Danes to change law so foreign academics won’t risk fines

COPENHAGEN – Denmark’s government says it will change the law so foreign academics can share their knowledge outside universities without risking fines.

Education minister Soeren Pind says the rules send “a message contrary to what Denmark wants to signal.”

His comments came after it was revealed last month that Brooke Harrington, a U.S. professor with Copenhagen Business School, was one of eight foreign scholars facing fines for not having sought adequate permission to be a guest speaker outside her campus, as Danish law requires.

She spoke to Parliament and Danish tax authorities about her research into offshore tax havens.

Pind made his comments Tuesday while presenting the centre-right government’s plan to strengthen research to improve higher education in Denmark.