Umeå University is part of a number of university-wide international collaborations. Through these, we want to promote knowledge exchange, and strengthen research as well as education.
Umeå University participates in three university-wide collaborative projects with countries outside of Europe: Japan (Mirai), South Africa (SASUF), and South Korea (SKERIC). We are also part of a university-wide project collaboration with Italy (Swetaly).
Mirai
"Mirai" - future! is a project to strengthen academic cooperation in education, research and innovation between Swedish and Japanese universities. The project is specifically directed towards researchers who are in the early stages of their career. The topic and focus is sustainability, materials science and aging.
Since 2024 Umeå University is the Swedish coordinator of the project.
Visit the MIRAI website
Read more about Umeå University's participation in MIRAI
Local contact at Umeå University: Jenny Ahlinder Hagberg or Ingrid Svensson
Project coordinator for MIRAI in Sweden: Juanita Vélez Olivera
South Africa - Sweden University Forum (SASUF)
A collaborative STINT-project between universities, organizations and authorities in Sweden and South Africa. SASUF 2030 is a continuation of the pilot project that was carried out in 2018-2020. Uppsala University coordinates the project. Umeå University participates together with 39 other Swedish and South African universities in the project.
During the years 2022 - 2024, researchers, students, companies, research financiers and authorities from Sweden and South Africa are offered opportunities for various forms of collaboration to strengthen existing relations between the two countries, as well as establish new forms of sustainable collaboration with a focus on younger researchers.
Visit SASUF's website
Read more about Umeå University's participation in SASUF 2030
Contact at Umeå University: Jessica Bergström Grahn
Sweden Korea Education, Research, and Innovation Collaboration (SKERIC)
SKERIC, the Sweden Korea Education, Research, and Innovation Collaboration, aims to equip some of the best and brightest young researchers and innovators with the necessary tools, skills, and networks to become leading researchers, academic leaders, and outstanding innovators, capable of addressing with current societal challenges and working for democracy and academic freedom.
The participating Swedish universities, in addition to Umeå University, are the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Lund University, Gothenburg University and Uppsala University. Korean partners in the project are Korea University, Seoul National University and Pohang University of Science and Technology. The project is also conducted in collaboration with the Swedish embassy in Seoul.
In addition to the innovation and research component of SKERIC, several higher education institutions are collaborating on student recruitment. Sweden is highlighted as a nation of knowledge and one of the sub-goals is to increase the number of students from this region to the higher education institutions.
SKERIC:s wepage
Contacts at Umeå University: Helena Gradin (research collaboration) and Petra Käck (student recruitment)
Swetaly
Swetaly University Collaboration is a collaboration that will strengthen relations between Sweden and Italy in research and higher education.
Three themes are the starting point for the collaboration; artificial intelligence (AI), aging and academic freedom/at-risk researchers.
The University of Gothenburg coordinates the project together with Örebro University and the University of Padova.
Contact at Umeå University: Ingrid Svensson
The university is a member of several international networks with different specialisations, consisting of higher education institutions, research institutes, and other organisations. The networks aim to share experience and knowledge through joint activities and projects.
Baltic University Programme (BUP)
BUP is a network of over 200 higher education institutions in the Baltic Sea area. The programme creates and coordinates courses at the undergraduate and master level at its participating institutions, and sponsors joint research projects with a focus on sustainable development in the region. In addition to courses, conferences are held annually for students and university teachers. BUP is coordinated by Uppsala University.
Contact at Umeå University: Ingrid Svensson
Read more about the Baltic University Programme
Council for Doctoral Education EUA-CDE
The EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) was launched in 2008 on the initiative of the European University Association and responded to a growing interest in postgraduate education in Europe. The network covers more than 30 countries and 230 universities and colleges. The purpose of the EUA-CDE is to strengthen postgraduate education at European universities and thus contribute to increased competitiveness with the rest of the world.
Contact at Umeå University: Ester Roos-Engstrand
Read more about Council for Doctoral Education EUA-CDE
The Nordic Association of University Administrators (NUAS)
NUAS was founded in 1976 and is a member-driven collaborative organization with 65 members of universities and colleges. A joint conference is organized every year. In addition, NUAS has 14 interest groups that focus on specific administrative disciplines, with a total of 125 active members. The purpose of NUAS is to collaborate on the improvement and professionalisation of administrative solutions in the university sector.
Contact at Umeå University: Gunilla Stendahl
Read more about NUAS
EURAXESS
Euraxess is a European initiative that provides information and support services to researchers, regardless of career stage, and supports researchers' mobility and career development with the aim of developing scientific collaboration, mainly in Europe but also in other parts. Umeå University has been a member of the network since 2016.
