A group of Chinese engineering students have ended a week-long tour to Denmark as part of a Sino-Danish program to boost professional links between the two countries.

The six students from Shanghai, are among the best performers at their respective universities, and were selected after a rigorous competition. The visit showed them opportunities in Danish science research programs, and how the country's biggest brands cooperate with its graduate academies.

As such, the winners made exclusive visits to top Danish firms such as shipping company A.P. Moeller-Maersk, pharmaceutical maker Novo Nordisk, and catalyst manufacturer Haldor Topsoee during their trip. They also experienced a range of engineering studies on offer here, through visits to Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the IT University, and Aalborg University's Copenhagen campus.

Besides, Dr. Shaobo Sun, Chairman of Chinese Associations for Sci-tech, Culture and Education in Denmark (CASCED), shared the local study and living experience with the students, during their visit to DTU.

The students' official tour, which ran March 26-31, saw them record and report their experiences via video diary and Weibo blog posts. The idea is to inspire other Chinese student to consider Denmark as a destination for their higher studies and careers.

The visiting students, now back home in China, were impressed by the close links between the business and higher-education sectors in Denmark.

"Tight cooperation between universities and companies in Denmark utilizes the transition from study to work which makes the educational investment more efficient. This definitely stands out for Denmark as a desired destination for study and work abroad," said Bao Weining, 22, who studies electrical engineering at Fudan University.

Catalyst maker Haldor Topsoee, for instance, has worked with DTU on projects for the past two years to solve real world engineering problems encountered by the company, leading to direct recruitment of graduates to jobs within the firm afterwards.

"We have to get hold of international students as early as possible in their careers, and attract them to our company," said Jesper Lemmich, the company's human resources chief.

"That way, we can influence their education and make it business-oriented," he told local media during the Chinese students' visit.

Other winners, such as Hu Minfei, who previously also won a China national contest on energy saving measures, were impressed both by Danish engineering's advances in sustainable energy technologies, and the open working conditions the country offers.

"In Denmark, working hard is not enough. Here you have to be critical, creative, innovative, willing to discuss, independent, social and ready for teamwork," Hu, who studies Energy Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told Berlingske Tidende daily during the trip.

Denmark wants to promote itself as a relaxed, business-friendly knowledge center open to international students and workers. The capital Copenhagen and second-city Aarhus already host clusters of creative and clean technology industries, as well as life science and IT hubs.

Back in Shanghai, the six winners will act as Sino-Danish Network agents and help promote study and career opportunities in Denmark to Chinese students.