Swedish Trade Council October 12, 2006

1. REPORT Potential target markets for export of Swedish higher education Swedish Trade Council October 12, 2006

2. AGENDA • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Recommendations and discussion • Appendix • Definitions and sources • Country profiles • Scorecard in excel

3. BACKGROUND • International students in Swedish higher education contribute to the educational environment and also have the potential to strengthen Sweden’s competitive advantage long term. A legislative change allowing for tuition fees for non EU/EES students has been suggested by a recent inquiry • The transition from the current system where no fees are charged to a system with tuition fees will require a change in strategy. The “exchange focus” that Sweden has today will have to be supplemented with an “export focus” in order to attract paying international students in the increasingly competitive global market • SI and STC have discussed how the two organisations can cooperate in preparing a new strategy as well as in marketing and business development activities to assist universities in the recruitment of international students. The first common project is presented in this report, “Target markets for export of Swedish higher education”

4. STRONG AND INCREASING COMPETITION FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION As demand for international education is expected to increase… …more countries have a focus on attracting international students as well as building capacity of their own Germany, France and Netherlands mentioned as European growth countries - Targeted courses in English Number of students (’000) Asia competing for demand in near region - Building capacity Compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) 5,8% Australia, Canada and NZ positioned as alternatives to US and UK - International campaigns Source: IDP Global Student Mobility 2025

5. SWEDEN WILL ALWAYS BE A SMALLER NICHE PLAYER IN THE MARKET FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION- Focused marketing effort necessary to maximize impact of limited resources Suggested principles for Sweden’s national strategy Examples from the Netherlands • Capture share of existing flow of international students rather than trying to convert students into ”studying abroad” • Focus marketing efforts on a smaller number of target countries • Focus on countries where Sweden already has a relatively strong position • The Netherland’s current 15 000 paying international students represent 0,75 % of total international students world-wide • Support offices run by NUFFIC* opened in 5 countries (China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico), 4 more are planned • Large proportion of international students in the Netherlands come from the former colonies Indonesia and Surinam ? * Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education, a non-profit organization financed by the department of Education and Foreign Affairs

6. OVERALL AIM OF PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE STRATEGY FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETING OF SWEDISH FEE-BASED EDUCATION- First step to understand which markets to target August-October 2006 October-December 2006 Phase 1 - Define target markets Phase 2 - Define target group characteristics in selected markets Preparation of marketing strategy • Workshop to decide upon a limited number of target markets The aim of Phase 1 is to select 3-7 target markets for further analysis in Phase 2

7. AGENDA • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Recommendations and discussion • Appendix • Definitions and sources • Country profiles • Scorecard in excel

8. 17 POTENTIAL TARGET COUNTRIES STUDIED - Distributed globally, but Asia over-represented due to high demand for international education

9. COUNTRIES INCLUDED BASED ON CURRENT IMPORT OF EDUCATION AND TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE * Excluding France and Belgium

10. COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN EVALUATED BASED ON DEMAND OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND RELATIVE POSITION OF SWEDEN Focus for marketing effort High Demand for int. education Low Least favourable Most favourable Relative position of Sweden Combination of strong demand for international education and positive image of Sweden indicates high potential

11. SCORECARDS HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR THE TWO DIMENSIONS AS AN ATTEMPT TO ENABLE A RELEVANT COMPARISON • No single measure exists that alone fully measures the two dimensions “demand for international education” and the “relative position of Sweden” • Instead, a scorecard has been created for each of the two dimensions, where the 17 countries are compared with each other on a number of different parameters • For each parameter, all countries are ranked in relation to each other. The top five countries in each parameter have been colored green and the bottom five countries for each parameter have been colored red. The countries in between are white “-” indicates that data have not been found for this parameter • For each parameter, the top 5 countries (green) get the score 3, the middle countries (white) get the score 2 and the bottom 5 (red) countries get the score 1 • The average rating for each country are used to determine the relative position for each country in the scorecards ”Demand for Int. Education” and ”Position of Sweden” Top 5 countries Middle countries Bottom 5 countries In addition, each country’s economics and demographics have been mapped, but not ranked

