Upward trend for SLU’s international programmes

Compared with the previous year, applications to international master’s programmes rose by approximately 8 per cent. Looking specifically at the number of first-choice applications, the increase was around 5 per cent. This is welcome news and demonstrates that SLU’s long-term, collaborative efforts continue to attract students from across the globe.

International student recruitment at SLU

Over the past year, SLU has participated in several international recruitment initiatives. Among these was the Study in Sweden tour in the United States, organised by SIREUS in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy. The tour included stops in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Minneapolis and St Peter, where SLU met both prospective students and representatives from universities.

SLU has also been active in Indonesia through its participation in the European Higher Education Fair in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Indonesia has long been a priority focus area for SLU and has demonstrated strong potential as a future recruitment market.

Alongside these on-site activities, SLU maintains a strong digital presence, including through the platforms Educations.com and Unibuddy – a service that enables direct contact between prospective and current students. Over the past year, SLU’s international student ambassadors, a group of 10–12 students, have held personal chat conversations with nearly 700 prospective students. SLU has also taken part in eight online fairs promoted by the Swedish Institute and targeted at different regions around the world.

Social media also plays an important role in showcasing student life at SLU. In this context, the Instagram account @studyatslu is the most significant channel, where SLU’s digital student ambassadors share content that provides an authentic insight into both academic studies and student life.

In addition to these joint initiatives, SLU’s faculties also carry out targeted activities to attract international students. Together, these efforts help to strengthen the image of SLU and increase awareness of the university as an attractive choice for students worldwide.

"There is great potential in recruiting international students, and it is inspiring to represent a university of high international quality. At the same time, we must remain attentive to the challenges students face in an increasingly changing world. By engaging directly with students, we gain valuable and strategically important insights into their needs, how trends are evolving, and how SLU can continue to develop as a relevant and attractive university – both now and in the future," says Elin Helgsten, who works with international student recruitment at the Division of Communication.