Physics research at Lund University in Sweden.
Photo: Mikael Risedal/Lunds Universitet
In the fall of 2010, a total of 374,000 people applied for admission to universities and university colleges, an increase of 4 percent from 2009. Of the 374,000 applicants, 240,000 were admitted. Higher education in Sweden is financed largely by tax revenue. Until now, this has applied to all students regardless of their nationality. From 2011, however, tuition fees will be introduced for students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. The Government believes that Swedish higher education should compete in terms of quality and good conditions, not just by providing free education.
Grants should attract students
To enable students who cannot pay tuition fees to study in Sweden, the Government has allocated resources for two new scholarship programs. One of these, totaling SEK 30 million a year, awards grants through the Swedish Institute. Aimed at highly qualified students from countries with which Sweden has long-term development projects, it is designed to cover both living costs and tuition fees. The other program is aimed at highly qualified students from countries outside the EU or EEA.
Responsibilities and targets
Grants in this second program are intended to cover tuition fees and are awarded through the International Program Office for Education and Training to universities and university colleges that already give grants to students.
In Sweden, the Riksdag (parliament) and government have overall responsibility for higher education and research, which means that they make decisions about targets, guidelines and the allocation of resources. Education and research fall under the scope of the Ministry of
Education and Research.
The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education is the central government agency responsible for matters concerning higher education, but universities and university colleges are separate government entities and make their own decisions about the content of courses, admissions, grades and other related issues. Research in Sweden is financed and promoted primarily by the Swedish Research Council.
Aims of higher education
The aims of higher education are governed largely by the Swedish Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance. They specify that all education at universities and university colleges should be based on scientific principles.
Education should provide:
- Knowledge and skills in the relevant areas.
- An ability to make independent critical assessments.
- An ability to identify, formulate and solve problems.
- Preparedness for changes in the student’s professional life.
Universities and university colleges have to ensure that students with disabilities have the same opportunities for study as other students.
Greater freedom
A reform introducing greater autonomy will come into effect January 1, 2011. More freedom will allow Sweden’s universities and university colleges to perform better in a highly competitive international sector. Among other changes, the reform provides universities and university colleges with more powers to determine their own internal structures. Two principles must always be observed: decisions that require an expert opinion must be made by two people with scientific or artistic expertise, and students are entitled to representation when decisions relating to education or student issues are made.
A new quality assurance system is being introduced in conjunction with the reforms, to improve results in degree programs. Universities and university colleges with higher quality degree programs will be given increased funding. Evaluation will be carried out by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education.
Funding
Eighty percent of funding for Sweden’s universities and university colleges comes from the government, with 65 percent of this coming in direct government grants. A further 7 percent comes from other public sources of funding, which means that almost 88 percent of financing is in the form of public funds. The remaining funding comes from private sources and financial revenue. For 2009, the total cost for universities and university colleges was SEK 54.1 billion.
Students at the university library in Stockholm.
Photo: Plattform/Johnér
New admission rules
Admission to a Swedish university or university college is dependent on specific qualifications. If there are more applicants than openings, a selection is made from among those qualified.
To meet general admissions requirements for a university or university college, students must have a school-leaving certificate from a high school or municipal adult education program in Sweden or have completed high school education outside Sweden. Studies at a “folkhögskola” (adult further education program) can also qualify students for higher education.
In the fall of 2010, new admission rules and a new selection system came into effect. One change concerns “credit increments,” which applicants can earn if they have taken advanced courses at high school, such as in mathematics or in any foreign languages.
Shared goals across Europe
The Swedish system of higher education has changed significantly in recent years as a result of what is known as the Bologna Process. The aim is to create an integrated European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The Bologna Declaration makes it easier for European students to study abroad. Photo: Johan Jeppsson
The Bologna Declaration derives its name from a meeting held in Bologna in 1999. A declaration signed there by 29 countries makes it easier for students and university graduates seeking jobs to move across national borders within Europe. More than 40 countries have signed up to the agreement. Its three goals are to:
- Promote mobility.
- Promote employability.
- Promote Europe’s competitiveness as an education continent.
For Sweden, the Bologna Process has led to the Swedish Riksdag voting to ratify the Lisbon Convention, which entails reciprocal recognition of degrees in other countries. Another result is that everyone who earns a university degree receives a diploma supplement, which makes it easier to use the degree abroad for further studies or employments.
New structure
As part of adapting its higher education system to the rest of Europe’s, Sweden introduced a new structure for education and degrees with three levels, starting in 2007. All higher education programs were divided into Bachelor, Master and research levels. Each level requires that students have a degree from the preceding level of study. The new system is compatible with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Read more about how the system is structured on the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education’s website:
www.hsv.se
Greater revenue
University and university college revenue for research and education at the research level was almost SEK 30 billion in 2009, an increase of 1.9 billion or 7 percent over the preceding year.
A substantial rise in government funding for research during the four-year period 2009-2012 accounts for much of the increase, but there was a similar rise in funding from external bodies.
The EU also contributed to a greater extent than previously. In 2009 higher education institutions received EU funding of about SEK 1.3 billion.
Major investments in R&D
Sweden aims to be a leading research country and one of the most R&D-intensive countries in the world, and to have research that is both broad and specialized.
Sweden allocates almost 4 percent (about USD 1,100 per capita) of GDP to research and development, which has led to the country taking a leading position in several areas. One is environmental technology, particularly the treatment of emissions and toxic substances in production and manufacturing processes. Sweden also has a high level of expertise in nanotechnology research, where several major Swedish companies—including ABB, Sandvik and Höganäs—have become market leaders.
In a bid to improve Sweden’s competitive edge, the Swedish Government makes considerable investments in research and innovation during 2009-2012. About SEK 110 billion are earmarked for this purpose.
The bulk of Swedish research, 75 percent, is financed by companies. For research at universities and university colleges, the government is the largest source of funding. The most important sources of government financing for research apart from direct grants are research councils and other agencies.
There are four government bodies that primarily fund research:
The Swedish Research Council. Allocated about SEK 4 billion in 2009 in the natural sciences, technology, medicine, humanities and social sciences.
www.vr.se
Formas, the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning. Allocated about SEK 850 million in 2009 for the environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning.
www.formas.se
FAS, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research. Allocated about SEK 400 million in 2009 for labor market issues, work organization, work and health, public health, welfare, social services and social relations.
www.fas.se
VINNOVA, the Swedish Agency for • Innovation Systems. Allocated about SEK 1.4 billion in 2009 primarily for research into technology, transportation, communication and working life.
www.vinnova.se
There are several foundations that fund research, an important complement to government funding. In 2009, private foundations gave about SEK 1.3 billion to research. The largest research foundations are:
SSF, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.
www.stratresearch.se
Mistra, the Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research.
www.mistra.org
The Knowledge Foundation.
www.kks.se
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies.
www.ostersjostiftelsen.se
The Vårdal Foundation.
www.vardal.se
STINT, the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education.
www.stint.se
SEK 1 (Swedish krona) = USD 0,14 or EUR 0,10 (December 2010)
Publisher:
Swedish Institute
Published:
December 2010
Copyright:
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