12. AGENDA • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Recommendations and discussion • Appendix • Definitions and sources • Country profiles • Scorecard in excel

13. COUNTRY OVERVIEWS – ECONOMY AND DEMOGRAPHICS (1)

14. COUNTRY OVERVIEWS – ECONOMY AND DEMOGRAPHICS (2)

15. Top 5 Bottom 5 SCORECARD – DEMAND FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (1) * Not included in average rating, shown in matrix as size of circle ** Based on forecast of demand for education in Australia

16. Top 5 Bottom 5 SCORECARD – DEMAND FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (2) * Not included in average rating, shown in matrix as size of circle ** Based on forecast of demand for education in Australia

17. Top 5 Bottom 5 SCORECARD – RELATIVE POSITION OF SWEDEN (1)

18. Top 5 Bottom 5 SCORECARD – RELATIVE POSITION OF SWEDEN (2)

19. Top 5 Bottom 5 SCORECARD – RELATIVE POSITION OF SWEDEN (3)

20. AGENDA • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Recommendations and discussion • Appendix • Definitions and sources • Country profiles • Scorecard in excel

21. ARE INDIA, TURKEY, RUSSIA, CHINA, THAILAND AND USA SUITABLE AS INITIAL TARGET MARKETS FOR SWEDISH HIGHER EDUCATION? High India China Turkey Malaysia Demand for international education Thailand USA Russia Korea Japan Hong Kong Taiwan Mexico Iran Morocco Singapore Brazil Chile Size = Number of students abroad (20 000) Low Least favourable Most favourable Relative position of Sweden

22. China 343 126 500 0,15 % 3 000 0,87 % 6 000 1,75 % Turkey 52 048 500 0,96 % 3 000 5,76 % 6 000 11,53 % Russia 34 473 500 1,45 % 3 000 8,70 % 6 000 17,40 % India 123 559 500 0,40 % 3 000 2,43 % 6 000 4,86 % Thailand 23 727 500 2,11 % 3 000 12,64 % 6 000 25,29 % WHAT ARE REALISTIC TARGETS FOR EACH COUNTRY AND AS A TOTAL FOR SWEDEN? Total target for # of paying students 2 500 15 000 30 000 Total number of students abroad Country target % of int’l students Country target % of int’l students Country target % of int’l students Higher percentages from India and Turkey could be expected due to Sweden's favorable position

23. ATTRACTING 30 000 NON-EES STUDENTS COULD PROVIDE A YEARLY INJECTION OF UP TO SEK 7 BN TO THE SWEDISH ECONOMY • In Australia, the export of education is estimated to be worth around SEK 40 billion per year, employing more than 48 000 people • On average, this is equal to annual income of SEK 124 000 per student (including e.g. language studies) • Survey in Australia shows that international students in higher education spend on average SEK 170 000 per year (excludes tuition fees) • Another service export industry – tourism - is in Sweden worth around SEK 48,5 billion per year and employs 127 000 people * Minimum living expenses for a Swedish student according to calculations by Sveriges Förenade Studentlårer ** Higher spending than minimum, e.g including tourism by students and relatives

24. AGENDA • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Recommendations and discussion • Appendix • Definitions and sources • Country profiles • Scorecard in excel

25. DEFINITIONS OF VARIABLES USED IN ECONOMY AND DEMOGRAPHICS

26. DEFINITIONS OF VARIABLES USED IN DEMAND FOR INT. EDUCATION

27. DEFINITIONS OF VARIABLES USED IN RELATIVE POSITION OF SWEDEN

28. 40% OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PLAN TO EARN A MASTER DEGREE WHEN STUDYING ABROAD Primary goal for study abroad period for selected countries of origin % of total international students by level of education 2004-05 in Australia and UK Most popular goal a Master degree (40%), followed by a Doctorate/PhD (19%) and a Bachelor degree (12%) Source: Perceptions of European Higher Education in Third Countries, ACA report, 2004, Student questionnaire on "Perceptions of European Higher Education in Third Countries“ Question 12: What is the primary goal of your study abroad period? ; www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/hestats.htm, Aust Govt, Dept of Edu, Sci, Training

