sou · H6B378 · 2018-10-31 00:00:00 — The international partnerships of higher education institu- tions strengthen the links between countries, and can therefore also have an important, positive diplomatic impact. There is a strong mutually reinforcing connection between the quality, the internationalisation and the visibility or attractiveness of higher education institutions. Even though the quality of Swedish research and higher education is high, Swedish higher education institutions are not very visible in many other countries. As a result, the quality of higher education and research cannot fully contribute to internationalisation by attracting students and researchers. Highly internationalised research and education environments tend to fea- ture a high level of quality, which also makes them visible inter- nationally. Conversely, inadequate internationalisation risks leading to lower quality and thus poorer visibility. A lack of awareness of is therefore a significant problem if Swedish higher education institutions are to remain attractive and is to continue to be a leading knowledge nation. To enhance the conditions for to be an attractive and relevant collaborative partner abroad, ambi- tions need to be raised when it comes to the external analysis that Swedish higher education institutions and other government agencies and organisations can benefit from. The Inquiry therefore makes a number of proposals in order to increase awareness in other countries of as a knowledge nation and a study destination. •It is proposed that the international presence of Swedish higher education and research should be increased through a developed organisation abroad. The current Offices of Science and Innova- tion that are organised within the Government Offices and have a presence at six Swedish embassies should have their assignments adjusted to improve their relevance to the needs of Swedish higher education institutions. It is therefore proposed that the offices should be strengthened and expanded. •Alongside these offices, a pilot project should be launched in which two new international offices are established specifically to meet higher education’s need for international cooperation, hosted by an agency outside the Government Offices. According to the Inquiry, these pilot offices will be better placed to provide the necessary link to operations in than the current organisa- tion, which is partly limited by being organised within the Govern- ment Offices. The Inquiry also proposes that the international offices including the pilot offices should be jointly evaluated in order to provide data for decisions on future organisation and expansion to additional countries. •The ’s remit to promote and market as a study destination should be expanded. It should also be given a new remit to provide information about as a knowledge nation abroad, which would involve providing basic information and supporting ’s missions abroad. This remit should be carried out in dialogue with the internationalisation platform proposed by the Inquiry. •A programme for Swedish research and higher education ambassadors should be established within , in cooperation with tion Institutions. Swedish researchers and teachers with doctoral degrees who work at higher education institutions abroad should be able to apply to become Swedish education and research ambassadors at their respective institutions and help to raise awareness of as a knowledge nation. •A pilot project for a five-year period should be initiated for post- doctoral appointments within the humanities, with the appoin- tees simultaneously serving as Swedish senior lecturers abroad. •A variable resource for a five-year focus on contacts with a spe- cific country should be created to facilitate a coordinated gather- ing of strength. •The coordinated Team groups within the framework of Swedish trade promotion abroad should include higher education institutions and research funding bodies in their work. In addi- tion, a special Team Knowledge group should be created to enhance international cooperation within higher education and research and the visibility of Swedish higher education and research. •The , the Swedish Higher Education Authority, , ’s Innovation Agency, and the should be tasked with supporting the internationalisation of Swedish research, higher education and research-linked innovation by way of providing continuous and in-depth information and analysis of international developments that are relevant to these areas. The Inquiry believes the internationalisation of higher education institutions should be integrated into all relevant policies at national level. This involves a significant need for cooperation between policy areas. Increased cooperation between government agencies can pro- mote such integrated internationalisation at national level. Agency coordination is needed in several different areas in order to support the internationalisation of higher education and research, and to ensure that the rest of society benefits from this: •cooperation for strategic internationalisation, •cooperation to provide information about as a knowl- edge nation and to promote relations, •cooperation on international external monitoring and analysis, and •cooperation on improving the conditions for mobility. Within all these areas, different government agencies have specific roles. The Inquiry therefore makes the following proposals for the agencies’ various roles and activities to be coordinated for a more effective, coordinated whole: •The Government should task , the Swedish Higher Education Authority, , the ’s Innova- tion Agency with setting up an internationalisation platform to coordinate issues affecting internationalisation within higher education, research and research-linked innovation. •The Government should appoint the directors of the above agencies, a representative for other research funding bodies and two representatives from higher education