Copenhagen Business School – Copenhagen, Denmark
Fall Semester 2013
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| Nyhavn |
The City & Main Attractions
Copenhagen is a
blissfully modern, clean and structured city – almost the antithesis of
laid-back Lisbon. Its collection of neighbourhoods is surprisingly diverse, as
are its dining and nightlife scenes. Sightseeing is a rather relaxed affair –
two or three days are ample to see the ‘highlights’.
Firstly there is Nyhavn, the picturesque ensemble of coloured houses lining the harbour, which you will undoubtedly see numerous times with visiting friends. It’s especially lovely in summer, when you can grab a beer and sit on a dock facing the restaurants and the whirl of tourists. Then there’s the Little Mermaid statue north of the city centre, which could be described as a little underwhelming. In terms of architectural excellence, the Royal Danish Theatre and the Black Diamond (a futuristic extension of the Royal Library) certainly outdo themselves. The latter is also a great place to study when all the library seats at CBS are booked up.
Firstly there is Nyhavn, the picturesque ensemble of coloured houses lining the harbour, which you will undoubtedly see numerous times with visiting friends. It’s especially lovely in summer, when you can grab a beer and sit on a dock facing the restaurants and the whirl of tourists. Then there’s the Little Mermaid statue north of the city centre, which could be described as a little underwhelming. In terms of architectural excellence, the Royal Danish Theatre and the Black Diamond (a futuristic extension of the Royal Library) certainly outdo themselves. The latter is also a great place to study when all the library seats at CBS are booked up.
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| The city centre |
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| Tivoli with its Christmas lights |
Unlike Southern European cities, Copenhagen seems to
come alive as winter approaches, with the relatively austere city transformed
by twinkling Christmas lights. Taking this one step further is Tivoli Gardens,
a theme park whose elaborate Christmas decorations turn it into a veritable
winter wonderland, although it is worth a visit at anytime of the year. After a
trip to the famed Carlsberg factory, there is also the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.
It’s an art museum that’s free on a Sunday - and probably not worth paying for
any other day - but it does have an exciting assortment of Egyptian artifacts.
Last but not
least is Christiania, an autonomous community on the island of Christianshavn,
notorious for allowing the sale of marijuana. Despite its slightly seedy
reputation, Christiania boosts a beautiful walkway around the lake, with the
locals’ eccentric houses providing an extra element of curiosity. Keep an eye
out for Christiania’s festivals; as this is one anarchist community that
certainly knows how to throw a party.
For a day trip,
it is worth taking the train to the internationally acclaimed Louisiana Museum
of Modern Art, situated roughly an hour’s train ride north of the city. Perched
on a hillside overlooking the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden, the
location alone makes for an interesting visit. It’s worthwhile checking which
artists are currently exhibiting, as well as purchasing a return train ticket
plus entry (for a discounted price) from the Copenhagen central station (København
H).
The University
& The Courses
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| Solbjerg Plads |
Copenhagen Business School (CBS), with its 18,000
students, is one of the largest business schools in Europe. The university is
located in Frederiksberg, close to the center of Copenhagen and the courses
take place in 4 different buildings.
The university is very modern and offers various
study rooms which can be booked online in advance. Also the library (situated in
the building Solbjerg Plads) is huge and is spread over 3 floors. Individual
study seats can be found in any of the 4 buildings and also have to be booked
online. Yet, usually it is still possible to find an empty seat when you arrive
early in the day.
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| Solbjerg Plads |
The international office of CBS is very helpful and
offers a buddy program. Moreover, the CEMS club was very active during our
semester and organized lots of nice activities such as a Running dinner, Wine
tasting or a Christmas gala.
The semester starts at the beginning of September and
usually lasts until mid December. Yet, some exams might also take place in
January, therefore it is advisable to check out the exam dates when choosing
the courses.
The courses at CBS are very academic and research
oriented. CBS only offers courses which are worth 7,5 ECTS. Yet some of the
courses might only last for half of the semester. In all of the courses you are
expected to read a huge amount of academic papers throughout the semester. It
is up to the student if and when to read the papers. In our courses we formed a
group of students where every student summarized one paper which didn’t make it
necessary to read every paper in detail. However, reading the papers is usually
required for exams or you have to relate to them when writing a paper. Finally,
the workload at CBS is in general much less compared to Nova.
During our semester we took the following courses:
Global Strategic
Management (CEMS obligatory) (7,5 ECTS):
We had to do a group presentation without receiving a
grade for it. At the end of the course we had a 72 hours case exam. An
interesting course where you learn a lot but the grade average was very low
with a C.
Pharmaceutical
Marketing Management (7,5 ECTS)
We can highly recommend this course for anyone that
is interested in working in the pharmaceutical industry. You will be working on
a group project, in our case a launch plan for a new drug. You are required to
hand in a paper, followed by an oral exam where questions are asked about the
project and about the material of the whole course.
