Københavns Universitet Universitetsavisen - Danish Edition

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Management: KU is now UCPH in English

21/12-11 kl. 07:00 Campus

Photo: EPO, Wikimedia Commons (edited image) Manipulated image of airport security vehicle. Who knows? At some point, the University may need a 'UCPH' squad car like this

Enough is enough. From now on, you should abbreviate University of Copenhagen as UCPH

by Anna Meera Gaonkar

KU has been lost in translation for quite some time now, and some of the top brains at the University of Copenhagen have been exercising on the subject for years: How to abbreviate the University of Copenhagen - Københavns Universitet, and thereby translate the Danish 'KU', pronounced 'koh - ooh', into English.

Many alternatives have seen the light before being buried again in the big ocean of discarded acronyms. How about just using KU? This has the advantage of being recognisable by Danes. U of C? This has the advantage of being an easily pronouncable 'You - of - See', and recognisable, typical university abbreviation.

The university management team, Rector, Prorector, the Director and the Faculty deans, have decided on the following reasonable English translation: UCPH.

Mostly for internal communication

UCPH. As in 'You - See - Pee - Aytsh'. Read it, taste it, savour it.

Twice as long as KU the only re-occurring letter is the inevitable U. CPH is already a semi official shortcut for Copenhagen, that was originally used as the international abbreviation of the city’s airport.

On KUnet, the University's intranet, the department of communications explains that the term will mostly be used within university circles and premises.

UCPH, how to use

Neither the Danish nor the English abbreviation will be used to promote the University’s brand externally as such, they say. And for those who wonder whether ku.dk and KUnet will undergo name changes as a result of this: Only time will tell.

The University of Copenhagen's or should we say 'UCPH's' KUnet, gives an example of how the new translation of KU works that is good for morale just before the holidays.

»From 12 December, UCPH employees can book the University’s new holiday home in the Perugia region Italy.«

anna.m.gaonkar@adm.ku.dk

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How will YOU abbreviate University of Copenhagen?

5 comments

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12/01-12 kl. 00:54 David Featherston:

DUC

Let's face it - Denmark isn't very big and has lost many of its previously well-functioning independent universities and research institutes to mergers so that almost all the remaining universities in DK are spread across the entire country. So why doesn't KU follow suit with DTU and SDU in terms of naming? Let KU be called DUC in English: Danish University in Copenhagen.
"UCPH" looks like onomatopoeia for a comicbook character who's about to vomit.

21/12-11 kl. 14:28 Andrea:

U Copenhagen

It is actually easier to say than UCPH..

21/12-11 kl. 13:09 Derek:

KU is KU

just keep it, students should know KU as the short form if they choose to come.

21/12-11 kl. 10:27 Thomas Harboe:

How about like University of

How about like University of Melbourne is UoM: UoC?

21/12-11 kl. 11:31 Mike Young:

UoC

Hi Thomas,
I have added your suggestion to the poll!
Mike,Univ.Post.

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