The International Student City of Copenhagen
DATE 15/05-2017
A golden opportunity
The high quality of life, good employment opportunities
and fine research institutions of Greater Copenhagen
are paying dividends. The region is fast becoming
an international hub attracting tens of thousands of
talented students, researchers and employees who want
to make Copenhagen their home.
Many have already arrived, ready to inspire and
connect with new colleagues and friends. Bringing their
experiences, knowledge and networks, they come here
to innovate, study, learn, teach, work and invest in an
evermore-integrated region, with thousands of global
companies, research institutions and globally minded
people.
The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) proposes
to unite students, entrepreneurs and established
businesses in a global test centre in order to create the
digital solutions of tomorrow. (Digital Hub, Dec. 2, 2016
di.dk). Other initiatives such as the European Spallation
Centre, ESS in Lund will also attract thousands of
scientists and students to the region.
Our project
To remain a magnet for the best and brightest minds,
Greater Copenhagen must offer something unique and
personal. The Circle of Friends of ISCC envisions a new
environmentally conscious neighbourhood beginning
with +1.000 housing units in a first phase of the project
consisting of 6 houses (Denmark, France, Germany,
Norway, Sweden, USA) and an international cultural
house.
With inspiration from the CIUP campus in Paris where
40 countries have erected their own houses according
to their wishes, the ISCC encourages countries and
foundation to participate and demonstrate their vision of
a unifying and co-operative environment by designing or
modifying rooms, common areas or buildings within the
ISCC campus.
Eighty percent of the financing of the 6 houses will
possibly come from possibly pension funds and others
whereas the remaining 20 percent will come from
participating countries and foundations. The signature
cultural house is sought donated by a foundation. The
ISCC will be governed by an independent foundation that
will oversee its construction and development.
Dynamic effects
The shared apartments, common facilities and
communal spaces of ISCC will be ideal places for new
Copenhageners to meet their neighbours and peers.
These connections will form the initial stage in their
ultimate integration in Copenhagen society, and in turn
will make Greater Copenhagen an even better place to
live, study and work for all who reside here.
The ISCC would be a local as well as global
neighbourhood in the city of Copenhagen. For its
residents, excellent transport connections are key to
everything the region has to offer, for those in other
parts of the city, the ISCC will become a new destination
for residents of Copenhagen, offering entrepreneurship
opportunities and rich cultural programs – open to
all.
The proposed location by Sundby Metro st. and the
Øresund train link is ideal to host new Copenhageners
with its close proximity to the IT University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen University, Sweden and the
entire region.
Public actors, universities, businesses and civil society at
large of Greater Copenhagen are invited to participate
in the development of the ISCC.
Our inspiration
Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris - "Cité U"
Founded in 1925, Cité Internationale Universitaire de
Paris (CIUP) and the City of Light welcomes 12,000+
talented researchers, graduate students, professors
and artists from not just wider France, but from 100+
countries every year.
Set in a lush, green park only four train-stations from
Notre Dame in the heart of Paris, residents live in a
dynamic, fully-serviced international environment that’s
conducive to full integration into French society and that
provides everything they need to get the most out of
their stay.
More than 40 countries have built their own dormitory
houses allowing its residents to meet and experience
each other’s cultures in order to forge the relationships
of the future. Each house follows the “Loi de Brassage”
principal, which ensures that no one nationality makes
up more than fifty percent of the residents.
Furthermore, a fully-fledged cultural programme aimed
at both residents and the public alike brings residents
together across houses. The majestic International
Cultural House was donated by John Rockefeller Jr. and stands
at the centre of a lively city with world-class exhibits,
workshops, concerts and lectures all year round.
Minister of Culture Bertel Haarder, February 2016
"Your project is interesting and praiseworthy. I find it admirable that the ISCC will create a framework for the exchange of ideas and the building of bridges between Danish, Nordic and international students."
Minister of Higher Education and Research Esben Lunde Larsen, November 2015
"...The International Student City of Copenhagen (ISCC) sounds like and exciting and higly relevant project.....the Danish Government is highly focused on integrating the international perspective and outlook into higher education in Denmark....it is a well known that it can be difficult for international as well as Danish students to find housing in Copenhagen, therefore it is also a relevant initiative you have begun."
HRH Prince Henrik's Chamberlain Mogens Christensen to ISCC founder Jørgen Rossen, 2014
"His Royal Highness the Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark has asked me to thank you for the ISCC plan that the Prince will study in further detail. Prince Consort Henrik will follow the development of the project with great interest."
The International Student City of Copenhagen (ISCC) is a project founded by 7 prominent figures of Danish politics and business life. The vision for ISCC is the establishment of an international student city as a Nordic equivalent to the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, a successful community initiated in the 1920s. With 15 hectares of land located by Sundby metro station in Ørestad, the plan for ISCC is to be able to offer 5000 studio apartments to foreign and Danish students within the next 10-15 years.
SEE THE PROJECT ON ONE PAGE BY ClICKING HERE!
See the video from our fact finding mission to CIUP in October 2014.
See the official video from Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris here.
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From left to right: ISCC secretary Olga Boubnova, Director of International Programs Tom Dahl-Østergaard, Deputy Director Niels Henrik Larsen, ISCC founder Jørgen Rossen.
18/3/13: Henning Larsen Architects, Jørgen Rossen and several other founders has recently been working on a masterplan for the ISCC Project, which can be downloaded in the left column of this page.
12/3/13: Berlingske recently wrote an article concerning the potential of attracting international students to Copenhagen and this is exactly what ISCC states; attracting international students to Copenhagen is an invesment very well worthwhile!
26/2/13: We have now updated our 'Countries' page; this now includes official contacts for every country involved in the project, a draft of the ISCC project in numerous different languages, as well as words and opinions from some of our contact persons.
Please click here to view