Internationalisation
This page provides information about selected areas of the university’s internationalisation activities, exchange opportunities for employees, and how to apply for travel funding.
Södertörn University has numerous partner universities and provides exchange agreements for teachers and students. The Internationalisation Policy and Action Plan are available here.
Policy and Action Plan
The university’s Internationalisation Policy and Action Plan are available here, as well as the vice-chancellor’s decision on the establishment of the Advisory Board for Internationalisation and an academic reference group for student grants.
The Advisory Board for Internationalisation
The Advisory Board for Internationalisation is a collegial body that acts as a steering committee for international issues and provides advice to university management.
Responsible internationalisation
Changes in the geopolitical situation have placed new demands on Swedish higher education institutions’ approach to international cooperation. For a country like Sweden, which is in many ways heavily reliant on global cooperation for its development and prosperity, internationalisation is vital. But, if we are to make the most informed decisions possible, we must be more aware of potential risks.
Responsible internationalisation means that international cooperation is conducted as transparently as possible and as safely as necessary. It will also help to reinforce protection for fundamental academic values, as well as for staff, students, research results and other assets.
Exchange agreements
Södertörn University has exchange agreements with around 130 partner universities globally. These currently cover all areas of the world except Australia.
The majority of the university’s exchange agreements are signed within the Erasmus+ programme. The university also has individual agreements with a number of non-European universities, known as bilateral agreements, which are not part of any exchange programme. Most of the university’s contracts are signed at the university-wide level, but there are some contracts that are signed directly by the academic schools.
Exchange agreements allow students to spend a semester or academic year at a partner university without paying tuition fees. These may also include mobility for teachers, doctoral students and administrative staff. You can read more about exchange opportunities further down the page.
Do you have contacts at a foreign university that you think the university could develop into a partnership or exchange agreement? Please contact the International Office for more information.
Contact: international@sh.se
Link to list of Södertörn’s exchange agreements for teachers and students.
Mobility-Online Portal 
External link.
Things to consider when signing a new exchange agreement
Before signing an exchange agreement, it must be clear what the partnership will result in. The partnership must have a high level of internal support, for example at the relevant school, department or administrative unit. Agreements should be fixed-term and able to be terminated.
It is also important to consider the university’s internationalisation in general, the other university’s reputation and quality, demand from students and teachers, the previous balance between incoming and outgoing students/teachers, as well as the long-term perspective and potential for development.
Before establishing a new exchange agreement, asking questions such as the following can helpful as guidance for new international cooperation.
- What is the purpose of the partnership?
- Does the agreement have the support of the academic school?
- Is there potential for development and expansion in additional subjects?
- Does the partnership add diversity to the university’s exchange opportunities?
- Can the partnership contribute to internationalisation at home?
- What commitments and conditions, and rights and obligations, does the university have?
To ensure the quality of and support for a new partnership, there is a checklist that must be completed before a new exchange agreement can be established. This also has information about the university's Guidelines for international partnership agreements.
Checklist when signing an exchange agreement
The vice-chancellor has validated the “Guidelines for international partnership agreements” (reg. no. 1191-1.1.2-2017). The guidelines aim to assure the agreement’s quality and to clarify the agreement process for international partnerships, and include a process description and checklist for new mobility agreements.
Please contact International Office if you have any questions.
Exchanges for employees
Supporting and enabling exchanges is a prioritised issue and is a matter for all university employees, as is receiving visiting lecturers and incoming staff for job shadowing, experience exchanges or teaching.
International staff mobility strengthens the university’s international expertise and contacts and contributes to skills development, external monitoring and a welcoming work environment. Mobility helps increase the quality of activities and professional development for individual employees. Employees participate in the exchanges during regular working hours and need the authorisation of their line manager.
Erasmus+ staff and teacher exchanges
A staff exchange through Erasmus+ provides teaching staff, technical and administrative staff or doctoral students at Södertörn University with the opportunity for skills development and international professional experience through a visit of at least two days at a higher education institution, organisation or business in a country that is part of the Erasmus programme.
The Erasmus programme also gives teaching staff the opportunity to travel and teach at one of the university’s partner universities and participate in other teaching cultures. A teacher exchange can contribute to developing your educational expertise, strengthening contacts and initiating partnership projects. Similarly, subjects and schools at the university can welcome incoming teaching staff as visiting lecturers.
- On a staff exchange, you can “shadow” a colleague at a foreign higher education institution. This means you follow their daily activities to gain insight into how they carry out their work, and you both have the opportunity to exchange experiences. The activities in which you participate should be further training in your area of work.
- Participate in training on various themes – Erasmus Staff Weeks.
- Information about the various Staff Weeks/International Weeks is available at Staff weeks search | IMOTION (staffmobility.eu). External link.
- You can participate in courses, seminars or workshops. This has to be for training in your area of work.
- On teacher exchanges, teaching staff can travel and spend a period teaching at another European higher education institution.
- Teacher exchanges include all types of teaching, regardless of level, which could be lectures, seminars, examinations or supervision.
- Please note that academic conferences and research trips are not approved activities.
Terms and conditions
Questions?
Contact details for International Office.
Information
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