Ericka Francks ‘17 talks about study abroad experience in Denmark
I spent last fall studying sustainable development in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS). I am an Environmental Studies major with a concentration in Green Business, so the sustainability program was a perfect fit for me. Two of my favorite classes were Sustainable Development in Northern Europe and Renewable Energy Systems because both courses gave me insight into the kinds of opportunities I could pursue after college with my environmental studies degree.
With my core class, I was able to travel to a small island in Demark for a weekend trip, and to Norway for a week long study tour. On both trips we were able to meet with various professionals in the environmental field; this included visits to a combined heat and power plant in Denmark and a visit to Statkraft in Norway, which is a leading company in hydropower and Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy.
From seeing the northern lights in Iceland to hiking Trolltunga in Norway, I had some amazing experiences while I was traveling. Studying abroad in Copenhagen was an incredible opportunity, because Denmark is one of the leading nations in the world in sustainability and clean energy. I’m hoping to make it back to Copenhagen one day, but for now I am working to apply what I learned last fall to my work with a solar company this summer in Kolkata, India through the Global Social Benefit Fellowship.
