Students help shape the study environment of the future: “There is huge potential”

As part of the many initiatives currently underway, DTU has chosen to set the task of creating a study environment for the university’s own students, to gain their perspectives on what is important for creating an attractive study environment at Risø Campus.

Shatheswaran Maheswaran is one of the students who has chosen to tackle DTU’s case study on Risø. He is in his sixth semester of the BEng programme in Architectural Engineering, and he has a clear message for the incoming students starting after the summer holidays.

“This is your chance to influence a study environment that is still in its infancy. There is huge potential here, but you must also contribute your suggestions and ideas when you start. Because a study environment is created in collaboration with the students, and it is constantly evolving,” he says.

Unique surroundings

Ifrah Tahliil, who is currently in her sixth semester of the BEng programme in Global Business Engineering, also has a lot to say about Risø Campus.

“In my group, we’ve focused on the development of the physical facilities on campus. We’re currently drafting a proposal with ideas for what DTU Campus Service can do when they renovate the spaces that students will primarily use. Because great facilities really do make a huge difference to your well-being as a student,” she explains.

Risø Campus is situated right by Roskilde Fjord, and several of the students highlight this as something truly unique. But the research environment is also something quite special at Risø. It is large and well-established, and the workshops and laboratories are world-class.

The latter has generated great enthusiasm among Mads Hansen Laursen, who has also chosen to tackle DTU’s case study on Risø. He is in his sixth semester of the Civil Engineering programme.

“The workshops and laboratories are absolutely incredible. There is a wealth of machinery and equipment, and it has been exciting to experience them up close,” he says.

The students spent a whole day at Risø as part of their work on the case. Innovation Pilot runs over several weeks, so the visit is part of a longer-term project that will culminate in a report and an oral defense in May. 

During the day, there was time to gather information independently, visit existing and future facilities, and take part in guided tours with researchers from DTU Wind and DTU Electro. Among other things, the students visited Risø's PV prototyping and testing lab and laboratories in MaterialsLab, both of which will form part of the programme.