring Fredensborg Municipality and Rudersdal Municipality.
Hørsholm proper ...
and Nødebo.
Organisation and administration
The university is governed by a board consisting of 11 members: 6 members recruited outside the university form the majority of the board, 2 members are appointed by the scientific staff, 1 member is appointed by the administrative staff, and 2 members are appointed by the university students. The rector, the prorector and the director of the university are appointed by the university board. The rector in turn appoints directors of the different parts of the central administration and deans of the different faculties. The deans appoint heads of 50 departments. There is no faculty senate and faculty is not involved in the appointment of rector, deans, or department heads. Hence the university has no faculty governance, although there are elected Academic Boards at faculty level who advise the deans. , the governing body manages an annual budget of about DKK 8.9 billion.[
The university is organized into six faculties and about 100 departments and research centres. The university employs about 5,600 academic staff and 4,400 technical and administrative staff. The six faculties are:
* Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
* Faculty of Humanities
* ]Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
* Faculty of Science
* Faculty of Social Sciences
* Faculty of Theology
The total number of enrolled students is about 36,500, including about 21,000 undergraduate students and 15,500 graduate students as of 2024. The university has an international graduate talent programme which provides grants for international Ph.D., students and a tenure track carrier system. It operates about fifty master's programmes taught in English, and has arranged about 150 exchange agreements with other institutions and 800 Erasmus agreements. Each year there are about 1,700 incoming exchange students, 2,000 outbound exchange students and 4,000 international degree-seeking students. About 3,000 PhD students study there each year.
University housing
Most university students stay in privately owned dormitories
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
(''kollegier'' in Danish) or apartments in Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. There are five dormitories that are partially administered by the university; however, only students who have passed at least two years of studies are considered for admission. These are normally referred to as the ''old dormitories'', and they consist of: Regensen, Elers' Kollegium
Elers' Kollegium is a student residence located in the medieval part of Copenhagen. The dormitory or society provides living quarters for 20 students from the University of Copenhagen or from the Technical University of Denmark
The Technical U ...
, Borchs Kollegium, Hassagers Kollegium, and Valkendorfs Kollegium
Valkendorfs Kollegium is a dormitory located in Sankt Peders Stræde in Copenhagen, Denmark. With a history that dates back to 1589, it is the oldest dormitory in Scandinavia.
History
The dormitory was founded on 26 February 1589 by the nobl ...
. The University of Copenhagen also offers Carlsberg Foundation researcher apartments for a duration of 6 months to 3 years for visiting research and academic research staff who affiliated with research projects funded by the Carlsberg Foundation.
The Housing Foundation Copenhagen is a separate commercial entity to the University of Copenhagen run by Chairman Erik Bisgaard Madsen and a board of directors. The Housing Foundation Copenhagen provides short-term housing exclusively for university international students ( sometimes Danish students), university staff and guest researchers. Their central office is based at South Campus. The Housing Foundation Copenhagen has received considerable criticism for the exploitation of international students for business profits and poor living conditions, and most recently the refusal of shortening contracts for many international students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seal
The university's oldest known seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, also called "true seal"
** Fur seal
** Eared seal
* Seal ( ...
dates from a 1531 letter, it depicts Saint Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
with a key and a book. In a circle around him is the text
When the university was re-established by Christian III in 1537 after the Protestant Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
, it received a new seal, showing king Christian III with crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
, sceptre
A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a Staff of office, staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of regalia, royal or imperial insignia, signifying Sovereignty, sovereign authority.
Antiquity
Ancient Egypt and M ...
, and globus cruciger
The for, la, globus cruciger, cross-bearing orb, also known as ''stavroforos sphaira'' () or "the orb and cross", is an Sphere, orb surmounted by a Christian cross, cross. It has been a Christian Church, Christian symbol of authority since the M ...
above a crowned coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
vertically divided between halved versions of the coat of arms of Denmark
The coat of arms of Denmark () has a lesser and a greater version.
