Internationalisation for employees – what does Lund University want?
Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology
Internationalisation is a high priority at Lund University. What strategic formulations and policy documents has the University drawn up to promote internationalisation – in a sustainable way?
A priority area
In Lund University's strategic plan for 2017–2026, internationalisation is one of six priority areas. It states:
- there shall be an international perspective and global engagement in the organisation, in its approach to people and in their experience of the University
- there shall be good opportunities for international mobility for students and staff
- the University shall be attractive to international students and staff
- the University shall have strategically supported international partnerships and take an active part in influential international networks, such as LERU and U21.
The European network LERU and the more global U21 (Universitas 21) are just two of the many international collaborations that can and should be run, utilised and developed by all employees at LU.
LU's Platform for Strategic Work 2023–2024 emphasises internationalisation at home, sustainable travel and sustainable mobility.
LU employees shall be active in an international arena in the form of research collaborations, conferences and teacher and staff exchanges. As a first choice, the employee should investigate the possibility of travel-free meetings and consider the virtual options available. When LU employees do travel, they should do so in the most ecologically sustainable way possible.
LU's Sustainability Plan 2020–2026 sets out goals and concrete activities related to employee travel (mainly page 23).
The Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology's Action Plan for Sustainable Development 2023–2024 identifies several possible ways forward, emphasising sustainable internationalisation.
Read more about sustainable travel for employees on the Sustainability Forum's web pages.
The guidelines are laid out under the heading Business travel:
- Step 1 – Consider travel-free alternatives
- Step 2 – Manager approval
- Step 3 – Consider the environment, safety and cost
Lund University intends to continue to develop as an internationally leading university and has therefore implemented the Global Dynamic Engagement Framework (GDE-F). The aim is both to visualise the entirety of LU's international engagement and to find new ways to strengthen LU's position in different regions of the world.
An additional aim is global sustainable engagement, which promotes the minimisation of travel by fossil-powered modes of transport, as well as internationalisation at home.
Offering intercultural competence development – both abroad and at home – is a much more inclusive approach and is in line with LU's efforts to create a sustainable and attractive work environment for its employees. Read more about this work, as presented in the Workplace of the Future project (in Swedish).
Action plan for internationalisation at LU
During the period 2019–2021, Lund University developed an action plan for internationalisation. One of the four overall goals was: “Employees shall have good international experience and intercultural competence”. A number of goal-related projects discussed international opportunities for employees, and made a number of interesting proposals.
Internationalisation for staff – two goal-related projects
