Swedish academics protest fees for internationals

Pro-rectors from top Swedish universities have called on the Swedish government to delay plans to introduce fees for foreign students

by Mike Young

Making international students pay fees will undermine the work to internationalise Swedish universities and will make masters degrees taught in English redundant.

This is according to pro-rectors of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Lund University and Gothenburg University in the Swedish newspaper Göteborgsposten, reports University World news.

»Look to Denmark which lost 90 per cent of its international students when introducing fees without a proper preparation by the universities,« the pro-rectors declared.

Read previous coverage of the Swedish jitters here.

Students will avoid courses in English

»Many courses in English at masters level will have to be cut because that is where the foreign students are, and Swedish students will prefer other courses,« they write.

The pro-rectors say that Swedish students will lose the international experiences gained from studying with others from abroad.

miy@adm.ku.dk

• Send
• Share