The state coat of arms () consists of three pale blue lion (heraldry), lions attitude (heraldry)#Passant, passant wearing crown (heraldic charge), crowns, accompanied by nine re ...
(to the viewer's left, ''dexter
Dexter may refer to:
People
* Dexter (given name)
* Dexter (surname)
* Dexter (singer), Brazilian rapper Marcos Fernandes de Omena (born 1973)
* Famous Dex, also known as Dexter, American rapper Dexter Tiewon Gore Jr. (born 1993)
Places United ...
'') and the coat of arms of Norway
The coat of arms of Norway is the arms of dominion of King Harald V of Norway, and as such represents both the monarch and the Norway, kingdom (nation and the state). It depicts a standing Or (heraldry), golden lion (heraldry), lion on a Gules, r ...
(to the viever's right, '' sinister''). The text is
The 1537 seal is very similar to the current seal, which was made in 2000 and is shown at the top of this page. The text is different and the crowned shield shows the coat of arms of Denmark (as has been the case since 1820, when the heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
reference to Norway was removed). The text is
In addition to the university seal, each of the university's six faculties carry seals of their own.
International reputation
The 2021 CWTS Leiden Ranking ranked the University of Copenhagen as the best university in Denmark and best in Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
, fourth in Europe (after Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, UCL and Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
) and 27th in the world.
The 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities
The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi ...
published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is a public university in Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 98 ...
ranked the University of Copenhagen as the best university in Denmark and Scandinavia, 7th in Europe and 30th in the world. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...
for 2021, the University of Copenhagen was ranked first in Denmark and 84th in the world. In the 2021 QS World University Rankings
The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...
list, the University of Copenhagen was ranked first in Denmark and 76th in the world. In the 2021 U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings list, the University of Copenhagen was ranked first in Denmark and 34th in the world.
Cooperative agreements with other universities
The university cooperates with universities around the world. In January 2006, the University of Copenhagen entered into a partnership of ten top universities, along with the: Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
, ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich (; ) is a public university in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 1854 with the stated mission to educate engineers and scientists, the university focuses primarily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. ETH Zurich ra ...
, National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
, Peking University
Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
, University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
, University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...
and Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. The partnership is referred to as the International Alliance of Research Universities
The International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) was launched on 14 January 2006 as a co-operative network of 10 leading, international research-intensive universities who share similar visions for higher education, in particular the edu ...
(IARU).
The Department of Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics at University of Copenhagen signed a cooperation agreement with the Danish Royal School of Library and Information Science
The Royal School of Library and Information Science (abbr. RSLIS, ) is a school under the University of Copenhagen that provides higher education in the field of library and information science. It has now merged with another department to Departm ...
in 2009.
The university hosts the annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery conference in cooperation with Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
.
The University of Copenhagen is an active member of the University of the Arctic
The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arcti ...
. UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region.
List of rectors
:Henrik Caspar Wegener (2017–present). He is the 259th rector.
List of directors of the Royal Academy Schools
Notable alumni
Over the course of its history, a sizeable number of University of Copenhagen alumni have become notable in their fields, both academic, and in the wider world.
* Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe ( ; ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, ; 14 December 154624 October 1601), generally called Tycho for short, was a Danish astronomer of the Renaissance, known for his comprehensive and unprecedentedly accurate astronomical observations. He ...
(1546–1601), Danish astronomer, first scientific documentation of supernova
A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
s, mentor of Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best know ...
* Thomas Fincke (1561–1656), Danish mathematician and physicist
* Caspar Bartholin (1585–1629), professor in medicine and theology. Author of textbooks on anatomy and the discoverer of the workings of the olfactory nerve
The olfactory nerve, also known as the first cranial nerve, cranial nerve I, or simply CN I, is a cranial nerve that contains sensory nerve fibers relating to the sense of smell.
The afferent nerve fibers of the olfactory receptor neurons t ...
