Denmark appreciates Singapore’s growth strategy and education

After a one-day stopover by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Singapore, Denmark tried to learn more about Singapore’s growth strategies and education system. During his visit, the Prime Minister visited the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and tried to find out more about Danish-Singapore environmental collaborations. Later, he met officials from the finance and education ministries.

Rasmussen spoke about the DHI and green technology, saying, “"From a Danish and Singapore perspective, we need to invest in more green technology and the demand for green technology will increase in the future, no doubt."

"There is a reason that DHI is in Singapore, and Vestas — one of the biggest wind industry company in the world — has invested resources in Singapore, has established a research centre. You could ask why they have done that, given the fact there is almost no wind in Singapore. The answer is that your government has established a system of close and trustful cooperation between the business environment and the public sector in Singapore and from that we can learn a lot,” he added.

The DHI is a green company from Denmark making its presence felt in Singapore. Established in 2003 and with a staff of just four, it has since grown to over a hundred members.

In 2007, it collaborated with NTU to form the Water and Environment Research Centre and Education Hub, with a focus on research on waste management and environmental impact assessment.

Besides green technology, another area of collaboration is in the educational sector he noted.

The Danish Prime Minister said, "We have established a school system where we have established a balance between knowledge and skills. We allow our students to work and play. I think that is the one of the reasons that allows Danish students to be innovative and act in a self—confident way. But on the other hand, we have something to learn as well, because when it comes to hard knowledge, we are only ranking average in these international ranking systems."

One area Rasmussen is keen on focusing on is primary school education, where he said Singapore’s cost-effective model has produced results.

After Singapore, Rasmussen will visit Tokyo and Seoul.