On May 7, we celebrated 50 years of Danish at UW!
Founded by Dr. Sven H. Rossel, Danish studies at UW has been a leading program in North America since 1974. In recent years, the program has been enhanced and supported by the generosity of donors and partners in the Danish community of Seattle, especially Nina Pedersen and her late husband, Georg, who established the Georg and Nina Pedersen Professorship in Danish Studies in 2023, an appointment that is currently held by Dr. Marianne Stecher-Hansen. At the celebration, Marianne presented a refreshing and thought-provoking talk on “The Emperor's New Clothes,” demonstrating the relevance of Hans Christian Andersen's enduring tale.
We also like to extend our gratitude to the ScandDesign Foundation for the “Inger and Jens Bruun Legacy grants" that also enhance programs offered by the UW Danish program.
A cornerstone of the Danish program is the Danish Lecturer Scheme, co-funded by UW and the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education. Since 1997 UW Danish program has hosted seven visiting Danish lecturers. Currently, Morten Bøje Stensgaard Larsen serves as our visiting lecturer and language instructor.
We look forward to the next 50 years of Danish at UW!