.
* Olaus Wormius (1588–1655), Danish physician and antiquarian
* Thomas Bartholin
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
(1616–1680), discoverer of the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphoid organs, lympha ...
* Rasmus Bartholin (1625–1698), professor in geometry and medicine. He discovered birefringence
Birefringence, also called double refraction, is the optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light. These optically anisotropic materials are described as birefrin ...
, but was unable to give a scientific explanation.
* Thomas Hansen Kingo (1634–1703), Danish bishop and poet
* Nicholas Steno
Niels Steensen (; Latinization (literature), Latinized to Nicolas Steno or Nicolaus Stenonius; 1 January 1638 – 25 November 1686 ) was a Danish people, Danish scientist, a pioneer in both anatomy and geology who became a Catholic Church, ...
(1638–1696), a pioneer in anatomy and geology
* Ole Rømer
Ole Christensen Rømer (; 25 September 1644 – 19 September 1710) was a Danes, Danish astronomer who, in 1676, first demonstrated that light travels at a finite speed. Rømer also invented the modern thermometer showing the temperature between ...
(1644–1710), Danish astronomer. He made the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted , is a universal physical constant exactly equal to ). It is exact because, by international agreement, a metre is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time i ...
.
* Peder Horrebow (1679–1764), Danish astronomer and member of Académie des Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
* Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Denmark–Norway, Dano–Norwegian dual monarchy. He was infl ...
(1684–1754), Danish-Norwegian writer and playwright
* Christian Jacob Protten (1715–1769), Euro-African Moravian missionary pioneer, linguist, translator and educationalist-administrator
* Morten Thrane Brunnich (1737–1827), Danish zoologist
* Caspar Wessel (1745–1818), mathematician
* Martin Vahl
Martin Henrichsen Vahl (10 October 1749 – 24 December 1804) was a Denmark-Norway, Danish-Norwegian botanist, herbalist and zoologist.
Biography
Martin Vahl was born in Bergen, Norway and attended Bergen Cathedral School. He studied botany at ...
(1749–1804), Danish-Norwegian botanist and zoologist
* Hans Christian Ørsted
Hans Christian Ørsted (; 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851), sometimes Transliteration, transliterated as Oersted ( ), was a Danish chemist and physicist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields. This phenomenon is known as ...
(1777–1851), Danish physicist and chemist. He discovered electromagnetism
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interacti ...
.
* Anders Sandøe Ørsted (1778–1860), Danish lawyer and prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(1853–1854)
* Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger (1779–1850), poet, author of lyrics of the Danish national anthem ''Der er et yndigt land
"" (; ) is one of the two national anthems of Denmark—the other being the royal anthem "Kong Christian stod ved højen mast".
History
The lyrics were written in 1819 by Adam Oehlenschläger and bore the motto in (Horace: "This corner of the ...
''
* N. F. S. Grundtvig (1783–1872), Danish writer, poet, philosopher and priest
* Christopher Hansteen (1784–1873), Norwegian astronomer and physicist
* Johan Ludvig Heiberg (1791–1860), Danish poet and critic
* Magnús Eiríksson (1806–1881), Icelandic theologian
* Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , ; ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danes, Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical tex ...
(1813–1855), Danish theologian and philosopher, the father of existentialism
Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...
* Anders Sandøe Ørsted (1816–1872), professor of botany (1851–1862)
* Hinrich Johannes Rink (1819–1893), Danish geologist, and founder of the first Greenlandic language
Greenlandic, also known by its Endonym and exonym, endonym Kalaallisut (, ), is an Inuit languages, Inuit language belonging to the Eskaleut languages#Internal classification, Eskimoan branch of the Eskaleut languages, Eskaleut language family. ...
newspaper
* Peter Ludvig Panum
Peter Ludvig Panum (19 December 1820 – 2 May 1885) was a Danish physiologist and pathologist born on the island of Bornholm in Rønne. He founded studies in exercise physiology at the University of Copenhagen. The Panum Institute in Copenh ...
