On May 8, 2019, a national EMN conference "Attracting and Welcoming International Students" was held in Stockholm, Sweden, organized by EMN SE. An employee of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia participated at the conference.
The main issue of this conference was "What Makes the Country an Attractive Destination for International Students?"
The conference, closely related to the EMN study on international students, whose synthesis report is being drafted, highlighted the policies and practices of attracting and welcoming students from non-EU countries, as well as measures used to encourage international students to stay in Sweden. The focus of the conference was on the national and local level in Sweden, but it also included a comparative European perspective, and the aim of the conference was to explore laws and policies, administrative practices related to residence permits, scholarships and exchange programs, including student experience in Sweden.
The conclusions noted that Sweden is open and competitive and studying in Sweden is considered a brand, but more cooperation is needed with the Sector for higher education in accepting and retaining foreign students, especially those from Non-European countries.
The state agency and universities work hard on this issue, and special attention has been placed on quality communication between the university and students.
