CBS’ language programmes are on the right track

The Danish newspaper Berlingske’s article of 20 April 2016 called ”Recent CBS graduates struggle with high unemployment” may leave the impression that CBS, despite relatively weak employment figures for business language graduates, fails to adjust its intake of students based on demand.

04/26/2016

This is an incorrect picture.

The article concerns International Business Communication (IBC), which represents an effort to make language programmes more vocational. In recent years, CBS has sharply adjusted the number of students accepted into its business language programmes, for example, most recently with the closing of foreign language courses in 2015. In addition, “old-fashioned” language programmes for interpreters and translators were shut down several years ago and replaced with IBC, the programme mentioned in the article. Due to rules of notice and student legal requirements, it takes a long time before graduates produced at the other end fully reflect programme changes. As a result, it is true that the number of students in the IBC programme has increased over the course of a few years. Overall, however, the number of business language students has been halved from approximately 400 students to about 200. The content of the programmes has also been updated to meet industry requirements.

We believe in our new graduates.

Moreover, it is too early to conclude that the rebranding and reorganisation of business language programmes is a failure. It takes several years for students to complete the programme and before the employment figures are accurate. The students we are currently trying to help enter the labour market began at least six years ago in a different version of the business language programme and under completely different economic conditions.

The article cites an unemployment rate of 18.5 percent among 2014 graduates, but the jury is still out concerning how well graduates from the new language programmes will do.

Admissions for CBS humanities bachelor degrees have generally been heavily reduced. In 2012 there were 590 spots available. After the summer holiday, we expect to welcome about 350 humanities students (which represents a 40 percent reduction over four years) and we are betting that – in six years or more – these individuals will actively benefit businesses.

This text appeared in Berlingske on 22 April 2016
 
For more information, please contact the head of the Dean’s Office for Education Wilbert van der Meer or head of information Mikael Koldby.

The page was last edited by: Communications // 12/17/2017