(1820–1885), Danish physiologist and pathologist; the Panum Building in Copenhagen is named in his honor.
* Hans Schjellerup
Hans Carl Frederik Christian Schjellerup (8 February 1827 – 13 November 1887) was a Danish astronomer.
He was born at Odense, the son of a jeweller. Initially he was apprenticed as a watch maker, but in 1848 he passed the entrance exam for th ...
(1827–1887), Danish astronomer
* Carl Lange (1834–1900), Danish physician
* Thorvald N. Thiele (1838–1910), Danish astronomer, actuary and mathematician
* Julius Petersen
Julius Peter Christian Petersen (16 June 1839 in Sorø, West Zealand – 5 August 1910 in Copenhagen) was a Denmark, Danish mathematician. His contributions to the field of mathematics led to the birth of graph theory.
Biography
Petersen's in ...
(1839–1910), Danish mathematician
* Eugenius Warming
Johannes Eugenius Bülow Warming (3 November 1841 – 2 April 1924), known as Eugen Warming, was a Danish botanist and a main founding figure of the scientific discipline of ecology. Warming wrote the first textbook (1895) on plant ecology, ta ...
(1841–1924), Danish botanist and founding figure of ecology
* Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes (4 February 1842 – 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind ...
(1842–1927), Danish writer and critic
* Vilhelm Thomsen
Vilhelm Ludwig Peter Thomsen (25 January 1842 – 12 May 1927) was a Denmark, Danish linguistics, linguist and Turkologist. He successfully deciphered the Turkic Orkhon inscriptions which were discovered during the expedition of Nikolai Yadrintse ...
(1842–1927), Danish linguist
* Harald Høffding
Harald Høffding (11 March 1843 – 2 July 1931) was a Danish philosopher and theologian.
Life
Born Høffding was born in Copenhagen, the son of businessman Niels Frederik Høffding and Martha Høffding (née Jhellerup). The family lived at the ...
(1843–1931), Danish philosopher, theologian and psychologist
* Herman Trier (1845–1925), Danish educator and politician
* Hans Christian Gram
Hans Christian Joachim Gram (13 September 1853 – 14 November 1938) was a Danish bacteriologist noted for his development of the Gram stain, still a standard technique to classify bacteria and make them more visible under a microscope.
Earl ...
(1853–1938), Danish bacteriologist, inventor of Gram staining
Gram stain (Gram staining or Gram's method), is a method of staining used to classify bacterial species into two large groups: gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. It may also be used to diagnose a fungal infection. The name comes ...
* Christian Bohr (1855–1911), Danish physician, who described Bohr effect
The Bohr effect is a phenomenon first described in 1904 by the Danish physiologist Christian Bohr. Hemoglobin's oxygen binding affinity (see oxygen–haemoglobin dissociation curve) is inversely related both to acidity and to the concentration of ...
* Wilhelm Johannsen
Wilhelm Johannsen (3 February 1857 – 11 November 1927) was a Danish pharmacist, botanist, plant physiologist, and geneticist. He is best known for coining the terms gene, phenotype and genotype, and for his 1903 "pure line" experiments in ...
(1857–1927), Danish botanist. He first coined the word ''gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
'' in its modern usage.
* Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860–1904), Nobel laureate in medicine (1903)
* Otto Jespersen
Jens Otto Harry Jespersen (; 16 July 1860 – 30 April 1943) was a Danish linguist who worked in foreign-language pedagogy, historical phonetics, and other areas, but is best known for his description of the grammar of the English language. Ste ...
(1860–1943), Danish linguist, co-founder of the International Phonetic Association
The International Phonetic Association (IPA; , API) is an organization that promotes the scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science. The IPA's major contribution to phonetics is the International Phoneti ...
