Write your project with a company or organisation

Company collaboration

By writing your semester project in collaboration with a company, you not only get the opportunity to work on a real-life case - you also get to expand your network in Denmark. But how do you get started, and what should you be aware of?

See companies other students have collaborated with

Write your project with a company or organisation

Company collaboration

See companies other students have collaborated with

You will learn a lot from collaborating with someone outside the university - e.g. learn about your academic field, the Danish job market, and the inner workings of a business. Also, you will expand your network and have something special to add to your CV.

Project collaboration is an opportunity for most AAU students. Ask your semester coordinator if you're in doubt.

Source: Ballisager's recruitment analysis 2023

Danish companies' best advice

41 %

of the companies recommend writing your thesis in collaboration with a company to be in a strong position at the Danish job market

What is a project collaboration?

Your group can collaborate with a company or an organisation in your semester project. It usually happens in one of these ways:

The company has a project ready (maybe in AAU Jobbank) for you to work on.
You make a project proposal that you develop together with the company.

Your supervisor must approve the content.

You will not spend your days at the company, but you will have a contact person from the company, who will provide you with the necessary information.

Project collaboration - how and why?

Project collaboration: Network and insight

Project collaboration: Experience while studying

Good advice for effective collaboration

Find a company: If you do not already have a company in mind, maybe you can find a project proposal or an interesting company. You can also check which companies other students have collaborated with, or book career guidance to get some help.

Research and preparation: Research and familiarise yourself with the company and its line of work. Prepare questions that show your professional knowledge and interest in the company. Prepare concrete proposals for how the project could be designed and communicate clearly what the company will gain from it.

Take responsibility and follow up: Companies are usually quite busy, so you must take responsibility and follow up. It's an excellent opportunity to create a network in Denmark, so be professional and make a good impression.

Would you like to collaborate with a company abroad? You can do this, e.g., through a group trip or a project-oriented course (internship). You can apply for grants for both types of stays.

Use AI to find and prepare for a project collaboration

AI can help you identify relevant companies and organisations, explore potential areas for collaboration, and prepare for the first contact. It can also help you see how your academic background can be applied to real-world challenges.

Use AI for sparring. A project collaboration should be academically relevant to your studies and meaningful to the organisation. At AAU, the project must also be approved, so use the suggestions as inspiration for further dialogue with the organisation and your project supervisor.

Prompt example 1: Help us find collaboration partners

We are a project group studying [study programme] at Aalborg University. We will be working on a semester project within [topic/academic field].

Here is information about our academic background, interests and preliminary project ideas:

[insert information about requirements or project ideas, e.g. from the curriculum, previous projects, academic interests, or a preliminary research question]

Be our sparring partner and help us identify types of companies or organisations that could be relevant collaboration partners.

Suggest:

which types of companies or organisations we should look for
which parts of their work could be relevant to our academic background and competencies
which challenges or topics could be interesting to explore together
how we can identify specific potential collaboration partners
what we should research about them before making contact

Challenge our initial ideas if you can see other interesting connections between our academic background and the work of these organisations.

Prompt example 2: Help us explore project ideas with the organisation

We are considering writing our semester project in collaboration with this company/organisation:

[insert name, website and relevant links or information]

We are studying [study programme] at Aalborg University.

Here is information about our academic background, interests, and the requirements for our semester project:

[insert text, files and/or links, e.g. curriculum regulations, learning objectives, academic interests and preliminary ideas]

Be our sparring partner and help us explore possible connections between our academic background and the organisation’s work.

Suggest:

areas or challenges within the organisation that could be interesting to explore
how our academic knowledge and methods could contribute
what the organisation could potentially gain from the collaboration
what we, as students, could have the opportunity to explore and learn
which questions we should ask the organisation to help us develop the project idea together

Suggest several different possibilities rather than one finished research question. The project should be developed through dialogue between us and the organisation, and our supervisor at the university needs to approve it.

Prompt example 3: Help us prepare for the first conversation

My project group would like to contact [company/organisation] about a potential student project collaboration.

