In mid-June, Fackförbundet ST, the largest trade union for state sector employees, and SFS, the Swedish National Union of Students, presented a report entitled How are international doctoral students doing? Migration policy, language, discrimination, and the work environment.
“One of the most important findings in the report is that stress levels are higher among international PhD students than among their Swedish counterparts,” says Sandra Hellstrand, a member of the working group that produced the report. “Given the already high stress levels among Swedish doctoral students and their serious effects, it is extremely worrying that the situation is even worse for this group.”
Hellstrand, who is also second vice-chair of ST for the higher education sector and a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University, points out that international doctoral students also stand out when it comes to discrimination or harassment, adding that this ís unacceptable at Swedish higher education institutions.
“Unfortunately, there is widespread racism in society, and this carries over into higher education institutions. Ethnicity is the most common form of discrimination when international doctoral students report experiences of discrimination and harassment. International doctoral students really stand out in this regard. Ten per cent of PhD students from within the EU and the EEA and 24 per cent of PhD students from third countries have experienced this kind of discrimination.”
Harassment and exclusion
More than a quarter of international doctoral students have experienced some form of discrimination or harassment.
20 per cent of doctoral students without sufficient proficiency in Swedish feel excluded from professional or collegial environments at least once a week.
Source: Fackförbundet ST
One factor that distinguishes international doctoral students from their Swedish colleagues is stress caused by what the report terms ‘migration-related uncertainty’ – not knowing whether they will be able to remain in the country where they live.
“This uncertainty has also grown worse in recent years, since 2021,” Hellstrand explains. “It contributes to stress at work, as the question of whether they will be able to stay is linked to performance and progress in their doctoral studies.”
The report concludes that, ultimately, this means Sweden is becoming less attractive as a research nation.
Last year, a report entitled How current migration policies harm international researchers and undermine higher education in Sweden was published by the SULF Doctoral Candidate Association, SULF-DCA. In the report, many of the international doctoral students interviewed regretted having chosen to come to Sweden rather than another country.
The conclusion drawn by the authors of the report was that Sweden is no longer an attractive country for international researchers in the early stages of their careers.
The report
The report How are international doctoral students doing? Migration policy, language, discrimination, and the work environment was presented in June 2016.
A total of 1,511 doctoral students responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 40 per cent. 579 of the respondents, (40 per cent of the 1,465 who stated their country of origin), were international doctoral students.
Source: Fackförbundet ST