* Kirstine Meyer (1861–1941), Danish physicist
* Hannes Hafstein (1861–1922), Icelandic politician and poet
* Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger (1867–1928), Nobel laureate in medicine (1926)
* Holger Pedersen (1867–1953), Danish linguist
* Agner Krarup Erlang
Agner Krarup Erlang (1 January 1878 – 3 February 1929) was a Danish mathematician, statistician and engineer, who invented the fields of traffic engineering and queueing theory.
Erlang's 1909 paper, and subsequent papers over the decades, a ...
(1878–1929), creator of the field of telephone networks analysis
* S. P. L. Sørensen
Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen (9 January 1868 – 12 February 1939) was a Denmark, Danish chemist, known for the introduction of the concept of pH, a scale for measuring acidity and Base (chemistry), alkalinity.
Personal life
Sørensen wa ...
(1868–1939), Danish chemist, who introduced the concept of pH
* Martin Knudsen (1871–1949), Danish physicist
* August Krogh
Schack August Steenberg Krogh (15 November 1874 – 13 September 1949) was a Danish professor at the department of zoophysiology at the University of Copenhagen from 1916 to 1945. He contributed a number of fundamental discoveries within seve ...
(1874–1949), Nobel laureate in medicine (1920)
* Holger Scheuermann (1877–1960), Danish surgeon after whom Scheuermann's disease
Scheuermann's disease is a skeletal disorder. It describes a condition where the vertebrae grow unevenly with respect to the sagittal plane; that is, the posterior angle is often greater than the anterior. This uneven growth results in the sig ...
is named
* Kirstine Smith
Kirstine Smith (April 12, 1878 – November 11, 1939) was a Danish statistician. She is credited with the creation of the field of optimal design of experiments.
Background
Smith grew up in the town of Nykøbing Mors, Denmark. In 1903, she gr ...
(1878–1939), Danish statistician credited with creation of optimal design
In the design of experiments, optimal experimental designs (or optimum designs) are a class of experimental designs that are optimal with respect to some statistical criterion. The creation of this field of statistics has been credited to D ...
of experiments
* Benjamin Christensen (1879–1959), Danish film director, screenwriter and actor
*
Ingeborg Hammer-Jensen (1880–1955), classical scholar and philologist
* Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr (, ; ; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and old quantum theory, quantum theory, for which he received the No ...
(1885–1962). He contributed to development of the atomic model and quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
. Director at the university's Institute of Theoretical Physics. Nobel laureate in physics (1922).
* Øjvind Winge (1886–1964), Danish biologist
* Harald Bohr
Harald August Bohr (22 April 1887 – 22 January 1951) was a Danish mathematician and footballer. After receiving his doctorate in 1910, Bohr became an eminent mathematician, founding the field of almost periodic functions. His brother was the ...
(1887–1951), Danish Olympic silver medalist football player and mathematician; brother of Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr (, ; ; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and old quantum theory, quantum theory, for which he received the No ...
* Inge Lehmann (1888–1993), Danish seismologist discovering the Earth's inner core
Earth's inner core is the innermost geologic layer of the planet Earth. It is primarily a solid ball with a radius of about , which is about 20% of Earth's radius or 70% of the Moon's radius.
There are no samples of the core accessible for d ...
* Jakob Nielsen (1890–1959), Danish mathematician
* Julie Vinter Hansen (1890–1960), Danish astronomer
* Carl Vaernet (1893–1965), Danish medical doctor
* Oskar Klein
Oskar Benjamin Klein (; 15 September 1894 – 5 February 1977) was a Swedish theoretical physics, theoretical physicist.
Oskar Klein is known for his work on Kaluza–Klein theory, which is partially named after him.
Biography
Klein was born ...
(1894–1977), Swedish theoretical physicist
* Henrik Dam
Carl Peter Henrik Dam (21 February 1895 – 17 April 1976) was a Danish biochemist and physiologist.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1943 for joint work with Edward Doisy in discovering vitamin K and its role in human physiolo ...
