Recent reports
Promoting Responsible Internationalisation in Education, Research, and Innovation Collaborations
A changing geopolitical situation presents new challenges for international collaborations in higher education, research, and innovation. The Swedish government therefore tasked the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), and Vinnova with developing national guidelines and proposing support measures for knowledge and experience exchanges to promote responsible internationalisation.
International collaborations and exchanges are crucial for the quality of Swedish higher education institutions, research, and innovation, and help enhance Sweden's competitiveness. However, the past few years have shown an increase in global uncertainty, resulting in geopolitical challenges that demand heightened awareness among universities, government research funders, and authorities regarding the need to safeguard national interests, knowledge, and technology in international collaborations and engagements.
Responsible internationalisation means that international collaborations should be conducted as openly as possible and as securely as necessary. Responsible internationalisation and the protection of Swedish education, research, and innovation are shared responsibilities of higher education institutions, research funders, and the government.
Objective of the Assignment
The assignment aims to develop national guidelines and propose support measures for knowledge and experience exchanges to promote responsible internationalisation at Swedish higher education institutions.
The national guidelines will provide direction for institutions' international activities and serve as a tool for assessing the risks associated with ongoing and potential collaborations from a security perspective.
Several countries have already taken measures for responsible internationalisation, such as implementing national guidelines or support structures focused on enhancing security in research activities while continuing to stimulate international collaboration. It is crucial for Sweden to keep pace with global developments in this regard.
Reporting
The assignment was reported in two stages:
Interim report
Proposals for national guidelines and a plan for additional forms of support for responsible internationalisation. The interim report was submitted to the Ministry of Education on 2 April 2024.
Interim Report on Responsible Internationalisation (pdf)
Final report
The final report includes proposals for a national support function aimed at providing assistance and enhancing the capability of institutions, authorities, and other stakeholders to act responsibly in matters related to internationalisation. The final report was submitted to the Ministry of Education on 16 December 2024.
Further Reading
To deepen the understanding of responsible internationalisation in a Swedish context, the agencies have collaborated with the researchers Sylvia Schwaag Serger, Professor of Research Policy, and Tommy Shih, Associate Professor of Business Administration. This was done through a research project, published in the report “Finding effective and acceptable approaches to managing international collaborations in a geopolitically turbulent world”. The project was partly funded within the frame for the Government assignment. The collaboration has provided knowledge and insights that have contributed to the design of the proposals in this report.
Contact
The contact persons for the assignment are Anders Ahlstrand and Maria Högemark. (firstname.lastname@uhr.se)