29. Profiles BRAZIL – lack of engineering educations in the country Main Swedish industries well known in Brazil: - Automotive, e.g. Volvo established in Brazil in the 1970s, Scania established in the 1950s. Brazil is a major transport country, especially land transport is important. - Mechanical Industries, e.g. SKF although most people do not know they are Swedish since they been established in Brazil for a very long time. - Telecom, e.g. Ericson Relationship Sweden – Brazil: The political relations between Sweden and Brazil are good, and the Swedish government has chosen Brazil as one of the prioritized market and want to develop the relationships in politics, culture and trade. In regards to high level visits the Brazilian Trade Minister visited Stockholm in August 2004, and the Swedish Ambassador (Margareta Winberg) is politically appointed. Trend for higher education: There is a growing trend for higher education in Brazil and there are a large number of Brazilian students that study abroad. The majority of students go either to USA or Europe. There is a lack of technical/engineering educations, and the country does not offer enough engineering subjects. It is quite difficult to get in to the public universities and therefore there are a large number of students that pay for education at Private Universities. “People in Brazil have a very positive view of Sweden. People view Sweden as one of the richest countries to live in and Brazil strive to have the same social welfare system as Sweden. Many Brazilians know about Sweden through Queen Silvia, and the Swedish King and Queen visit Brazil regularly since the Queen has relatives here.” Swedish representative, Brazil Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Brazil

30. Profiles CHILE – high demand for civil engineering education Main Swedish industries well known in Chile: - Forestry, Paper and Mining industry - Automotive and transport industry - Telecom Relationship Sweden – Chile: Sweden has a good reputation in Chile due to strong Swedish industry and the environment, but many people also mix up Sweden with Switzerland. The view of Sweden in Chile has become clearer during the last 10 years due to many Chilean people that have lived and worked in Sweden are returning back home. Chilean people mostly think of the high quality and high technology products, but also the social welfare system. Trend for higher education: There has been a constant expansion in higher education since the 80’s and there is a need in Chile to improve the quality of universities, especially the private ones. State universities tend to be of better standard since they have more of research than the private ones, and the state universities are prioritized by the students. Most popular educations are Engineering, Architecture, Law and Medicine, and there is a high demand for Civil Engineering education. Scholarships are important in order for people to afford going abroad to study since few can afford tuition fees outside Chile. There is in general a low level of English knowledge among Chilean students. “The political relations between Sweden and Chile are very good, especially since Sweden supported Chile in the democratic process in the beginning of the 90’s. Many top officials have visited Sweden or want to go. Further, a Swedish-Chile development fund has been established in 2000 to stimulate alliances between Swedish and Chilean companies” Swedish representative, Chile Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Chile

31. Profiles CHINA – increased interest for higher education Main Swedish industries well known in China: - Telecom, e.g. Ericsson very well known - Engineering/Manufacturing, e.g. Atlas Copco, SKF - Automotive, e.g. Volvo, Scania - Design and furniture, e.g. IKEA is starting to get well recognised Relationship Sweden – China: There is a strong tradition of Swedish companies in China and a good relationship between the countries. China shows an increased interest for the environment aspect, where they look at Sweden. Chinese view Sweden as a small country that has been very successful with international trade. Trend for higher education: The interest for higher education is increasing and there is a strong trend for Chinese students to go abroad and study since it is important to learn English. The most popular subjects to study are engineering, IT, business and law where you have a chance to get a good job and a high salary. No one studies “for fun or of interest”, always with a goal. The government put lots of money into R&D which is important in order to keep good quality at universities. Regions Beijing and Shanghai are the most thriving regions, also southern China in Guangzhou region. Beijing and Shanghai are the most international regions with strong economic growth, a large group of middle class and people with money that can afford paying for an education. “There are good political relations between the two countries. Sweden was one of the first western countries that accepted Peoples Republic of China. There are always friendly relations and the Swedish King visited China recently, although there hasn’t been a prime minister visiting in a while.” Swedish representative, China Source: Interview with Swedish representative, China