Neuromarketing
(7,5 ECTS):
Also a very interesting course. The grading is only
based on a 15 pages individual assignment that you write at the end of the
course (no exam!).
Online
Marketing (7,5 ECTS):
We were very disappointed about the course since the
content was very theoretical and not up to date at all. We had to hand in a
paper about a group project and had an oral exam at the end of the course.
In every course we received weekly about 2-6 academic
papers which we had to read + chapters in the corresponding books. In general
it is up to the student to attend the classes and participation is usually not
part of the grade.
Here is also a list of the courses that were offered
in our semester. Each course is worth 7,5 ECTS:
1) Introduction to System Dynamics
2) Competing on Social Networks
3) Financial Models in Excel
4) International Logistics Management
5) Process Management
6) Pharmaceutical Marketing Management
7) Strategy Problem Solving in Management Consulting
8) Flash of Genius
9) Social Entrepreneurship
10) Neuromarketing
11) From Good Idea to Venture: How high potential
start-up companies overcome strategic issues
12) International negotiations
13) Financial Markets and Instruments
14) International Financial Markets
15) Theory of the Firm
16) Business Analytics (course open only to CEMS
students)
It is also possible to choose one course which is not
in the list of the CEMS courses (in our case the Online Marketing course) or to
take the CEMS research project.
The grading system at CBS differs from Nova.
Generally, an A is quite difficult to get and a C is still regarded as a very
good grade.
The Block Seminar:
Corporate Social Responsibility
For the block seminar we already had to read in
advance a huge compendium of academic papers. The seminar itself consisted of a
mix of lectures, group work, presentations and guest speakers. In general we
received a good and broad overview of Corporate Social Responsibility. At the
end of the week we had a 24 hours exam with about 10 pages to write.
This was our course schedule for the week:
Accommodation
Competition for apartments is fierce; so start
searching as soon as you know you’re headed for Copenhagen. We discovered our
apartment through boligportal.dk, and also found the ‘Housing in Copenhagen’
Facebook page to be useful. Yet finding a place in Copenhagen, akin to finding
a job, is all about whom you know. If you have any contacts, let them know
you’re coming and hopefully they can keep an ear to ground and inform you of
any apartments that will soon be available. Most places are filled before even
making it to any kind of advertisement.
Although generally most people take what they can get, certain areas are hotly in demand. Nørrebro is the up and coming hipster neighborhood, jam packed with cafes, bars, a cemetery that the locals happily use as a park and a couple of clubs – it’s a cosy atmosphere. Vesterbro and Frederiksberg are upmarket neighborhoods close to Uni that also have an array of shops, bars and cafes – plus you’ll be thankful you don’t have to bike as far when the temperatures start to drop.
Although generally most people take what they can get, certain areas are hotly in demand. Nørrebro is the up and coming hipster neighborhood, jam packed with cafes, bars, a cemetery that the locals happily use as a park and a couple of clubs – it’s a cosy atmosphere. Vesterbro and Frederiksberg are upmarket neighborhoods close to Uni that also have an array of shops, bars and cafes – plus you’ll be thankful you don’t have to bike as far when the temperatures start to drop.
Roughly a third of the CEMSies lived in Halls of Residence, however they are generally overpriced and filled with wild Erasmus students – so don’t expect to get much studying done. The exception is Tietgen, an amazing hall that’s famed for its architectural design, and surprisingly, is less expensive than most other options.
If you don’t get
a place in one of the residences or if you would like to find a room on your
own, you should check out the following facebook sites:
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Accomodation in Denmark
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Housing in Copenhagen (private)
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Shared-flats Copenhagen
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Copenhagenrentalservice-studenhousing
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CBS-Housing / Study abroad
Dining
The epitome of a
wealthy cosmopolitan city, Copenhagen has an endless array options when dining
out. Sadly most of these won’t fit within a student budget. Topping this list
is Noma, considered the world’s best restaurant, which is renowned for its
locally sourced ingredients and molecular gastronomy.
For more affordable options, consider the area of Nørrebro, with its eclectic range of foreign food joints (including your typical 3am kebab spots) or along Istedgade, a street in Vesterbro. Danes are also skilled in the art of brunch, with Kalaset, Paludan Bogcafé, Granola and Laundromat Café(s) offering a great spread to help with that hangover. If you are looking to meet up later in the day however, Mother (legendary for its pizzas), Cocks & Cows, Bang & Jensen or Dalle Vale are trustworthy options. Also, close to University is Forno a Legna, a place frequented by Italians – indicative of just how delicious the pizzas are.
For a quick and easy lunch, opt for a traditional Smørbrød, an open rye sandwich with quirky Nordic toppings such as herring (or safer options like chicken). Worth a visit is Torvehallerne; a vibrant covered market in the city centre where you can find a superb selection of exotic produce, as well as small restaurant stalls offering everything from tapas to porridge. Finally, the CBS cafeterias offer a range of hot and cold meals, as well as coffee and pastries for very reasonable prices. Plus they are open until 9pm – so you won’t be left fending for yourself from the vending machines.
