Do you need to be Danish?

In her leading article in Biweekly on 19 September 2016 Sonja Graugaard wrote about the challenges relating to the generational succession in AGRO. Among other things she mentioned how important it is to have a good knowledge of the Danish language when solving tasks relating to public sector consultancy. She used the following wording: 

“It is important to ensure an understanding of the special qualifications that are needed to solve the tasks (public sector consultancy tasks, ed.) in a sufficiently qualified way. Many tasks require a thorough understanding of conditions in Denmark, including knowledge of soil and climate conditions, and laws and legal regulations.

Another extremely important qualification is command of the Danish language. In this regard foreign postdocs and PhD students are not qualified to handle these tasks. Danish PhD students may be possible successors, but here AGRO comes up against AU’s requirement of two to three years of employment abroad before possible employment at AU.”

Several people have taken exception to the argument that foreign postdocs and PhD students are not qualified to handle public sector consultancy tasks, and it has been discussed at an LSU meeting. 

- It is wrong to say that, administrative case officer, JORD, and vice-chairman in LSU, Karina Rysholt Christensen exclaims. 

- We already have foreign PhD students and postdocs who solve public sector consultancy tasks and who are good at it. They may not be in direct contact with the authorities, but they supply background data for the responses to the ministry. AGRO also has foreigners who have learnt to get on in Danish and who themselves provide responses to the authorities on an equal footing with employees of Danish origin, she says and points out that she has had an enquiry whether it is correct that you are only guaranteed a job in AGRO if you are fluent in Danish. 

- I certainly don’t hope that that is the case. Why should our foreign employees bother to learn Danish if there is no future in AGRO anyhow as regards solving public sector consultancy tasks, Karina Rysholt Christensen asks rhetorically? 

Associate professor Inge Fomsgaard, CROP, agrees with Karina Rysholt Christensen.

 - I don’t like that it says that being foreign disqualifies you for these tasks. I acknowledge that so far we have seen very few foreigners who have learnt sufficient Danish, but I can also name a couple who have and also some who have taken root in Denmark. We do not motivate foreigners to begin learning Danish if they can read in Biweekly that they by definition are not qualified to take on future public sector consultancy tasks, including prospects of permanent employment.  

Sonja Graugaard concedes that the wording in her leading article may be misunderstood, and she would therefore like to state more precisely what she means. 

- There should have been a parenthetical clause (marked in italics below) making it read: ”In this regard foreign postdocs and PhD students, who do not have command of Danish, are not qualified to handle these tasks”. I should also like to point out that when I speak of tasks in this context, I mean tasks involving a direct contact with the authorities, but not tasks relating to preparation of background data, she says. 

Head of department Erik Steen Kristensen emphasises that when AGRO advertises positions, AGRO does not distinguish between Danish or foreign candidates. 

- We choose the persons with the best qualifications for the tasks and in relation to the competences required, he says.