The strategy will indicate how the university can be more proactive on the international arena and also how to develop the administrative support. According to the instruction, the internationalisation strategy will draw up visions and goals and include an action plan.

Maria Wikse, Head of International Affairs, Research Support Office, is appointed to propose a strategy after an initial inventory and mapping of existing internationalisation work and support. The strategy will be decided upon during the autumn 2018 and will be communicated through 2019. It will serve both as an independent document and as a part of the overall strategies.

Aiming for equality regardless of language

"Stockholm University should provide and function equally well for Swedish and international students, researchers, teachers and other staff", says Maria Wikse.

Researchers at the university, as well as research groups and departments, are already active on the global scene but the administrative system is designed as a Swedish public authority. An effect of this can be that only Swedish speaking staff may teach at first level or take on administrative tasks. There is therefore a need for goals and guiding principles that better integrate internationalisation within the university administration. And since internationalisation is to permeate all operations and environments, the university’s education also needs to strive towards a steadily more international and intercultural approach.

"The connection to what goes on at the departments is crucial", says Maria Wikse. The researchers are international on their own, the goal is to enhance and develop the administrative support. In a steadily more globalised sector, Stockholm University needs to increase its international presence and profile through a few carefully selected but highly strategic university partnerships and through an increased engagement in international networks that support research- and educational cooperation.  

Multi-level engagement

International work at the university is varied and includes central administration, faculties and departments, academy and administration. For instance: international research cooperations, research and student exchanges, recruitment, student mobility, networks, strategic partnerships, rankings, benchmarking and collaboration with other Swedish universities and foreign authorities

More about internationalisation at Stockholm University

More about the university’s overall strategies