Bridging the cultural divide between Danish and international students through associations at DMJX: “We share a mutual admiration for each other’s craft, which knows no borders”

“I was the last person to enter the lecture hall. It was full of Danish students who were chatting with each other,” Vadim Martschenko said, a German student currently studying in the International Journalism Master’s programme at DMJX.

He didn’t know anyone when he attended the first workshop meeting of the radio association Genlüd at DMJX. He was also the only student to raise his hand when asked if any international students were present.

“I felt a bit uncomfortable,” he recalled.

For international students like Vadim Martschenko, being the only international in a room full of Danish students can feel like watching a lively film from the outside – unsure of how to participate and wondering whether their ideas will be welcomed. The question he faced was simple yet pressing; how does one move from watching the scene unfold to becoming part of it?

In May 2025, Australian exchange student Emma Sampson wrote about life at DMJX in Illustreret Bunker. The headline warned: “Welcome to DMJX. Please mind the gap.” The story pointed to a clear divide between Danish and international students — a gap in campus life that no syllabus could bridge on its own. Integration, she concluded, would require effort from all sides.

Now, a few months later, the question is no longer whether the gap exists, but how it can be narrowed. One answer seems to lie in a perhaps overlooked but powerful arena: Student associations.

“I think student associations can help bridge the gap between Danish and international students because they provide a place outside the classroom to meet around something less serious than school, where creativity can flow freely,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm, editor-in-chief of the satirical paper Rapporten, said.

Encouraging international participation

This year, many student associations at DMJX made a concerted effort to involve more international students in their journalistic clubs. International coordinator and student counsellor Anna Kathrine Nejrup had highlighted in the previous article the potential of these student-led initiatives to foster greater inclusion in everyday campus life. In her own words, “a problem that can be fixed.” 

During the welcome week for international students, the school invited Danish students responsible for the various associations to present their activities and actively encourage all international students to participate in these student-run communities. 

The association Radio Genlüd made a strong effort on introduction day, presenting their radio and podcast formats and inviting students to their first workshop.

“We didn’t really have any luck getting people to show up,” Jens Emil Digmann Nygaard, the editor-in-chief at Genlüd, recalled.

A breakthrough came when they connected with an international student from the Erasmus Mundus Master’s program, which led to the creation of several new podcast and radio formats featuring international students.

Within the satirical magazine Rapporten, Theodor Brædstrup-Holm played the friendship card to bring some of his international classmates on board. But inclusion doesn’t stop at simply inviting international students.

“This year, we even experimented with mixing Danish and international students into the same groups to ‘force’ closer collaboration,” Emil Simonsen Nielsen, the editor-in-chief of the documentary club DMJX:DOX, said.

A cultural divide?

During the interviews with editors of the different student associations, one question kept surfacing; is the cultural divide simply too wide, or do international and Danish students just not have enough in common?

Elaine Lai Uen Ling, a former exchange student from Hong Kong, reflects on the challenge.

“It was hard to socialize. People would talk to you, but maybe we didn’t really have a lot of common topics to share,” Elaine Lai Uen Ling said.

The Danish students that had been interviewed for this article also described Danes as reserved or ‘bad at interacting’ with internationals. 

“I understand why internationals maybe don’t seek out the student families, because they’re not used to Danes actually wanting to socialize with them,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm said.

At the same time, he pointed out the cultural nuances that shape interaction. 

“Certainly, a person from Scotland, a person from Germany and a person from Denmark would have a different sense of humour. But I think it’s quite funny to share that trough satire,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm pointed out.

At Rapporten humour becomes a natural bridge.

“It’s a satirical magazine, so it’s about having fun, writing something fun, but also having fun while doing it,” he said.

Humour, the editor-in-chief discovered, is one of the rare tools that cut through cultural barriers. 

“When you come from completely different continents, you’ll probably have different kinds of humour — but that’s the whole point. We definitely got new perspectives on what humour can also be,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm said.

For Jens Emil Digmann Nygaard, the editor-in-chief of Radio Genlüd it is self-evident to produce bilingual live shows.

“I think it would be obvious to get international students into our association because you can do the live shows in Danish and English,“ he said.

Vadim Martschenko, the international student from Germany, recently launched his own radio show, DMJX-Pat, together with an American master’s student. The show brings together experts and expats to discuss international news and life. This approach doesn’t just include the students participating in the association – it also reaches international listeners, creating a space where multiple perspectives come together.

Cultural division also appears to play little role when it comes to film.

“Film and documentary are universal mediums that transcend gender, nationality, and field of study. They are something everyone can engage with and gather around,” Emil Simonsen Nielsen explained.

For him, the shared passion for storytelling is what unites students across cultures.

“We share a mutual admiration for each other’s craft, which knows no borders,” he said.

Room for improvement – and what is missing

While associations like Rapporten, Genlüd, and DMJX:DOX show how cultural differences can be beneficial and help bridging gaps, challenges remain. 

“I think it’s been left a bit too much up to the Danish students to facilitate it,” Jens Emil Digmann Nygaard from Radio Genlüd pointed out.

Proper communication is a major hurdle for several associations.

“We had no way of really communicating with all the internationals with just one email. There was no way to reach them,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm from Rapporten said.

Despite the challenges, opportunities abound for both Danish and international students to engage more actively. Joining a student association is one such chance.

“Whether you’re an international student or a Danish student, it’s important to be open-minded and to talk to different people,“ Elaine Lai Uen Ling reflected.

Theodor Brædstrup-Holm from Rapporten emphasizes the opportunity for Danish students in particular.

“Especially as journalists and communicators, it’s crucial to gain diverse perspectives. Engaging with international students gives you the chance to view the world from another point of view,” he said.

Bridging the gap ultimately requires initiative.

“It’s about being more forthcoming, and as a Dane, being mindful that some internationals are abroad for the first time,” Theodor Brædstrup-Holm explained.

The potential to bridge the divide is already visible in campus life.

“Confused about what’s going on I talked to a team member and was instructed to pitch my podcast idea. People were interested, especially in the idea of an international show for Genlüd. The team really encouraged me and asked if other international students wanted to join. That day the first international radio programme for DMJX was created,” Vadim Martschenko said.