With a total population of approximately 10.2 million, Sweden is a sparsely populated country, characterized by its long coastline, extensive forests and numerous lakes. It is one of the world’s northernmost countries. In terms of surface area it is comparable to Spain, Thailand or the American state of California. Sweden’s borders have been unchanged since 1905 and the country has not been at war since 1814. Considering its geographic location, Sweden enjoys a favorable climate. This is mainly because of the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that flows off Norway’s west coast.
Americans visiting Sweden will find that English is widely spoken, Swedish society is welcoming and the culture is relatively easy to navigate. As a technologically advanced country, Sweden is ideal for many types of research. Scholars can generally expect good access to people, institutions and information for research purposes.
A full overview of Sweden is available online.
With a strong public emphasis on education, Sweden is an excellent place to teach and conduct research and all Swedish institutions of higher education and research offer opportunities for international scholars. Candidates from the level of recent Ph.D. scholar to full professor in any discipline will therefore be considered. Preference is given to academic and professional excellence, feasibility and significance of the project and match with host affiliation. English is sufficient, as Swedish students and scholars have excellent proficiency in English. The academic year consists of two 20-week semesters. The fall semester runs from the middle or end of August through mid-January and the spring term from mid-January through the beginning of June. Awards are rarely made in the summer months, unless justified by the nature of the project and prearranged with the prospective host institution.
All applicants should prioritize making a preliminary reservation at the university housing office of the host institution as soon as possible. If additional help is needed, they should ask their Swedish academic hosts for assistance in placing them in the university's housing queue. The Commission is unable to assist with housing. As all Fulbright grants are less than one year in length, U.S. grantees will not be issued a personal ID number and therefore will not be included in the social welfare system, nor be required to pay Swedish tax. Grantees in Sweden for less than 6 months will not be able to open a Swedish bank account and will receive their grant payment at their U.S. financial institution.
For more information on living and studying in Sweden, click here.
Please note that candidates currently residing in Sweden or who have already begun a program in Sweden are not eligible for the Fulbright program with Sweden.