institutions as a steer- ing group for the platform. The remit for the steering group should be to jointly devise and lead the work within the inter- nationalisation platform. •The work within the internationalisation platform can then be organised into several different working groups, in which govern- ment agencies, organisations and student representatives can participate. The process of coming to as a fee-paying student A well-functioning and easy process of applying and moving to a new country is a very important part of international competition for internationally mobile students. Coming to as a student is currently a complicated process in several respects. There are many stages from applying for a study place through to registering for a course, and the system is fragmented in some respects with infor- mation that must be obtained from and submitted to several different government agencies and organisations. How an applicant perceives the process of applying to study in affects the student’s choice of study destination. It is there- fore important that the process in works well and is per- ceived as straightforward, modern and accommodating. An effective process also gives an important positive impression to the majority of those applicants who ultimately do not come to to study. The possibilities to become established in the local labour market is also a key factor for many students when choosing a study destina- tion. The Inquiry therefore makes a number of recommendations: •The internationalisation platform proposed by the Inquiry should ensure that the process of coming to as a fee-paying student is made more effective. One possibility that the Inquiry believes should be considered is to develop a joint web-based cross-agency interface for foreign students to apply to higher education institutions and to deal with their applications for higher education studies, scholarships and permits. •The higher education institutions and should analyse the reasons why a large pro- portion of applicants are deemed to be ineligible and to take actions to reduce this proportion. •The higher education institutions and should review the possibility of shortening both processing times and application times. •The higher education institutions should investigate the possi- bility of using separate admission of fee-paying students to a greater extent than is currently the case. This involves greater flexibility in the institutions’ admission of these students, and could for example allow admission notifications to be issued earlier. Few higher education institutions currently make use of this possibility. •The should be tasked with investigating how fee-paying students can be monitored from application to graduation via regular statistics or specific monitoring. understanding is needed of what happens during the different stages of the process in order to make the process of coming to as a fee-paying student more effective. •Higher education institutions should take more responsibility for increasing foreign students’ contact with Swedish society and employers. The Inquiry recommends that higher education insti- tutions and employers should work more closely in partnership on individual education programmes to create opportunities for internships and professional mentoring. The Inquiry recommends that higher education institutions should arrange their English- language programmes so that they include elements of work experience. Swedish migration policy emphasises regulated immigration, while education and research policy highlights operational quality regard- less of the origin of those who work within higher education. The Inquiry has tried to identify a way to bring these different aspects together. It is very important that higher education institutions understand how migration policy works, in the same way that the and other government agencies need an understanding of higher education institutions’ objectives and opera- tions. The Inquiry believes that the parties involved have a joint responsibility to create constructive cooperation. This work has already begun to some extent. In its proposals, the Inquiry has been inspired by the model applied in the for dealing with permits. This model involves Dutch higher education institutions with the status of recognised sponsor being entitled to apply for permits on behalf of applicants, and it is the higher education institutions that are in contact with the Dutch migration authorities. The Inquiry proposes that: •Higher education institutions should assess the intention to study in preparation for the ’s decision on granting a permit for studies. With this model, the higher education institutions’ assessment of the intention to study – just like the admission notification today – would form the basis for the agency’s decision on a permit for studies. would continue to review other permit conditions. •In the long term, the Government should appoint an inquiry on certifying higher education institutions for dealing with applica- tions for permits for studies and research, and for work permits. •The Government should review the conditions for the award of permits to foreign doctoral students conducting part of their studies in (visiting doctoral students) and consider how the conditions can be improved. The Inquiry also recommends that: •Higher education institutions should draw up guidelines for en- suring effective admissions in with the migration process. •The should strengthen and further develop the work to shorten processing times, both for students and doctoral students, and for employees. •The should review and change the current three-month limit for bank deposits for first-time app- lications. •The higher education institutions should ensure that routines are in place to notify the immediately if students end their studies. Application and tuition fees The application fee should not be changed The Inquiry is of the opinion that