Contact at Umeå University: Rosita Nilsson
Read more about EURAXESS
Europe’s international network for Higher Education professionals (HUMANE)
HUMANE, University Management & Administration Network in Europe, is an international association whose goal is to promote innovation in higher education services and to drive professional competence development in higher education for leaders.
Contact at Umeå University: Susanne Fahlgren
Read more about HUMANE
European Documentation Center (EDC)
UB is one of ten university and college libraries in Sweden with a European documentation center for EU information.
The network of EDIC offices is run by the European Commission together with the European Parliament's offices, local and regional partners. There are around 440 information offices around the EU and in Sweden they are located in 14 places. The activities of the Europa Direkt offices aim to involve the public in EU affairs by creating a stable environment for networking.
Contact at Umeå University: Anders Lennver
European University Association
The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 universities in 48 European countries. EUA plays a crucial role in the Bologna process and influences EU policies on higher education, research and innovation. EUA offers opportunities for members to share experiences and knowledge through projects, events and other joint activities, involving a large number of universities. In addition, the EUA offers opportunities to influence European policies and initiatives that affect higher education and research.
Contact at Umeå University: Agneta Hånell Plamboeck
Read more about European University Association
European Women Rectors Association
The European Women Rectors Association (EWORA) is an international non-profit association founded in Brussels in 2015. The aim is to promote the role of women in leading positions in the academic sector, and to advocate gender equality in higher education and research at European and international universities.
Contact at Umeå University: Ester Roos-Engstrand
Read more about European Women Rectors Association
Magna Charta
Umeå University signed the Magna Charta Universitatum in 2008. The declaration expresses a number of principles that universities are autonomous and have academic freedom and independence. In 1988, 388 Vice-Chancellor´s signed the Magna Charta Universitatum for the first time. The declaration has now been revised and signed by Vice-Chancellor Hans Adolfsson, 2021.
Contact at Umeå University: Per Nilsson
Read more about Magna Charta
Nordtek - Network of the Rectors and Deans of the Technical Universities in the five Nordic countries
The NORDTEK network's mission is to strengthen the advances in technology science and their applications to our societies through cooperation with the help of our long common history. NORDTEK focuses on engineering education, entrepreneurship and innovation and student mobility.
Contact at Umeå University: Åsa Boily
Read more about Nordtek
Scholars at Risk (SAR)
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network that works to protect threatened scholars and to promote academic freedom around the world.
Contact at Umeå University: Ingrid Svensson
Read more about Scholars at Risk
Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDNS)
Promotes integrated approaches to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change through education, research, policy analysis and global cooperation. Umeå University has been part of SDNS since 2018/2019.
Contact at Umeå University: Lisa Redin
Read more about Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDNS)
The Arctic Five
Umeå University is part of a collaboration to gather university resources in Sweden, Norway and Finland around the Arctic. A collaboration agreement on a "Joint Arctic Agenda" was signed in 2016. The signatory parties are Luleå University of Technology, the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsö, the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, the University of Oulu and the University of Umeå. The purpose of the cooperation is to ensure a stronger position internationally in matters concerning the Arctic.
Contact at Umeå University: Dieter Müller
Read more about The Arctic Five
University of the Arctic
The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is an international network for the Arctic region. The network consists of universities, research institutes and other organisations with an interest in disseminating research and education in the region. UArctic builds and strengthens collective resources and collaborations in education and research that can help improve the living conditions of people in the north.
Contact at Umeå University: Peter Sköld and Per Axelsson
Read more about the University of the Arctic
The exchange programmes offers students, teachers and staff to apply for international exchanges. The programmes also make it possible for departments at the university to apply for collaborative projects with foreign universities.
Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the EU programme to support education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014–2020. The programme offers opportunities in learning mobility for students and staff, innovation and good practices, and support for policy reform.
Contact at Umeå University: Erasmus+ students and Erasmus+ staff
Nordplus
The Nordplus higher education programme is the exchange programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers for students and teachers at universities and university colleges in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The programme is based on a number of networks and projects between higher education institutions in the different countries.
Contact at Umeå University: the Mobility team, International Office
North2North
The North2North exchange programme is a network within the University of the Arctic, which is designed for students who have an "Arctic theme" in their degree programme. It aims to increase cooperation between a number of participating universities in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Iceland and the northern parts of the USA and Canada.
Contact at Umeå University: the Mobility team, International Office