Danish schools and educational institutions have a long tradition of different forms of international co-operation, i.e. exchange of pupils/students and teachers.

The Lisbon Convention and the Bologna process have brought more focus on different aspects of internationalisation of education among Danish political parties, and up until now it has been the aim of internationalisation of education to ensure that:

• Danish education programmes measure up to the best in the world;
• Danish research programmes can meet the highest international standards;
• Danish programmes are up-to-date and attractive.

The Danish Ministry of Children and Education and the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science ensure that the globalisation strategy on internationalisation of education is implemented. The administration of and information on Denmark’s participation in international education programmes and the assessment of foreign qualifications have been further enhanced since January 2005 by gathering all problem-solving activities into the former Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation, which is an agency within the former Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education. The Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation supports mobility and study abroad, the international dimension in education, recognition of foreign qualifications, international cooperation and the marketing and promotion of Denmark as a study and work place.

The former Danish government launched a new strategy in February 2010: "Denmark 2020. Knowledge, growth, prosperity and welfare". In here, it listed 10 goals, which are to be met before 2020, and one of the goals is to have at least one Danish university in top 10 of European universities. Also, all Danish universities have to maintain or improve their international ranking measured in the most relevant and recognised comparisons. 

Alongside these goals, the former government also wanted to improve the Danish university sector by making strong educational offers which match the needs of the society, maintain the high ambitions for research and innovation as well as maintaining and improving the work with the internationalisation of the Danish universities. It has been the goal to continue the work with the internationalisation of the Danish research activities and international cooperation between the universities. The government wants to aim to prioritise funds for Danish universities' participation in international university partnerships and networks. The government wants to prioritise the networks and partnerships where Danish universities will get access to cooperation with foreign universities which are in the lead internationally. In 2010, the establishment of a Danish university centre in Beijing began as well. 

The Danish education system has differentiated tasks and there are specialised areas of education which are reflected in legislation. The statutory framework for continued internationalisation is generally in place. The financial framework is not the same for all comparable education programmes though. These differences are about to be phased out in connection with new legislative initiatives and the realisation of the need to increase the opportunities for institutions on the international education market.

Globalisation has been of major importance in the drafting of new legislation for the Danish universities act, the mergers of medium cycle higher education institutions into University Colleges and of short cycle higher education institutions into Academies of Professional Higher Education. Also, mergers in the long cycle higher education sector have taken place as well. The introduction of Diploma Supplement, ECTS and the professional bachelor degree at University College level have given more transparency for Danish students as well as enhanced Denmark’s international profile.

The Danish education system is decentralised and largely based on a fundamental confidence that the given framework and opportunities are utilised locally and that the individual school/institution is to create the best quality for pupils and students. The government’s primary task is to set targets and establish a framework for this work. This is also reflected in the main points of the strategy for the globalisation strategy which the former Danish government put forward in 2006. The main points in the strategy for enhanced internationalisation of education were as follows:

• To ensure that programmes provide Danish pupils, students and employees with the qualifications to succeed in international environments to support Danes studying, researching and working abroad;
• To attract qualified foreign students, researchers, teachers and labour;
• To provide both students and educational institutions with more and better ways of taking part in international cooperation and competition on the global educational market
• To ensure the quality of the Danish education system through participation in transnational cooperation and international comparisons.

In its strategy for Denmark in the global economy from 2006, the former government specified that the primary and secondary school sectors should work to ensure that pupils gain proficiencies and skills which qualify them for active global citizenship. The strategy implied, among other things, that school teaching must include a strong global perspective and that pupils participate in minimum two international projects during their primary and secondary education. 

Mobility of pupils in primary and lower secondary education usually only takes place when parents bring their children to a foreign country because of e.g. a job transfer.

Real exchange programmes take place at upper secondary schools, universities and other higher education institutions. Danish higher education institutions have a broad exchange programme cooperation with universities and higher education institutions around the world.

In order to be able to bring the Danish student state grants abroad, the study programme has to be approved by the home institution. Whether the study programme is approved differs from study to study. The student himself/herself normally provides the relevant documentation for the purpose of an approval. 

Danish students who wish to study abroad for a whole master degree may apply for a scholarship for up to two years. The scholarship is intended to partly or wholly cover the tuition fees at certain study programmes in other countries. Scholarships for tuition fees are limited to whole study programmes at master’s level and study periods as part of a Danish study programme. A new enabling Danish students to receive a grant to pay contributions to registration fees and tuition costs in foreign universities for a two-year period took effect in the 2008/09 academic year. Support is portable for up to 4 years (which may correspond to the total length of studies but if not, relates to the last four years of study).