Tænketanken DEA
In short
“Tænketanken DEA” is Denmark’s leading think tank on education and research, and its CEO, Stina Vrang Elias, is one of the most established voices in the Danish education debate. With uddannelsesglæde – the joy of learning – DEA introduced a distinctive perspective on education at a time when the public conversation was increasingly shaped by questions of wellbeing, pressure and performance. SJ&K advised DEA on strategic communication, thematic positioning and leadership communication.
Project details
Danish education is undergoing some of the most significant reforms in decades. From upper secondary education and vocational training to universities and lifelong learning, structures are changing rapidly – while fundamental questions about quality, motivation and the purpose of education remain.
DEA has positioned itself at the centre of these debates by combining independent analysis with an ambition to shape the questions that define Danish education. In 2025, uddannelsesglæde became a focal point in that work.
Rather than approaching education primarily through the language of problems and declining wellbeing, DEA used uddannelsesglæde to open a broader conversation about curiosity, learning, professional pride and the positive role education can play in people’s lives. An anthology brought together 11 prominent voices from across the sector, each contributing perspectives on what creates joy in learning and what it takes to strengthen it across schools and educational institutions.
The theme resonated beyond the publication itself. Across public debate, events and Stina Vrang Elias’s own engagement in the education sector, uddannelsesglæde developed into a recognizable lens for discussing some of the fundamental choices facing Danish education.
For DEA, the work demonstrated the strength of combining rigorous knowledge with a clear thematic perspective: not only producing analysis about the education system, but helping formulate the ideas and questions through which its future is discussed.
Today, uddannelsesglæde forms part of DEA’s wider public position – and of Stina Vrang Elias’s role as a prominent voice in the Danish education debate.