32. Profiles HONG KONG – business is the most popular subject to study Main Swedish industries well known in Hong Kong: - IT and Telecom, Engineering/Computers, e.g. Ericsson - Automotive e.g. Volvo/SAAB (80% of buses in HK are Volvos). - Medical Devices - Furniture, e.g. IKEA Relationship Sweden – Hong Kong: The relationship is good and positive, and most people have heard of Sweden and know about it, but it often get mixed up with Switzerland. IKEA has put Sweden on the map. HK people think of Swedish people as nice and friendly people, and Sweden as a clean country. The fact that we have a King is also positive and exotic. One negative aspect is that Sweden is viewed as expensive. Trend for higher education: There is an increase in number of students in higher education in HK. A majority studies business. Traditionally there is a strong focus on trade and business studies in Hong Kong, but now it is a broader platform and more people study engineering as well. A high amount of people go abroad to study, especially for MBA studies, and since the 80’s it has been a trend to study abroad, both at undergraduate and masters level. The budget for government spending on education seems to remain the same every year although many universities also get private donations. “Therelationship between HK and Sweden is very good, and there have been some high levels visit from HK in Sweden that especially look at the elderly care. There have also been some delegations in the environmental- and automotive field from Sweden in HK. More political visits are to mainland China, although many come to HK in conjunction with their visit to China. “ Swedish representative, Hong Kong Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Hong Kong

33. Profiles INDIA – trend to study engineering, IT and business Main Swedish industries well known in India: • Automotive e.g. Volvo Buses have a very specific position in India, especially due to their strong image about safety, high quality and level of comfort. • Manufacturing, e.g. SKF, Atlas Copco, ABB • Telecom, e.g. Ericsson Relationship Sweden – India: Sweden is well known for high level of research and science, as well as product development and design in the high technology field. In India they also talk about the Wireless Valley in Sweden, known for IT/high technology. Swedish people are seen as very honest, reliable and innovative people. In general there is a good and positive feel about Sweden in India. 10 years ago people in India thought of Sweden as corrupt due to the Bofors scandal. This can still be mentioned in the news which is negative, but during the last 2-3 years it is not talked about as much. Trend for higher education: There is a trend in India to study engineering, IT and business. There is a large number of Indian people that study abroad since it is a status symbol to study at a foreign University. The focus for Indian students is to find the best University with highest level of the quality of the education. Regions New Delhi (government, lots of business); Mombay (financial district and industrial headquarters); Bangalore/Hydrabad/Chenni (University area and IT) “Sweden probably wants to have more business with India than the other way around. Sweden is not a prioritized country for India, India rather focus on bigger countries such as USA, Japan etc. India doesn’t want to be seen as a poor country, rather as an emerging market.” Swedish representative, India Source: Interview with Swedish representative, India

34. Profiles IRAN – engineering, IT and medicine popular subjects Main Swedish industries well known in Iran: - Automotive Industry, e.g. Volvo Trucks, Scania Trucks/Bus - Telecom, e.g. Ericsson - Gas Turbines Relationship Sweden – Iran: Sweden has a good reputation in Iran and one positive aspect is the social welfare system in Sweden. There are 10 Swedish subsidiaries in Iran, and further 90 companies are represented by agents. There is an exchange and good co-operation today between Iran and Sweden in the medical field, a large number of projects have been carried out at KI by Iranian researchers. Trend for higher education: There is a trend for more Iranian people to go to university and a large number of students at University are women (70%). Most popular subjects to study in Iran and abroad are Engineering, IT and Medical studies. Many students prefer to go abroad to study although this number has not increased lately. There have been discussions in the Government to expand and put more money into the existing universities in order to increase the level and quality of the education. “There are in general fine political relations between the two countries, and there have been Swedish politicians visiting Iran eg Anna Lindh visited 5 years ago. The trade to Iran from Sweden was increasing until the nuclear issue one year ago, and after that it has been a political stand still. There has been a Joint Commission Delegation that have meetings in both Stockholm and Teheran on Vice Minister Level which discuss Bilateral Trade Issues.” Swedish representative, Iran Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Iran

