Turbo Chemistry and talent programme
Bertil Friis Jensen discovered his interest in chemistry when he took the "Turbo Chemistry" course at H.C. Ørsted Gymnasium. The course allows ambitious students to complete A-level chemistry in less than three years.
At the same time, he became part of DTU Chemistry's talent programme, where students at H.C. Ørsted Gymnasium can take introductory university courses in organic and inorganic chemistry, among other subjects, while attending high school.
The talent programme aims to strengthen students' motivation and academic skills — while giving the students a taste of what it's like to attend DTU, says Klaus Braagaard Møller, a Professor at DTU Chemistry and initiator of the talent programme:
“We want to give students the best opportunities to improve their skills and at the same time show them what the university has to offer. Students can also earn ECTS credits, which will be credited to them if they continue on to a chemistry-related university programme. And if the students then start at DTU, we will help them organize an individual study plan.”
The talent programme was an opportunity that attracted Bertil Friis Jensen — something that ultimately paid off at the Olympiad.
“It sounded cool and exciting to be able to take some courses at DTU. This year, there were some ‘advanced topics’ in the competition that fit really well with the courses I took at the university. So in a way, I was a little ahead of the game,” says Bertil Friis Jensen.
Talented students lift the team
Susanne Mossin, a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at DTU, won silver at the International Olympiad in 1992 and is now co-organizer of the Danish Chemistry Olympiad. In this capacity, she has been a mentor to Bertil Friis Jensen and followed his impressive development. Now she is delighted to welcome the gold medalist to DTU. Talented students like him lift others up, she says:
“We can feel it in the programmes and the entire study environment that there are academic role models that other students can look up to. This has a positive effect on the entire programme — it's contagious.”
The gold medalist has enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Technology. And just like at the Chemistry Olympiad, he expects to be challenged academically and to meet others who share his fascination with chemistry:
“In high school, you study a lot of different things, but now you're with a bunch of people who think that chemistry in particular is cool — that’s pretty awesome,” says Bertil Friis Jensen.