(1895–1976), Nobel laureate in medicine (1943)
* Sir Ove Arup (1896–1988), Anglo-Danish structural engineer
* Alf Ross (1899–1979), Danish legal philosopher
* Louis Hjelmslev
Louis Trolle Hjelmslev (; 3 October 189930 May 1965) was a Danish linguist whose ideas formed the basis of the Copenhagen School of linguistics. Born into an academic family (his father was the mathematician Johannes Hjelmslev), Hjelmslev studi ...
(1899–1965), Danish linguist, founder of Copenhagen School
* Anton Frederik Bruun (1901–1961), Danish oceanographer
* Georg Rasch
Georg William Rasch () (21 September 1901 – 19 October 1980) was a Danish mathematician, statistician, and psychometrician, most famous for the development of a class of measurement models known as Rasch models. He studied with R.A. Fisher an ...
(1901–1980), Danish mathematician, statistician and psychometrician
* Knud Ejler Løgstrup (1905–1981), Danish philosopher and theologian. Pastor at Sandager-Holevad 1936–1943. Professor at University of Aarhus 1943–1975.
* Piet Hein (1905–1996), Danish mathematician, inventor and poet
* Bengt Strömgren (1908–1987), Danish astronomer and astrophysicist
* Hilde Levi (1909–2003), German-Danish physicist
* Niels Kaj Jerne (1911–1994), Nobel laureate in medicine (1984)
* Preben von Magnus (1912–1973), Danish virologist, who gave name to the Von Magnus phenomenon
* Jens Otto Krag
Jens Otto Krag (; 15 September 1914 – 22 June 1978) was a Danish politician, who served as the prime minister of Denmark from 1962 to 1968 and again from 1971 to 1972, and as leader of the Social Democrats from 1962 to 1972. He was president of ...
(1914–1978), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(1962–1968, 1971–1972)
* Poul Hartling (1914–2000), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(1973–1975) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, l ...
(1978–1985), Nobel Peace Prize laureate on behalf of UNHCR
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...
(1981)
* Bjørn Aage Ibsen (1915–2007), Anesthetist and founder of intensive-care medicine
Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes p ...
* Poul Bjørndahl Astrup (1915–2000), Danish clinical chemist, inventor of blood gas analyzer
* Jens Christian Skou
Jens Christian Skou (; 8 October 1918 – 28 May 2018) was a Danish biochemist and Nobel laureate.
Early life
Skou was born in Lemvig, Denmark to a wealthy family. His father Magnus Martinus Skou was a timber and coal merchant. His mother Ane ...
(born 1918), Nobel laureate in chemistry (1997) for his discovery of Na+,K+-ATPase
NA, N.A., Na, nA or n/a may refer to:
Chemistry and physics
* Sodium, symbol Na, a chemical element
* Avogadro constant (''N''A)
* Nucleophilic addition, a type of reaction in organic chemistry
* Numerical aperture, a number that characterizes ...
* Hans H. Ørberg (1920–2010), linguist and scholar
* Aage Bohr (1922–2009), professor in nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...
and director of the Niels Bohr Institute
The Niels Bohr Institute () is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics, and biophysics.
Overview
The institute was foun ...
at the university. Nobel laureate in physics (1975).
* Halfdan T. Mahler (1923–2016), Director-General of World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
(1973–1988)
* Ólafía Einarsdóttir
Ólafía Einarsdóttir (28 July 1924 – 19 December 2017) was an Icelandic archaeologist and historian, specialising in Icelandic chronology. She was the first Icelander to complete a degree in archaeology. After completing her PhD from Lund Un ...
(1924–2017), first person from Iceland to earn a degree in archaeology
* Ben Roy Mottelson (1926–2022), American-born Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate in physics (1975)
* Peter Naur
Peter Naur (25 October 1928 – 3 January 2016) was a Danish computer science pioneer and 2005 Turing Award winner. He is best remembered as a contributor, with John Backus, to the Backus–Naur form (BNF) notation used in describing the syntax ...
