TCC joins exchange program with Danish College
The global business students visited each of TCC’s four campuses, immersing themselves in business and economics classes while experiencing student life. Each of the students stayed with a volunteer host family from the college.
A cohort of TCC students will visit Tradium next fall. Based in Randers, Denmark, Tradium is one of the largest combined technical and business colleges in the country.
“Our exchange program with Tradium College brings diversity and inclusion to our students on a practical level and to a place where students learn to apply business practices in a real world setting,” said Jeanne Natali, director of TCC’s Office for Intercultural Learning. “Our students can learn about globalization in a classroom, but this program brings students from Tradium and TCC together to explore global business concepts as part of their undergraduate education.”
The visiting students were Frederick Damborg, Kristian Jakobsen, Emma Kramme, Frederik Lauridsen, Melissa Ellermann, Mikkel Moller, Jacob Mork and Martin Sojberg.
Danish Exchange Students Visit TCC
In addition to visits to the Oceanfront, Jamestown and Williamsburg, the students toured Norfolk-based Maersk Line, Limited, which provides U.S. flag transportation, ship management and maritime technical services to government and commercial customers. They also took part in a project related to the Port of Virginia.
Bill Conner, assistant professor of business on the Portsmouth Campus, was the faculty liaison for the students.
“The Danish students who visited us conducted themselves with the utmost respect for everyone at TCC,” he said. “They also burned with a passion for exploring every detail about us. Although there were many great moments during the visit, I was particularly moved by a pick-up soccer game that took place on the Portsmouth Campus. About 10 students were playing — six Americans and four Danes. The Americans represented a great cross section of ethnicities as is common on any TCC campus.
“So there they were: 10 students representing two countries and four or five ethnicities. The game was passionate, well-played and clean. That’s what we should promote every time we go to Denmark and every time we bring Danish students here: an intense, respectful exchange of educational, cultural and personal ideas. All within the context of personal responsibility and the mutual respect that comes with that.”
Many of the students were impressed by the sheer size of TCC, its diversity and student centers. They also delighted in a Saturday afternoon Old Dominion University football game at Foreman Field.
“There is nothing like that in Denmark,” Damborg noted.