History

The idea of a common forum for the higher education institutions in the Stockholm region was born in 1996 within the Stockholm Academic Rectors’ Convention, an association of rectors and university directors from the largest universities and university colleges in Stockholm. They realized that the Stockholm region had enormous strengths in academic education and research, but that Stockholm was rarely presented as an academic city.

The mission statement was formulated as follows “Stockholms Akademiska Forum will raise the profile of Stockholm as a national and international academic centre by being a common meeting place for collaboration and dialogue between the universities and university colleges in Stockholm and their contacts with the outside world”.

The work began in 1998 in premises in Kulturhuset at Sergels torg. Since then, the activities have had different focuses and have been adapted to the existing needs. This has always been the strength of Stockholms Akademiska Forum, as a small organization that can easily move alongside the large, somewhat slower-moving universities and university colleges.

Initially, Stockholms Akademiska Forum consisted of six members: Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Södertörn University College and the then Stockholm Institute of Education. Soon the membership was expanded to include Konstfack, University College of Dance and finally University College of Opera. In 2005, the City of Stockholm became a member, and in 2006, the Stockholms Akademiska Forum was opened to all university colleges in the region, which meant 11 additional members. The number of members has varied over the years. The most recent member is Beckmans College of Design, which joined in 2017. Today, Stockholms Akademiska Forum consists of 18 universities and university colleges and the City of Stockholm.

The history of the Stockholms Akademiska Forum can be divided into three phases. In the beginning, the focus was on the visibility of the universities in the city – a third task of public education. Therefore, for the first ten years, the activities took place in Kulturhuset at Sergels Torg. Open lectures, exhibitions and science pubs were offered to the public. There was also a university-wide study information desk. Anyone passing by Sergels Torg could get information about studying at the universities. There was a clear idea of broader student recruitment. The study information desk at Kulturhuset was closed in 2008, and shortly afterwards Stockholms Akademiska Forum moved to other premises.

At the same time as the move from Kulturhuset, Stockholms Akademiska Forum changed its focus to promote the role of higher education institutions on the regional agenda. The activities went from being primarily informative and public to strategic. The Stockholms Akademiska Forum presented studies on the crucial importance of education and research for the Stockholm Region, worked closely with the County Administrative Board and the County Council’s regional planning office, and took part in the work on the regional development plan. During this phase, the Stockholms Akademiska Forum also led several EU-funded projects.

Since 2013, Stockholms Akademiska Forum has focused on internationalization and profiling Stockholm as an academic destination. For the target group of international students, the website Study in Stockholm was developed as a portal for all 18 universities and university colleges, where international students’ own stories about Stockholm as a student city were published. For five years, the Stockholm Student Arrival Service was organized to improve the first impressions of international students upon arrival. International students have also been invited to a welcome reception at Stockholm City Hall every fall for several years.

In 2015, Stockholm Dual Career Network was established to improve support for international researchers. This was motivated by the fact that many international researchers were leaving Stockholm prematurely when their spouses failed to find a job and build a community. Through Stockholm Dual Career Network, their spouses are offered support to settle in Stockholm.

In order to showcase the breadth of Stockholm’s academia and to provide a platform where all 18 universities and university colleges are visible, the Stockholms Akademiska Forum has organized various types of talks and seminars in recent years.