(1928–2016), computer scientist, Turing Award
The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in the fi ...
in 2005
* Poul Schlüter (1929–2021), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(1982–1993)
* Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (born 1930), the 4th President of Iceland
The president of Iceland () is the head of state of Iceland. The incumbent is Halla Tómasdóttir, who won the 2024 Icelandic presidential election, 2024 presidential election.
The president is not involved in the running of the country, bu ...
(1980–1996)
* Ozer Schild (1930–2006), Danish-born Israeli academic, president of the University of Haifa
The University of Haifa (, ) is a public research university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963 as a branch of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation as an inde ...
and president of the College of Judea and Samaria ("Ariel College")
* Jørgen Rischel (1934–2007), Danish linguist, who analyzed Greenlandic and Mon-Khmer
The Austroasiatic languages ( ) are a large language family spoken throughout Mainland Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia. These languages are natively spoken by the majority of the population in Vietnam and Cambodia, and by minority popu ...
languages
* Per Kirkeby
Per Kirkeby (1 September 1938 – 9 May 2018) was a Danish Painting, painter, poet, film maker and sculptor. His works have been exhibited worldwide and are represented in many important public collections, including the Tate, Metropolitan Museum ...
(born 1938), Danish painter and sculptor
* Per Pinstrup-Andersen (born 1939), Danish economist, 2001 World Food Prize laureate
* Søren Johansen (born 1939), Danish econometrician
* Lasse Hessel (born 1940), inventor of female condom
A female condom (also known as an internal condom) is a barrier device that is used during sexual intercourse as a barrier contraceptive to reduce the probability of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is inserted in the vagi ...
* Anders Boserup (1940–1990), co-founder of the Danish Institute for Peace and Conflict Research and the Nordic Peace Foundation
* Aage B. Sørensen (1941–2001), Danish sociologist
* Holger Bech Nielsen (born 1941), Danish physicist, one of three creators of string theory
In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and intera ...
* Jørgen Haugan
Jørgen Haugan (born 1941) in Trondheim is a Norwegian author and lecturer. He was written a number of books, principally biographies of noted Scandinavian writers.
Haugan earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1977 from the University of Copenh ...
(born 1941), Doctorate in Philosophy (1977); Norwegian author and lecturer
* Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (born 1943), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(1993–2001)
* Claus Bjørn (1944–2005), author, historian and broadcaster
* Niels Peter Lemche
Niels Peter Lemche (born 6 September 1945) is a biblical scholar at the University of Copenhagen, whose interests include early Israel and its relationship with history, the Old Testament
The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the ...
(born 1945), biblical scholar, founder of Copenhagen School
* Mogens Lykketoft
Mogens Lykketoft (; born 9 January 1946) is a Danish politician who served as Leader of the Social Democrats (Denmark), Social Democrats (''Socialdemokraterne'') from 2002 to 2005.
He succeeded Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as party leader. After losing ...
(born 1946), Danish politician, the 70th President of the United Nations General Assembly
The president of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a yearly basis. The president is the chair and presiding officer of the General Assembly.
Election
...
(2015–2016)
* Halldór Ásgrímsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson (pronounced ; 8 September 1947 – 18 May 2015) was an Icelandic politician, who served as prime minister of Iceland from 15 September 2004 to 15 June 2006 and was the leader of the Progressive Party from 1994 to 2006.
Ed ...
(born 1947), prime minister of Iceland
The prime minister of Iceland () is head of government of the Republic of Iceland. The prime minister is appointed formally by the president of Iceland, president and exercises executive authority along with the Cabinet of Iceland, cabinet subje ...
(2004–2006)
* Ole Humlum (born 1949), Danish geologist and professor emeritus at the University of Oslo
The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...