For more affordable options, consider the area of Nørrebro, with its eclectic range of foreign food joints (including your typical 3am kebab spots) or along Istedgade, a street in Vesterbro. Danes are also skilled in the art of brunch, with Kalaset, Paludan Bogcafé, Granola and Laundromat Café(s) offering a great spread to help with that hangover. If you are looking to meet up later in the day however, Mother (legendary for its pizzas), Cocks & Cows, Bang & Jensen or Dalle Vale are trustworthy options. Also, close to University is Forno a Legna, a place frequented by Italians – indicative of just how delicious the pizzas are.
For a quick and easy lunch, opt for a traditional Smørbrød, an open rye sandwich with quirky Nordic toppings such as herring (or safer options like chicken). Worth a visit is Torvehallerne; a vibrant covered market in the city centre where you can find a superb selection of exotic produce, as well as small restaurant stalls offering everything from tapas to porridge. Finally, the CBS cafeterias offer a range of hot and cold meals, as well as coffee and pastries for very reasonable prices. Plus they are open until 9pm – so you won’t be left fending for yourself from the vending machines.
Café Paludan
Nightlife
Copenhagen has a lot of great bars to offer, many of
them are open until around 3 to 5am and don’t cost any entrance. Most of the
bars can be found in the Meatpacking district and in the city centre.
Drinks such as cocktails or wine are very expensive
when you go out but some bars offer happy hours. A beer usually costs about 7
Euros. The cheapest alternative is to have pre-drinks and then head out to the
city afterwards. Here is a list of some of our favorite bars:
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Bar 7 (Dance Floor, lounge)
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The Jane (Club and cocktail
bar, mixed music)
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Zefside (Cocktail bar, dance
floor, happy hours)
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Zoo Bar (Dance Floor, mixed
music)
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Karriere Bar (In the
Meatpacking district, dance floor, hipster)
Furthermore, we recommend you to check out the
following clubs:
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Sunday’s
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Molly’s
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Rust
Also you should stop by Nexus, a bar in the Solbjerg
Plads building. Every Thursday evening at Nexus there is a party with
dancefloor and a DJ and happy hour with very cheap beer.
Transport
Biking is a
religion in Denmark and there are few cities in the world that are so
accommodating to cyclists as Copenhagen. Although the metro and buses are swift
and reliable, they are also rather on the pricey side – unless you want to
forgo a bike completely and use a monthly travel pass. However, if you are keen
to acclimatize yourself to Danish living, there is no better option than
getting a bike. Try to organise one before you arrive, as finding a bike at the
start of the semester is hugely competitive and you’re likely to suffer from
inflated prices as a result.
Nørrebro is the best area for bike shopping, or alternatively keep an eye on the ‘ESN CPH: Give-Buy-Sell-Rent’ page on Facebook. It’s also worth asking around your Danish friends, as many of them have a spare bike – we both managed to borrow our flatmate’s spare bikes for the whole time we were there. If you end up with the inevitable flat tyre – there are numerous bike shops dotted around the city (most of which also have air-pumps outside during opening hours), so keep an eye out for one close to you. Additionally, make sure you have a good set of lights, as there are steep fines if you’re found without them, and learn the basic hand signals that will keep you from getting run down by fellow cyclists. Overall, it’s a very convenient way to get around, plus social cycling to Uni or out to town will make for a few memorable times.
Nørrebro is the best area for bike shopping, or alternatively keep an eye on the ‘ESN CPH: Give-Buy-Sell-Rent’ page on Facebook. It’s also worth asking around your Danish friends, as many of them have a spare bike – we both managed to borrow our flatmate’s spare bikes for the whole time we were there. If you end up with the inevitable flat tyre – there are numerous bike shops dotted around the city (most of which also have air-pumps outside during opening hours), so keep an eye out for one close to you. Additionally, make sure you have a good set of lights, as there are steep fines if you’re found without them, and learn the basic hand signals that will keep you from getting run down by fellow cyclists. Overall, it’s a very convenient way to get around, plus social cycling to Uni or out to town will make for a few memorable times.
If you’re
looking to fly out of Copenhagen airport (Lufthavn), the metro runs directly to
it, streamlining the whole travel process. However, if you’re after a low-cost
airline, you’ll have to head over to Malmö
Airport (Sturup) in Sweden, home to favourites such as Ryanair and
WizzAir. Make sure to take into account the added expense of a return trip
(200DKK for the 737 Bus, or more for the train), plus a couple of extra hours
at each end. At least you get to say you’ve been to Sweden and cross the
impressive Øresund Bridge, which plunges under the sea at a certain point.
