Vinnova: Swedish proposal for indicative national guidelines for responsible internationalisation

Sweden is heavily dependent on collaborations with the outside world for development and prosperity. Three authorities are now submitting proposals for how internationalisation within research, innovation and education can take place while protecting Sweden's national interests.

Openness is the basis for international cooperation, while there needs to be an awareness of the need to protect both national and academic interests and values, knowledge and technology. The work with responsible internationalisation is thus of great importance for Swedish actors in innovation, research and education to be able to conduct their international cooperation so that it is safe, prudent, trustworthy, mutual and sustainable.

This is evident from a first interim report published today by the University and College Council (UHR), which, together with Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council, has been tasked by the government with promoting responsible internationalisation in higher education, research and innovation.

The three authorities also propose a system where the responsibility for responsible internationalisation is distributed on three levels in the system:

• Policy with overall strategic direction for responsible internationalisation decided by government or parliament.
• Guiding national guidelines with assessments and positions that need to be taken into account in the work with responsible internationalisation.
• Guidelines for the company's own activities, which are drawn up by universities, financiers and other actors based on the guiding national guidelines, and are adapted.

The system must become a support for conducting international activities as openly as possible and as securely as necessary. The authorities are continuing with the government's task of developing a proposal for national support for responsible internationalisation. The assignment must be reported on 15 December 2024.

This article was first published on 2 April by Vinnova.