Here is information about the organisation:

[insert text and/or links]

Here is information about our degree programme, academic background, and preliminary interests:

[insert text, files and/or links]

Please also take into account that I am an international student from [country].

Help us prepare for our first conversation with the organisation.

Suggest:

what we should research before making contact
how we can briefly explain what a project collaboration could involve
how we can describe our academic background clearly and concisely in a way that is relevant to the organisation and does not require too much effort from them to understand
which questions we can ask to learn more about the organisation's current challenges and needs
how we can discuss what both the organisation and we could gain from the collaboration
if relevant, highlight any cultural differences that I should be aware of when reaching out to this Danish workplace

Be our sparring partner. Help us communicate clearly and concisely, so it takes as little effort as possible for the organisation to understand what we are proposing. Also help us find an approach that feels natural and curious rather than like a rehearsed sales pitch.

Written agreement on project collaboration

You can use a written agreement to ensure that you and your business partner agree on how the project will proceed. Some companies may also prefer to enter into a non-disclosure and rights agreement.

Should I sign an agreement?

Before you set out on a collaboration with a company, it can be a really good idea to sign a written agreement, in which you set the scope of the project. Remember to get your project supervisor at AAU to approve the agreement as well in order to make sure that the project is relevant for your programme and meet the requirements of the curriculum.

The collaboration agreement deals with the academic contents and should not be mistaken for a non-disclosure and rights agreement (see below).

Remember, that the purpose of the project is also that you have to take an exam. The company might have some wishes that you will not be able to grant within the scope of your project. Here, you might have to stick to content that matches the requirements of your curriculum.

A good collaboration agreement can help ensure, that you will not end up in this situation. Even though your supervisor is not obliged to interfere in potential conflicts or misunderstandings between your group and the company, she/he can be a help in such situations.

If there is a need to enter into a formal cooperation agreement, you can use AAU's nondisclosure and rights agreement.

Should I sign a non-disclosure agreement?

Should I sign a non-disclosure and rights agreement?

The non-disclosure and rights agreement should be made, for instance, if you invent a new product in connection to your project.

Therefore, it is not necessary in the majority of cases.

It is not a requirement that there has to be a signed a non-disclosure and rights agreement in connection to a student project. However, it is always a good idea to match expectations about the use of confidential material and property rights for the project results BEFORE the work is begun.

Generally, it is the company who will require a non-disclosure and rights agreement to be signed in connection to the project. As a student, you can decide for yourself what terms you are willing to accept in such an agreement.

AAU's template for Non-disclosure and rights agreement for student project

What should I remember to consider?

Remember, that the main goal is your exam!
Remember, that you and the company do not necessarily share the same interests
Be absolutely sure that you understand the terms and consequences of the agreement
Negotiate with the company, if some of the conditions in the agreement are unreasonable
Be realistic about what terms of the agreement you can achieve
Reconsider a new project, if the agreement is very unreasonable
Discuss the terms of the agreement with e.g. your supervisor or someone in the same field
Remember that your supervisor is your academic mentor and not your legal counsel
Seek professional guidance if necessary
Remember confidentiality
A project is only for a few months – an agreement might inconvenience you for years!

What are my rights and obligations?

As a student at AAU, your rights and obligations are independent of those of the university because you are not employed by the university. This means, that any inventions or other findings of value that you discover during a project belongs to you. This also means, that you have to finance any protection you may wish to have of these intellectual properties yourself.

If you sign a non-disclosure and rights agreement with a company in relation to a student project, you are therefore obliged to pay any potential compensation claims in case of a breach of the agreement.

Company collaboration

Company collaboration

Danish companies' best advice

Good advice for effective collaboration

Use AI to find and prepare for a project collaboration

Prompt example 1: Help us find collaboration partners

Prompt example 2: Help us explore project ideas with the organisation

Prompt example 3: Help us prepare for the first conversation

Written agreement on project collaboration

Should I sign an agreement?

Should I sign a non-disclosure agreement?

Should I sign a non-disclosure and rights agreement?

What should I remember to consider?

What are my rights and obligations?

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