35. Profiles JAPAN – more important where you study than what you study Main Swedish industries well known in Japan: - Design/Furniture, e.g. IKEA is well known - Medical Industry - Music Industry, e.g. groups like Meya, The Cardigans, Abba are very well known Relationship Sweden – Japan: Japanese people have a positive view of Sweden, although they don’t know much about the country. Swedish people are trustworthy and rather similar to Japanese people, also easy to communicate with. Sweden is viewed as a beautiful and clean country, and a relaxing society. Trend for higher education: There does not seem to be any major changes in educational trends in Japan, in Japan students care mostly where they study than what they study and Japanese companies look mostly at where students have studied when recruiting. 40-50 % of all student go abroad to study, and of these people 70 % go to English speaking countries in order to learn English and to get new experiences. ”There is a positive view of Sweden in Japan, many people think of Sweden as a beautiful and clean country. IKEA is wellknown and many people knows about Swedish design.” Swedish representative, Japan Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Japan

36. Profiles MALAYSIA – expansion of number of Universities in the country Main Swedish industries well known in Malaysia: - Telecom, e.g. Ericsson, regional H/O in Asia in Malaysia - Automotive, e.g. Volvo first car maker to have a plant in Malaysia in 60’s - Design/Furnitue, e.g. IKEA with biggest shop SE Asia in Malaysia Relationship Sweden – Malaysia: Sweden has a good reputation in general in Malaysia, although few people know much about Sweden or have an opinion about the country. It is common to mix up Sweden with Switzerland. When people think of Sweden they often think of IKEA. Products that are coming from Sweden have in general a good reputation and believed to have a good quality, such as engineering and design. Trend for higher education: There is a growing number of people studying at higher education in Malaysia, and it has been a steady growth the last few years. There has been an expansion of Universities in the country with 3-5 new universities that have been built during the last 10 years in order to accommodate the increasing number of students. It is very common to study 2 years in a private college in Malaysia and then study 2 years at a University abroad since that is a cheaper option, but you get your degree from a University abroad. “The former Malaysian PM visited Sweden in 2004 and that resulted in many positive articles in the press. He mentioned that it is good to look at Sweden’s way of working, but other than it hasn’t been much publicity of Sweden in Malaysia.” Swedish representative, Malaysia Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Malaysia

37. Profiles MEXICO – more popular to study business administration than engineering Main Swedish industries well known in Mexico: - Automotive, e.g. Volvo - IT & Telecom, e.g. Ericson - Engineering, e.g. Atlas Copco, Sandvik, Electrolux, ABB, Alfa Laval Relationship Sweden – Mexico: People in Mexico have in general a very good and positive view of Sweden. Many people also have a very respectful view of Sweden as a country, thinking of Sweden as a leader for technology, many inventions and new solutions. The only negative view is that it is very cold in Sweden. Trend for higher education: There is a trend for University students to study Business Administration, this has become more popular than Engineering. Lately it is also popular to study communication and advertising. Other subjects are engineering, medicine and dentistry. There is a lack of skilled technology people, unfortunately there isn’t a big interest for technical subjects or mechanical engineering in Mexico. 60% of University students go to public universities and 40% go to private universities. The 4 best Universities are private, and the 5th best University is the largest public University (called UNAM in Mexico City). “The political relations are excellent. Recently the Swedish king visited Mexico on a state visit, and the Mexican President visited Sweden the year after.” Swedish representative, Mexico Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Mexico

38. Profiles MOROCCO – many students attracted to study abroad Main Swedish industries well known in Morocco: • Telecom, e.g. Ericsson • Automotive, e.g. Volvo • Engineering Relationship Sweden – Morocco: Sweden generally has a good reputation in Morocco, although people do not know much about Sweden as a country. It is seen as a cold country in the far north that is expensive to live in. People knows about H&M and IKEA although they have not opened up in Morocco, but they can see ads on French and Spanish television. Trend for higher education: The trend in Morocco is to put more money towards education, both at basic education and at higher levels. This is part of a development project recently introduced by the king in Morocco. High unemployment and low wages in Morocco makes it more attractive to study abroad. If a Moroccan person will study abroad, the most attractive place to go is France since people speak French. There is a pull away from Morocco, younger people rather study abroad if they can afford it and hope that they can stay in that country and find a job after they’ve finished their studies. There is a great demand in Morocco for Schengen visas and residence permits, necessary for students in Schengen EU-countries. “Sweden generally has a good reputation in Morocco, among other things for its devotion to international law and human rights. However, differences in views on the Western Sahara issue does not facilitate relations. Morocco’s Foreign Minister was in Sweden for the Lebanon and Palestine Donor Conferences in August-September 2006 and that Sweden took the lead in this issue has been seen very positively in Morocco.” Swedish representativeMorocco Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Morocco

