What we do
Students teams from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) collaborate with your organization on a project of interest and importance to you. Students spend approximately 14 weeks on each project, totaling over 2,000 hours of dedicated work. Our students are in their third-year of university with strong technical skills and an interest in exploring the interaction of science, technology and society. Projects cover a wide range of topics, so almost anything is possible!
How we work
We complete six projects in the Spring each year. WPI students spend seven weeks in the US from mid-January to early March in research and preparation for the collaboration that will occur after they arrive in Copenhagen. Two faculty advisors at WPI collaborate with you to prepare the students for these projects and then travel with them to Denmark. Once in Copenhagenthe students work with your organization for seven weeks to complete the work in Copenhagen from mid-March to last week of April or first week of May. WPI arranges the housing for students in Copenhagen and they remain full-time WPI students while completing these projects. These projects might require students to design and model, build and create, or research and recommend policies for your organization.
During the travel restrictions of the pandemic, WPI students continued to work with several project partners remotely in many other locations around the world. Tools for remote collaboration are robust and remain useful during project preparation. Our students are well prepared to partner with organizations in Copenhagen and make meaningful contributions to issues and problems that matter to you.
Who we are
WPI is a global leader in project-based learning and a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. WPI’s pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more.
Since the Copenhagen Project Center was founded in 1997, teams of WPI students have completed more than 150 projects with a wide variety of organizations in Denmark. Copenhagen is one the most popular locations for projects and attracts students who are leaders, strong academically, and want to make a difference in the world. Every student receives a scholarship that typically covers the cost of housing in Copenhagen. The students and faculty advisors who travel to Copenhagen change each year. The Center Director is a faculty member at WPI who provides continuity with project partners and is the contact person for potential projects.