the application fee for third- country students should remain at the current level of , and should continue to be set by the Government. Even if an applicant applies for multiple courses, only one fee should be charged as is currently the case. Size of the fees The Inquiry notes that full cost coverage, which is the model currently used to determine the size of tuition fees, is a well-established model for higher education. Full cost coverage should be achieved for operations financed by tuition fees in their entirety, which allows for a degree of flexibility in pricing. The Inquiry has considered whether there is a need to propose a clarified regulation of how the size of tuition fees should be determined and what can be included. The conclusion is that national regulation should not be introduced in this area. The Inquiry is of the opinion that the distinction should be made at the individual higher education institution based on the institution’s operations and its desired profile. Higher education institutions should therefor establish principles for full cost coverage of tuition fees. Students who pay tuition fees have an entirely legitimate right to know what is included in tuition fees and why these may differ from the state contribution levels. Students therefore need clear infor- mation that is tailored to suit the target group, about both the structure and content of the education and the support or services available. •Higher education institutions should therefore report clearly to applicants and students on what is included in tuition fees. Greater flexibility in setting fees and clearer rules about repaying fees where applicable Since the Ordinance on application fees and tuition fees at higher education institutions came into force in 2010, it has been amended a few times. However, no general review of the provisions has been carried out. Higher education institutions have pointed out the need for changes on a number of occasions. The Inquiry therefore makes the following proposals: •The point at which liability for fees begins to apply should be clarified to make it clear that this point is when the course starts. •The requirement that tuition fees should be the same for all fee- paying students studying the same programme at the same time should be withdrawn. The Inquiry emphasises that the basic prin- ciple should be that tuition fees are set based on factual decisions for each programme, and should initially apply to all admitted students. However, it should then be possible to reduce tuition fees or grant scholarships, based on objective, transparent grounds. •It should be compulsory for a higher education institution to repay tuition fees in full or in part if the student is prevented from taking part in studies due to a permit not having been granted or pro-longed or for personal reasons, such as the student or a family member being ill. Higher education institutions may also repay tuition fees in full or in part for other specific reasons. What constitutes personal or other specific reasons should be determined by the higher education institutions. •The provisions on exclusion due to non-payment should be abolished. Instead, it should be established that a student who has not paid tuition fees for a course may not register for the course until these fees have been paid. Scholarships to fund third-country students Many countries worldwide are investing heavily in international scholarships to address social problems and to develop diplomatic international relations. Scholarships are an important tool for re- cruiting students, and many Swedish higher education institutions have pointed out the need for more scholarship opportunities as well as a scholarship programme for highly qualified students. The lack of Swedish scholarships has also been highlighted as one of the main barriers to the recruitment of foreign students. A system financed by tuition fees needs to be supplemented with various types of scholarships. Flexibility also needs to be created for higher education institutions in dealing with tuition fees when it comes to more long-term strategic cooperation. According to the Inquiry, the current scholarship system is insufficient. system includes scholarships aimed at students from certain low- and medium-income countries, as well as funding allocated to higher education institutions so that they can reduce fees for certain students whom they want to recruit. The Inquiry therefore proposes how it should be possible to devise a more comprehensive scholarship system so that all fee-paying students can have the opportunity to apply for Swedish scholarships for tuition fees and living costs. •The scholarship funding available to higher education insti- tutions after allocation to higher education institutions by should be doubled from today’s million to million. It should be possible to use these scholarships, which are intended for particularly highly qualified students regardless of their country of origin, to reduce tuition fees and to award grants for living costs. •A new million scholarship programme for flagship scholar- ships, should be created. It is proposed that these scholarships should be awarded to highly qualified students studying for a ’s degree in connection with prominent research environ- ments, and should cover both tuition fees and living costs. •A new million scholarship programme for national bilateral cooperation should be created. It is proposed that this funding should be allocated to scholarship programmes created as part of bilateral agreements between and another country. The funding should be set aside in connection to the signing of an agreement. •Higher education institutions should be given the opportunity to use up to 0.3 percent of the funding for education at first- and second-cycle levels to reduce tuition fees for third-country students in special cases. Within the framework of the higher education institution’s strategic