39. Profiles RUSSIA – focus on increasing the quality of domestic higher education Main Swedish industries well known in Russia: Swedish industries are best known in St.Petersburg area, especially: - Automotive, e.g. Volvo, SAAB - Tekecom, e.g. Ericsson - Engineering, e.g. Electrolux, Skania - Furniture/Design, e.g. IKEA Relationship Sweden – Russia: There is a good relationship and a positive view of Sweden in Russia, although people sometimes mix up Sweden with Switzerland. Sweden is viewed as a rich and clean country that is good to live in, with a wonderful nature and trustworthy and respectable people. Trend for higher education: There are no current discussions about expanding with new universities, but talks about increasing the quality of the current higher education. Russia will try to change the University Degree to make it more similar to international standards. Subjects like social sciences and business administration are becoming more popular. Higher education is an important status factor in Russia as well as being able to study abroad. There is a trend to study abroad but only for a limited time frame like a semester or a year. “There are good political relations between Russia and Sweden, and the two countries have a long history. There is a frequent exchange of visits at state level and a good exchange of experiences in i.e. environmental issues.” Swedish representative, Russia Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Russia

40. Profiles SINGAPORE – common with transnational education Main Swedish industries well known in Singapore: • Infocom, e.g. Ericsson • Medical Equipment • Consumer goods, e.g. cars, mobile phones, vacuum cleaners, IKEA furniture • Industrial goods, e.g. ball-bearings, submarines Relationship Sweden – Singapore: Sweden is well-known for inventions, high-quality products, functional design, environmental consciousness, gender-equality especially in household responsibilities, good childcare centers, being a welfare state that takes care of its citizens from cradle to grave. The only negative aspect of Sweden is the high taxes. Trend for higher education: Over the last few years, the Embassy has seen a doubling of student visa applications from Singaporean students on exchange programs in Swedish Universities. Singaporean students seem to be looking further to Scandinavia away from the traditional countries like the UK, USA and Australia. In 2005, the National University of Singapore started its first overseas European college in KTH in Stockholm. Transnational education is common in Singapore.  There are 16 foreign universities (e.g.; INSEAD, Technical University of Munich, MIT, Stanford, Shanghai Jiao Tong University) with activities in Singapore. ”The political relations between Sweden and Singapore are good. Sweden has a good image in Singapore. With local promotional efforts in, among others, art, culture, film, design;  Singaporeans are keen to find out more about Sweden.” Swedish representative, Singapore Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Singapore

41. Profiles SOUTH KOREA – more students choose China when studying abroad Main Swedish industries well known in South Korea: - IT & Telecom, e.g. Ericsson - Automotive industry - Biotech industry - Design, e.g. IKEA Relationship Sweden – South Korea: Good relationship between the countries and the general view is that Sweden is a rich and clean country where it is good to live and with a wonderful nature. Many people knows about the social welfare system. Trend for higher education: There is a constant expansion on higher education, and a very high focus on studies in South Korea. The government and people spend a lot of money on education since the whole society is built on a high level of education. Studies abroad is getting more focused on China since it is the growing economy and has an improving standard of higher education, and it is cheaper than studying in the US, further the Chinese language is getting more important. “The political relations are friendly since Sweden supported Korea after the war, especially remember the military hospitals built. There is a Swedish observation force in the DMZ that observe political relations between North and South Korea.” Swedish representative, South Korea Source: Interview with Swedish representative, South Korea

