Internationalisation

Last changed: 26 May 2026

Internationalisation refers to international collaborations in research, environmental analysis or education, as well as student and staff exchanges, but also includes recruitment and reception of international employees and students, foreign travel and international visits. The university's participation in international networks contributes to long-term sustainability and provides opportunities for in-depth collaboration at all levels within the organisation.

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International collaboration, recruitment and exchange are crucial to ensuring quality and relevance in the university's operations. Internationalisation refers to the strategic process and practical activities that aim to integrate international and global dimensions in education, research and environmental analysis.

In accordance with SLU's strategy (2026–2030) and core values, all international activities shall be characterised by quality, resource efficiency, academic rigor, creativity, openness and responsibility.

SLU's policy for internationalisation is under development and will be published here when it is decided.

Responsible internationalisation – what does it mean?

All internationalisation should be conducted responsibly, meaning that international collaborations and interactions should be mutually beneficial, conducted as open as possible and as restricted as necessary. Important aspects to consider include:

  • research ethics
  • academic freedom
  • data management
  • values ​​and reciprocity and
  • responsibility for employees and students.

In a complex geopolitical situation, the importance of including security considerations, such as the protection of research results and other assets, increases.

National guidelines

Since 2026, Sweden has national guidelines for responsible internationalisation for all Swedish authorities. The guidelines draw attention to both the opportunities and challenges of internationalisation and emphasise the importance of a comprehensive, proportionate assessment of risks and opportunities.

In order to clarify the conditions in one's own and the partner's operations, as well as the contextual conditions (e.g. legislation and regulations) in the countries involved, the guidelines are based on five dimensions – the Swedish context, the foreign context, one's own operations, the partner's operations, and the design of the collaboration.

Each of the dimensions should be analysed in the combined assessment of benefits and risks of international interactions.

At The Swedish Research Council web, you can read the national guidelines (summary in English)

Comprehensive assessments

For activities and work processes at SLU that take place in an international context, a comprehensive assessment of relevance, benefits and risks is required in accordance with the national guidelines.

In particular, this applies to recruitment, research and educational collaborations, student exchanges, trips abroad and international visits. Under Guidance below, you will find information to support questions and decisions regarding these work processes. There you will also find tools and support for how you can make a systematic risk assessment.

If you need consultation or guidance in making a balanced assessment, contact internationalisering@slu.se.

Support materials for making balanced assessments:

Guidance

Here you can find information for support regarding questions and decisions about internationalisation:

Human resources

SLU hires based on merit and skill. As a public authority, we are obliged to hire the candidate who best meets the qualifications for the position. The Division Human Resources offers support throughout the recruitment process. When hiring and welcoming international staff, information and support material has been produced about what it means to move to and work in Sweden. Below are links to more information:

For international employees

For international guests (e.g. visiting researchers)

The person inviting a visiting researcher or other external resource to be active at SLU is responsible for making a balanced assessment of the person's suitability to stay at our premises. There should always be a clearly defined purpose for the visiting researcher's stay. The manager who provides physical or virtual access to SLU is responsible.

Remember to check whether the person needs a residence permit for the visit, and refer to the Swedish Migration Agency.

SLU employee stationed abroad

As a public authority, SLU is not legally allowed to employ an employee working in another country. The same rules apply to all Swedish agencies. An exception is if the employee is resident in Sweden and is stationed abroad on an international secndment. Read more about international secondments here.

For you as a manager (only in Swedish)

Internationella anställningar - chefsportalen (you need to be logged in on he portal for managers)

For HR-administrators (only in Swedish)

 

Student issues

SLU receives more than 500 students with an international background annually, and a large proportion of our students also go on exchange, courses, fieldwork, conferences or other activities. Student-related matters are handled by the Division of Student and Academic Services.

Exchange students and international students

Exchange studies is a mean to gain international experience, build networks and take courses that are not offered at the home university. The mobility team handles all matters and answers questions that concern both incoming and outgoing exchange students.

The external SLU website contains information for prospective international students who are not exchange students, i.e. international program students and international students taking individual courses.

Fieldwork and internships abroad

Students at SLU can do their degree project or complete an internship abroad. Under certain conditions, students can also receive scholarships. Special scholarships are available for fieldwork in low- and middle-income countries.

Foreign travel

SLU follows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' instructions regarding travel security. This means that non-essential travel to risk areas should be avoided, and that it is never allowed to send students to areas where travel the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel. If you have essential travel to areas with an increased security risk, it is recommended that you undergo security training.

International collaboration

For all international collaborations, a comprehensive and proportionate assessment must be made between the opportunities and values ​​the activity creates and the threats, risks and vulnerabilities that may arise.

A comprehensive assessment of a collaboration should show which

  • positive effects are expected
  • risks and vulnerabilities that may arise
  • which measures are reasonable in relation to both the risk level and expected benefit.

The assessment should also describe the consequences of not collaborating, as this may be relevant to long-term quality, supply of skills and strategic scope for action.

The analysis on which the assessment is based should include both the Swedish and foreign contexts, both SLU's and the collaboration partner's activities, and the design of the collaboration itself.

Guidelines, checklists and tools

Background information

International visits

Most international visits are handled directly by the faculty or department, division or researcher. The Academy Stewards assists with official international visits at university management level.

At all levels, a balanced assessment must be made before a decision is made about a visit. There must be a clear purpose for why SLU is hosting the visit and the content must be designed accordingly. As a basis for decisions about the possibility of hosting visits and for planning, the expectations and goals of both visitors and SLU must be carefully considered.

Tools for risk assessment

Risk and opportunity assessments are an integral part of all academic work. For example, they are a central aspect of the evaluation of research ideas: Is it possible to answer a specific research question? What obstacles can prevent the project from succeeding? What new opportunities can arise if it succeeds?

In a similar way, risks and benefits of international collaborations can be described, which is often seen in funding applications or agreements between parties. In some contexts, it might be necessary to systematically weigh opportunities and value-creating effects against possible risks. Opportunities can, for example, concern long-term knowledge development, network building or scientific development, while risks commonly concern safety, ethics or reputation.

A systematic analysis of opportunities and risks facilitates decision-making on proportionate risk management measures and activities and clarifies the broader goals of the activity by concretising the values ​​that can arise. In the report “Risk and opportunity assessment for international collaboration activities” (link in the list below), STINT provides advice on the analysis of risks and opportunities and what trade-offs can be made.

To support risk assessment, there is a template you can download here:
Risk assessment template (pdf)

Material for support in risk assessments

Funding opportunities

There are many opportunities for external funding of international collaborations. The funding opportunities database Pivot is a powerful tool available to all employees and students at SLU. The Grants Office and SLU Global offer support and information on funding opportunities.

Erasmus+ and Nordplus can offer funding for different types of international educational projects. Erasmus+ also funds teacher and staff exchanges. Doctoral students can take advantage of Erasmus+ or SLU's travel grants for doctoral students.