* Uffe Haagerup
Uffe Valentin Haagerup (19 December 1949 – 5 July 2015) was a mathematician from Denmark.
Biography
Uffe Haagerup was born in Kolding, but grew up on the island of Funen, in the small town of Fåborg. The field of mathematics had his intere ...
(1949–2015), Danish mathematician
* Jesper Nygart (born 1956), Danish physician
* Peter Høeg
Peter Høeg (born 17 May 1957) is a Danish writer of fiction. He is best known for his novel ''Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'' (1992).
Early life
Høeg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before becoming a writer, he worked variously as a sailor, ...
(born 1957), Danish fiction writer. He won international acclaim with '' Smilla's Sense of Snow''.
* Morten Frost
Morten Frost Hansen (born 4 April 1958) is a badminton player and later coach, who represented Denmark. As a player, he spent twelve years in the top three of the world rankings. After his retirement in 1991, he became director of performance for ...
(born 1958), Danish world-class badminton player and coach
* Mads Tofte (born 1959), computer scientist, vice chancellor of IT University of Copenhagen
* Ole Wæver (born 1960), scholar of International Relations, one of exponents of Copenhagen School
* Steve Scully
Steven L. Scully (born September 17, 1960) is an American broadcast journalist. He is the host of "The Briefing with Steve Scully" on SiriusXM POTUS 124 and contributor to Hill.com & Senior Vice President at the Bipartisan Policy Center. In July ...
(born 1960), American host, senior producer, and political editor of the C-SPAN
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...
network's '' Washington Journal''. He studied at the University of Copenhagen as part of his master's program at Northwestern University
Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
.
* Corinna Cortes (born 1961), computer scientist
* Lars Løkke Rasmussen (born 1964), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(2009–2011, 2015–2019)
* Lars Mikkelsen (born 1964), Danish actor
* Bjørn Lomborg (born 1965), Danish economist, author of ''The Skeptical Environmentalist
''The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World'' () is a book by Danish author and statistician Bjørn Lomborg which focuses on the author's view of environmental economics and issues. It was first published in Danish in ...
''
* Helle Thorning-Schmidt (born 1966), prime minister of Denmark
The prime minister of Denmark (, , ) is the head of government in the Kingdom of Denmark comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Before the creation of the modern office, the kingdom did not init ...
(2011–2015)
* Marie-Louise Nosch (born 1970), archaeologist; Professor in the university's Saxo Institute
* Eskild Ebbesen (born 1972), Danish world-class lightweight rower
* Morten Meldal (born 1954), Nobel laureate in chemistry (2022) for his invention of Click chemistry
Click chemistry is an approach to chemical synthesis that emphasizes efficiency, simplicity, selectivity, and modularity in chemical processes used to join molecular building blocks. It includes both the development and use of "click reactions", a ...
* Arne Astrup (born 1955), nutritionist and professor
* Jennifer Kewley Draskau (died 2024), Manx historian, linguist, teacher and political candidate
See also
* Copenhagen School
* Copenhagen (play)
''Copenhagen'' is a Play (theatre), play by Michael Frayn, based on an event that occurred in Copenhagen in 1941, a meeting between the physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, who had been Bohr's student. It premiered in London in 1998, at ...
* The University of Copenhagen Symphony Orchestra
* List of Nobel laureates associated with the University of Copenhagen
* List of universities and colleges in Denmark
* List of medieval universities
The list of Medieval university, medieval universities comprises University, universities (more precisely, ''studium generale, studia generalia'') which existed in Europe during the Middle Ages.Rüegg 1992, pp. XIX–XX It also includes ...
* Open access in Denmark
References
External links
Scholars and Literati at the University of Copenhagen (1475–1800)
Repertorium Eruditorum Totius Europae – RETE
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Of Copenhagen
Education in Copenhagen
Copenhagen, University of
Copenhagen, University of
1470s in Denmark
15th-century establishments in Europe
Copenhagen, University of