42. Profiles TAIWAN – engineering most important subject to study Main Swedish industries well known in Taiwan: - Telecom, e.g. Ericsson - Automotive, e.g. Volvo - Design/Furniture, e.g. IKEA Relationship Sweden – Taiwan: Taiwanese people see Sweden as a welfare state, a beautiful country with a clean environment and lots of water and forests. Taiwanese people knows that Sweden is a high technology country, and that Swedish products have high quality. Many people think that it is arctic cold in Sweden, people also knows about the high taxes in Sweden and that it is expensive, much more expensive compared to other European cities. Trend for higher education: In Taiwan many new Universities have been built during the last years and they put lots of effort and money into their education system. 40-50% of students from high school continue to University studies. The best universities in Taiwan are public and these universities are public funded, but some also have a tuition fee. Engineering/IT is the main focus and the most important subject to study. Lots of money is spent in this sector. Highest status is to study Engineering, but Medicine and Law is also important. Taiwanese students will look for a high class education, and Sweden should push that Educations are in English and that it is relatively cheap compared to studying in USA/UK. “Taiwan is isolated in an international perspective, but the relationship with Sweden is relatively good. There is an interest for the Swedish model in regards to the welfare system in Sweden and the environment. Taiwan knows about the strong and long tradition of high class engineering in Sweden and that Sweden is developed in regards to IT/telecom.” Swedish representative, Taiwan Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Taiwan

43. Profiles THAILAND – more common to study abroad Main Swedish industries well known in Thailand: • Telecom, e.g. Ericsson • Furniture, e.g. IKEA Relationship Sweden – Thailand: Sweden has a good reputation and most Thai people knows about Sweden through the high number of Swedish tourists visiting Thailand, which can be viewed both in a positive and negative way. People in business know about Sweden as a high technology country with high environmental thinking. Trend for higher education: There is an increase in the number of students in Thailand, and there is more common to study abroad. There are many discussions in the country about higher education. There are an exchange today between Thailand and Sweden and an interest from Thai students to study abroad. “The political relation between Sweden and Thailand is good, and Sweden is viewed in a positive way in Thailand.” Swedish representative, Thailand Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Thailand

44. Profiles TURKEY – higher education is growing but quality a problem Main Swedish industries well known in Turkey: - Telecom (Ericson) - Engineering/Automotive (Volvo) - Design/Furniture (IKEA) Relationship Sweden – Turkey: Sweden has a good reputation among “educated” people in Turkey, but the average person wouldn’t know much about Sweden. Many people would mix up Sweden with Switzerland. Recently the Swedish Trade Council in Turkey and some Swedish companies started a seminar about “Good Corporate Governance” among companies, and Sweden is now connected to the name GOOD. Trend for higher education: The higher education is growing in Turkey, but there are difficulties with teachers and the quality of the education is therefore becoming a problem. State universities are free of charge, but can not accept all students that want to get in. Engineering subjects are very popular, always have been and still is, same with Business, Media and Communication, Design/Industrial Design and Textile Engineering/Design. There are limited funds for R&D at Universities from the state in Turkey, even at the best universities, and there is a trend towards more University students going abroad, both at undergraduate and masters, but also for research. “The political relations between the two countries are in general good, but have been up and down. Turkey felt Sweden was against Turkish involvement in EU, but realized recently that Sweden wasn’t but instead promoted certain guidelines and human rights issues. Another aspect is the kurd issue where some Turkish people feel that Sweden support the PKK and has many Kurdish people living in Sweden.” Swedish representative, Turkey Source: Interview with Swedish representative, Turkey

45. Profiles USA – study abroad is often “a year of fun” Main Swedish industries well known in USA: • Engineering • Swedish Design/Furniture e.g. IKEA • Product development and Innovation Relationship Sweden – USA: There is a good relationship between the countries but Sweden does not have a very strong profile, people have a “very cloudy picture” of Sweden.. Sweden is viewed as a cold country, more like Alaska, with high living standards. They think about the high social welfare and think that it is a politically leftwing country. Trend for higher education: Due to a high increase in the number of students there is an expansion of colleges. This will be funded through state funds or from higher tuition fees. 15-20 years ago business administration with a final MBA was very popular, but that is not as common today. The cost for higher studies has increased a lot more than the inflation over the years and it is becoming very expensive to study. There is a weak trend for studying abroad. It isn’t common to study abroad for more than one year and generally only for a year of fun. “Politically the relationship between USA and Sweden is generally good, and there is a general respect for Sweden.” Swedish representative, USA Source: Interview with Swedish representative, USA