There and back again… from work to life and back

24 September 2026 by Franca Giannini-Kurina

The topic that gets us going, more than any other, is work-life balance. It's so central to the Danish society, that for many internationals it's both a daily challenge and the main reason to stay. Whenever it comes up, we joke that to have a work-life balance you first need a life (and a job, but let's take that for granted for now). For many of us in this department, finding and maintaining a life to balance with after moving to Denmark quickly turns into a job of its own. Believe us, sustaining yield while reducing nutrient losses is easy in comparison.

When we talk with colleagues, two opposite needs keep coming up. Some tell us that their biggest struggle is social: they long for deeper connections, at work and beyond it. Others want a clear line between their professional and private lives, as far apart as physically possible. Both leave us with a question as a community: how do we make room for such different ideas of what our time at work should be?

And this isn't just a feeling a few of us share. A study of international academics at Danish universities, describes a paradox. Danish working culture protects reasonable working hours, so in theory there is time for a life outside work. But short, temporary contracts, make it hard to put down roots. Moving from one temporary position to the next leaves people feeling rootless, and it becomes difficult to commit to the slow and patient work of integration, building friendships or starting a family.

We are far from a small group, either. Foreign workers are increasingly filling knowledge-intensive, highly paid jobs in Denmark. Most of us come for the career opportunities, but belonging, that is a different journey.

It can be useful to point out the difference between being happy with Denmark (the systems, the safety, the bike lanes) and being happy in Denmark. The second one doesn't happen overnight. It grows through small, intentional steps, and through mutual curiosity about where the people around us are coming from. Integration goes both ways. Building a life outside the office is personal, but it's close to impossible without a supportive network, not least in times like these, when the political framework around immigration feels increasingly uncertain. That's where we, as colleagues, come in.

So here is the proposal, let's imagine it together. Let's start conversations with each other about what we want our work environment to look like and what work means in our lives. To have those conversations honestly, we need to leave "we've always done it this way" behind. If we acknowledge our different backgrounds and the pressures of academic mobility, and start shaping our community together, maybe we can support each other better.

What would a better workplace look like to you? How much do we shape our work, and how much does our work shape us? What would help you feel more at home here, or protect the boundaries you need?

We're opening suggestion boxes soon, the old-fashioned way: a box on each committee member's door. Write to us, talk to us! We want suggestions. We need suggestions.

Thanks for reading. Let’s keep the conversation alive. Franca on behalf of D&G committee.

There and back again… from work to life and back

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