The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship

Matthew Joffe attends the scholarship ceremony to accept the prestigious Crown Princess Mary scholarship for his study in Denmark.

It was an honour and privilege to be one of the two recipients of the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship in 2024, presented by Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark, Her Excellency Kerin Ayyalaraju, Australian Ambassador to Denmark, and Professor Henrik Wegener, Rector of the University of Copenhagen.

The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship is awarded annually to two Australian students on an exchange program from Australia at the University of Copenhagen. On the wedding of Australian-born Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark in 2004, the University of Copenhagen gifted the annual scholarship to the royal couple. The scholarship awards each recipient with DKK 10,000 (approximately $2,200) to assist with the cost of living and studying in Denmark.

The ceremony was a highlight of my time on exchange in Copenhagen. It was a unique opportunity to speak with the Queen of Denmark, the Australian Ambassador and senior staff of the University of Copenhagen. Both the Queen and Rector made speeches at the ceremony, prior to an opportunity to speak with the Queen and other guests in attendance.

Her Majesty Queen Mary was incredibly down-to-earth and genuine, asking about my studies and more generally about my time spent in Copenhagen. It was clear that Her Majesty Queen Mary had taken time to read through the applications of the recipients of the scholarship, as she addressed our interests and respective degrees throughout the ceremony.

I am very fortunate to have travelled on a global exchange program, particularly to the University of Copenhagen, to experience and live in the diverse and unique culture that exists in Denmark. Being one of this year’s recipients of the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship has only added to the experience of my exchange program and I am grateful to both UTS and the University of Copenhagen for facilitating my semester abroad.

Matthew Joffe
Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws
Københavns Universitet
Denmark