Thank you for inviting me to the inauguration of your new international school.

To be part of an international school provides a world of opportunities. Apart from obtaining an international academic foundation and skills that will benefit you and others in your future, it is an environment where you can establish friendships and networks with students from different backgrounds, cultures and with different traditions. And this is a wonderful gift and an important factor when it comes to gaining intercultural understanding and having respect and tolerance for other cultures. 

And in a globalized world where distances get shorter, and where technology offers new ways of communicating and working, it is becoming increasingly easy to sustain these friendships and networks after graduation and perhaps, through a lifetime.

Being at an international school also provides an excellent opportunity to become aquainted with new and various languages and at the same time you get to explore, in depth, the local culture of the country, where you go to school.  As I understand it, the ambition of IB schools is that students will help to build a better world through intercultural understanding and respect.

Actually, a somewhat extreme example of a former IB student going truly global is, Andreas Mogensen, the first Dane in space. He has demonstrated a curiosity for new surroundings and has taken up a profession where the world opens up to him and where he sees it all from above.  No doubt, his inquiring mind and critical thinking was stimulated by his learning environment.  The world is your oyster.

As an IB student you will gain international experiences that will benefit you, challenge you and enrich not only your future academic career but also your personal lives. It is up to each and every one of you to seize the opportunities and create your own individual success.

4000 IB schools worldwide contribute to making it easier for children to accompany their parents, when their work requires them to move to other places in the world. Moving to a different country can be emotional; fear of losing friends and the life you know and love, and at the same time excitement over new adventures that lie ahead. In this situation it is important to feel secure, also when starting a new school.

The IB system increases mobility.  Even though it might not be exactly like the IB school you left, starting in another school with the IB system that shares the same fundamental values that you are already familiar with can help to make this transition less daunting and less challenging.  

The Aarhus region is in rapid development, particularly within the food industry, clean technology and health areas. This development means growth, and companies must attract the best qualified people from all over the world. And these people often have families. Over the past couple of years there has been an increasing need for an international school in Aarhus. And now you have one.

I understand that many citizens, institutions and companies here in Aarhus  and Øst Jylland have recognised this need and that the generous donation from the Salling Foundation has made it possible to locate the school in such beautiful surroundings.

I wish Aarhus Academy for Global Education, the students, teachers and staff great success.