Nikolaj Lubanski has a good understanding of Studieskolen's target audience. In his daily work, he serves as the Director of Marketing and Talent at Copenhagen Capacity, which focuses on attracting foreign investments as well as foreign students and specialists to Copenhagen and Denmark.
"I always advise newcomers to Denmark to learn some Danish and immerse themselves in Danish culture in that way," says Nikolaj, who believes it is important to speak languages other than just English.
"We have this notion that English can do it all. And that is extremely limiting: One thing is being able to communicate in a common language. It is wonderful, but you only get so far. You do not fully reach the understanding of the culture and society. Language helps to constitute society."
Nikolaj himself grew up in Denmark with a Polish father: "Polish is a difficult language even for Poles; 8 cases and complicated 's' sounds. The way you speak says a lot about you: even more so than in Denmark. If you go to Poland, you can get by with English. But you miss crucial relationships and do not understand the work culture and society. Your actions are limited by English. The same can be said about foreigners settling into Denmark. They will understand a lot, but without the Danish language, they will not be fully embraced."
"Language greatly expands your possibilities for action. And on one hand, the need to learn languages has grown with internationalisation. But on the other hand, it is not prioritised at all, neither economically nor culturally."
No easy solutions
Although Nikolaj Lubanski does not see any easy solutions to the challenges in the market, he believes that we can always do more to be ready for the future.
"When my 11-year-old daughter decides she wants to learn a language, she downloads an app and plays around with it. Suddenly, she has learned a lot of words and starts to understand some things. She plays with the language. We must not underestimate the importance of gamification, but we must also never let learning become trivialised. Studieskolen delivers quality products in learning. And that is a unique strength that must be preserved."
"The fact that we have developed a product like 'Danish to Go' is remarkable. This digital learning platform is really well thought out. And there is strong indication that the coronavirus crisis has created a lasting change in our digital habits. Even though we long to return to the classrooms, it is going to be a different mix going forward. Both we and the students have gained greater confidence in online courses and digital learning solutions."
"We must continue to develop the mix of channels and strategies that allow us to individualise learning while still hitting a price point that our customers can and will pay. Learning languages takes time and costs both money and effort. Can we simplify that process and offer better learning outcomes than the competitors? That's what we must do."
High quality, professionalism and new paths
Professionalism has always characterised Studieskolen, says Nikolaj Lubanski. "They deliver a product they can stand behind. It is a professional delivery at a high academic level with a long track record. This professionalism applies to both the academic level and the learning methods. It is something we can be proud of."
"But my role as chairman is also to dare to ask questions. I have been on the board for two years, and now I am getting even closer in the role of chairman. Our starting point is that we stand on a solid financial foundation. We can continue to think long term and take some risks, for example, closer collaboration with other educational institutions. The first time with Cambridge Institute. And the second time with IA Sprog. The employees have shown that we can collaborate and grow together. It is a tremendous achievement."
"What gives me peace of mind is that we have some super competent employees who have managed to maintain the high, solid performance in challenging markets and changing times. At the same time, Studieskolen has a skilled management team, whom I look forward to working even more closely with."