Risky but important to cooperate

There is now special support on the Staff Portal for those who collaborate with countries whose governance, laws and values differ from our own.

– Fundamentally our position is that international collaboration is important. But you have to be aware that in some cases it can involve risks, explains Linn Gabrielsson, Project Manager at the International Centre.

IT'S NOT ABOUT TRYING to control or give guidelines about which countries you can collaborate with, emphasizes Miroslaw Staron, Professor of Software Development and convener of the team at the International Council that developed the support.

– Instead, we have put together a framework that will help employees take a position on questions that may arise during international contacts. It might involve big things, like how to draft an agreement with countries where academic freedom is limited, but also practical advice, like finding out what laws apply in a country; for example, the fact that chewing gum is banned in Singapore. For people who are going to a conflict zone, it can be important to find out if there is a consulate nearby and, of course, to make contact with researchers who have been there before.

International sanctions are another important area, points out Miroslaw Staron.

– The US, for example, has placed an embargo on certain countries when it comes to importing technology, such as graphics cards for computers. It is the head of department who is responsible and the department can be fined heavily if the ban is violated.

RESPONSIBLE internationalization is increasingly being discussed, both at an international level and at various universities in Sweden. Two years ago, STINT launched a document to provide assistance. The Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF) has also appointed an expert group for these issues. And together with five other universities, the University of Gothenburg is involved in the CASI project which analyses the conditions for international academic partnerships, says Linn Gabrielsson.

– Our partnerships should be based on trust, but we must also be able to handle complicated situations in countries that differ greatly from our own. It's about safety and ethics and not putting yourself, your university, or those you work with at risk. The main message is that we need to help each other and benefit from the knowledge and experience that already exists among our employees!

Eva Lundgren

→About the International Council: The team at the International Council that developed a framework for responsible internationalization consists of Linn Gabrielsson, International Centre, Sylva Frisk, Faculty of Social Sciences and Ann Wennerberg, Sahlgrenska Academy. The team has been led by Miroslaw Staron, IT Faculty.

You can find more information at: https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/ internationalisation/responsibleinternationalisation/.

Coordinated Assessment for Strategic Internationalisation (CASI) is a project for the analysis of the conditions for international academic collaboration run by the universities of Lund, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Uppsala as well as Karolinska Institutet and KTH.

A Vasapark discussion on responsible internationalization is planned for April 17. All interested parties are welcome.