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Responsible internationalisation and exchanges

This page provides information about international mobility for employees at Södertörn University. Here you can find details about available exchange programmes, how to apply for travel and mobility funding, and the procedures for establishing new collaborations and exchange agreements.

The page also includes information about current calls and upcoming information meetings for staff. This page is currently under development.

Newsletter

Here you can access the newsletter from the International Office, which contains up-to-date information about ongoing activities related to internationalisation at the university.

New for 2026 is that the newsletter is now available in English for non-Swedish-speaking staff. Previous newsletters can be read in Swedish below.

Contact information

Contact details for International Office.

Head of Unit

Ronald Nordqvist

Erasmus+, collaborations/agreements, KreativEU: WP7 lead, Internationalisation Council

Felicia Fernelius
Contact: international@sh.se
For questions regarding collaborations within KreativEU: kreativeu@sh.se

Scholarships, Minor Field Studies, tuition fees

Luca Clemente (Zakia Khan on leave)
Contact: international@sh.se

Mobility

  • Outgoing students
    Lin Herngren & Vanessa Mate Romul
  • Incoming students and Erasmus+ staff and teacher exchange
    Hidehisa Matsumoto
  • Short-term mobility, BIP courses, KreativEU: WP7 officer
    Caroline Ljunggren

Exchange matters, short-term mobility and BIP courses for students: exchange@sh.se
Questions about staff and teacher exchange: international@sh.se
Questions about KreativEU: kreativeu@sh.se

International marketing and student recruitment
Aydin Mammadov
Contact: international@sh.se

Student, visiting researcher and doctoral housing
Susanne Bartholdsson (Aibek Hakimov on parental leave)
Ali Rezaei
Contact: accommodation@sh.se

Responsible internationalisation

Internationalisation is an important area of development in the university’s development plan. At Södertörn University, we reflect on our role and responsibility in a globalised knowledge environment. It is our shared responsibility to maintain and deepen these collaborations in a responsible way, which includes managing and minimising risks in all partnerships.

At the same time as the university continues to promote academic mobility and international collaborations, the changing global security situation means that openness must be combined with increased awareness of potential risks in order to make as well-informed decisions as possible. Responsible internationalisation means that international collaborations should be conducted as openly as possible and as securely as necessary. They should also help strengthen the protection of fundamental academic values, as well as staff, students, research results, and other assets.

The work on responsible internationalisation is complex, and a long-term approach is essential. Experience and expertise need to be built over time, and in order to manage difficult trade-offs, a culture of responsible internationalisation must therefore be established at multiple levels within higher education institutions.

Responsible internationalisation involves creating the conditions for international collaboration by:

  • Making an overall assessment of the collaboration’s benefits, feasibility, impacts, and potential risks before and during the collaboration
  • Drawing on Södertörn University’s ethical principles and core values

Responsible internationalisation is an area where regulatory frameworks are currently being developed, and it may give rise to complex and challenging questions. As a member of staff, you are welcome to contact the International Office with any questions in the meantime—we will respond to the extent possible or refer to them further if needed. Please email: international@sh.se

Staff planning to initiate new collaborations and exchange agreements are encouraged to use the SUHF checklist “Global Responsible Engagement” as support in the process.

Follow the link to find internal and external resources with information and guidance intended for you as a member of staff.

Exchange agreements

Södertörn University has exchange agreements with approximately 130 partner universities worldwide, across all continents except Australia. The university is also part of the European University Alliance KreativEU, which involves deeper strategic collaborations in education, research, and external engagement.

More information about the participating institutions is available on KreativEU’s own page: European University Alliance KreativEU

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.

Link to list of Södertörn’s exchange agreements for teachers and students. External link, opens in new window.

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

  • You must be employed by Södertörn University.
  • The mobility period must last at least two days and at most two months, excluding travel days.
  • When you return, you must submit certification of a completed exchange, signed by the host organisation. A link to a compulsory evaluation will be emailed to you.
  • You must have your manager’s support for participation in the mobility period before you apply.

  • You must be employed by Södertörn University.
  • You must have support for the exchange from your line manager.
  • There must be a valid Erasmus agreement with the university you wish to visit.
  • You must teach for at least eight hours per week during your stay. The mobility period must last at least two days and at most two months, excluding travel days.
  • A teaching exchanged can be combined with staff training. If so, you must teach at least four hours per week.

Applications are open between 15 August and 2 June.

Your complete application must be submitted at least one month prior to a planned exchange, so you must plan the exchange in good time.

Note that no applications will be processed during the summer due to annual leave.

Download your Mobility Agreement below. You can also read our checklist and practical tips to make applying easier.

Each application is assessed individually based on the purpose of the mobility and the requirements. Please note that the number of approved applications depends on the available Erasmus budget.

Do you need help with your application? Contact International Office at least two months before your planned exchange. Contact: international@sh.se

Studies

Doctoral students can study at one of the university’s partner universities. You can study 5–30 days or 2–12 months. Your period of study must be at the same university for an uninterrupted period.

Preparatory thesis activities

The mobility does not need to provide higher education credits to be approved, but it must be approved as part of your programme at the university. As a doctoral student, you must have a supervisor at the home university, but there is not requirement for a supervisor at the receiving university – even if this is strongly recommended.

No credits are necessary from the host university, but the mobility must be registered and recognised by the home university. Your own academic school/subject evaluates how many credits the exchange is equivalent to. Always check with your supervisor before planning any mobility.

Erasmus + traineeship

As a doctoral student, you also have the opportunity to go on a placement in a programme nation (i.e. EU/EEA). The traineeship can be 5–30 days or 2–12 months. The placement can be conducted at a company, organisation, university or research and education centre. You may even use the traineeship to gain research experience, collect data or to write your thesis.

Read more about exchange opportunities for staff and teachers above. Please contact International Office if you have any questions.

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.

The Chair of the Council is Professor Cecilia Sjöholm. And administrative support is provided by International Officer Felicia Fernelius.

  • School of Historical and Contemporary Studies
  • School of Culture and Education
  • School of Social Sciences
  • School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies
  • School of Teacher Education
  • One representative from the Faculty Board
  • One representative from the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES)
  • One representative from the School of Police Studies
  • Three student representatives, including one doctoral student

Below is information about the Internationalisation Council’s calls aimed at the university’s teaching staff and researchers. Each year, the Council announces funding to promote internationalisation in both education and research.

The current call is presented below:

The Internationalisation Council announces funding to promote internationalisation in research and education for 2026–2027

Funding can be applied for in three different categories:

  • Projects focused on international collaboration in teaching
    (including Blended Mobility)
  • Funding for international research collaborations and exchanges
  • Teacher mobility
    (the application covers funding for planning time and implementation of teacher mobility. Travel and accommodation are funded through a separate Erasmus+ teacher exchange application)

The funding can be used until 30 September 2027.

Application period: 18 March – 11 May 2026
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis during this period. Decision date: 26 May 2026.

Final application deadline: 11 May 2026

Applications should be sent to: international@sh.se

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Last updated: 2026-04-17 by Linda Dimrå

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