focus, each higher education institution should decide whether funding shall be used to reduce tuition fees for certain students, if so to what extent (up to the set limit), and on what grounds. The Inquiry is also of the opinion that: •A tax deduction entitlement for donations to scholarships for fee-paying students in order to encourage industry to contribute towards meeting the skills supply requirement should be investi- gated. •It should be possible to expand the scholarship programme targeted at students from countries that receive development aid from . million is currently allocated from the development cooperation budget to two scholarship programmes for studies at second-cycle level, called Study Scholarships. has proposed an increase of million. The Inquiry backs such an increase, but believes that the increased funding should primarily be directed towards student and teacher exchanges. The right of students to participate in decision making in higher education institutions is important for both Swedish and foreign students and vital for the governance of the institutions. It is important for the development of higher education institutions that foreign students’ perspectives are taken into account generally. Furthermore, integrated internationalisation requires the perspectives of foreign students to be taken into account. By making it easier for these students to participate in decision making processes, higher educa- tion institutions can also contribute towards the dissemination of practical knowledge and experience of participation in democratic governance. The Inquiry notes that the student unions have a real to work for the greater inclusion of foreign students in student in- fluence. However, language is a main barrier to involvement. Other barriers can include international students wanting to complete their studies quickly while involvement in student union activities is often based on students spending longer time at the higher education institution. The Inquiry therefore makes a number of recommendations to strengthen student influence for foreign students. Higher education institutions should: •work together with the student unions to develop ways for foreign students to have an influence; •actively inform incoming students about student influence opportunities and the work of the student unions, both before arriving in and during introduction periods, as well as during their actual studies; •work to improve opportunities for English-speaking students to take on student representative roles and clarify the conditions for participation in various forums, as well as the opportunities for linguistic support; and •offer the student unions support with translating their steering documents, such as statutes, operational plans and policy docu- ments, and •clarify their expectations as well as the financial terms placed on the unions’ undertakings for supporting foreign students. The rights and obligations that students in have in accord- ance with the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance are based on students being formally admitted for studies. These include the right to student influence, healthcare, course evalua- tion and appeals, as well as the opportunity for the higher education institution to take disciplinary action. The student status also affects the right to join student unions, as well as the right to student accom- modation and student discounts. The regulations mean that those who have not been formally admitted for studies are also not formally regarded as students. This affects exchange students and students within contracted courses, who are students at their home institutions. In a strict legal sense, these individuals do not therefore have the same formal rights or obligations as other students. In practice, this has not been a significant problem, as most exchange students are treated as having been admitted for As a matter of principle, however, equivalent rights and obliga- tions should be conferred upon exchange students and students within contracted courses. The Inquiry therefore proposes that the Higher Education Act (1992:1434) should be clarified so that the term ‘student’ also refers to those studying at a higher education institution within the frame- work of an exchange agreement with a foreign higher education institution, or within an agreement on contracted courses with another Swedish or foreign higher education institution. Contracted courses and contract education The Inquiry also makes certain other proposals regarding contracted courses and contract education. Contracted courses, i.e. education that higher education insti- tutions commission from other higher education institutions, is governed not by legislation or ordinance but only in brief in the appropriation documents for state higher education institutions. This creates a lack of clarity in terms of what applies for contracted courses, e.g. when it comes to participants’ status and which higher education institution is responsible for examining and registering study credits, particularly within international cooperation. The In- quiry therefore proposes that rules for contracted courses should be established in the Higher Education Ordinance. A higher education institution can also provide contract edu- cation on payment of a fee for those who have been appointed by the client (for example, a company or an organisation purchasing education for employees). It is not currently possible for non-state organisations to purchase contract education needed for foreign aid policy reasons. The Inquiry therefore proposes that higher educa- tion institutions should be allowed to provide contract education needed within international development cooperation or humani- tarian aid to non-public clients. 1.1Förslag till lag om ändring i högskolelagen (1992:1434) Härigenom föreskrivs i fråga om högskolelagen (1992:1434) dels att 4 kap. 4 b § ska ha följande lydelse,