Internationality is one of the key areas of the university's strategy and it has an important role in all of areas of operations, including education, research and societal interaction.
The University of Turku collaborates globally through numerous university networks, programmes and projects. As well as being part of some of the oldest and most prestigious networks, we actively create connections to new areas.
The University is an active member of the global academic community. Several research projects are made in collaboration with international partners and funders. Research publications are mainly published in international forums.
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the EU has awarded the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education to the University of Turku. The Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) provides a general quality framework for European and international cooperation activities in a higher education institution (HEI).
The award of an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education is a prerequisite for participating in the programme for all HEIs, which are located in an eligible country as well as willing to participate in learning mobility of individuals and in cooperation for innovation and good practices. See our Erasmus Policy Statement.
Institutional Erasmus Code: SF TURKU01
EUC Reference Number: 101011473
Participant Identity Code (PIC): 999903064
Organisation ID code (OID): E10209158
Partners and networks
The University of Turku has several bilateral or multilateral agreements worldwide. Many of these agreements include student and teacher/staff mobility.
All the agreements of University of Turku can be found on the SoleMove system. On the SoleMove login page, choose University of Turku and "Exchange destinations abroad and feedback" on top of the page. You do not need to identify using the HAKA system to be able to browse for destinations.
University networks aim at promoting common interests and collaboration on different levels between its member institutions. Besides being a member of the European University Association EUA and International Association of Universities IAU, the University of Turku is currently participating in the following international university networks.
> Coimbra Group
The Coimbra Group is an association of long-established European multidisciplinary universities of high international standard. The University of Turku has been a Coimbra Group member since 1995.
> Nordic Centre at Fudan University
The Nordic Centre is a great instrument in creating research cooperation between the Nordic universities and Fudan University, and other Chinese universities in the Shanghai area. The new Nordic Centre building offers facilities for visiting researchers.
> Southern African Nordic Centre (SANORD)
SANORD, founded in 2006, aims at promoting the establishment of academic contacts and common activities between the southern African and Nordic regions. The University of Turku is one of the founding members of SANORD.
> Baltic Sea Region University Network
The Baltic Sea Region University Network (BSRUN) was founded in 2000 and was coordinated by the University of Turku until 2010. It aims at facilitating and enhancing co-operation between the members in the Baltic Sea Region.
> University of the Arctic
The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is a cooperative network of northern universities, colleges and other organizations dedicated to education, research and the promotion of indigenous and local capacities and sustainable development in the circumpolar North.
> The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U)
It is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Alliance consisting of seven long-standing, education- and research-led, locally and globally engaged universities from four diverse regions of the European Union: the University of Coimbra, the University of Iasi, the University of Jena, the University of Pavia, the University of Poitiers (Coordinator), the University of Salamanca and the University of Turku.
It represents a community of 180 000 students and staff, in direct reach to more than 1 500 000 citizens.
The Alliance’s ambition is to develop an innovative space allowing mobility to flow freely between the seven universities and associated cities. This model of openness will contribute to overcome clichéd views of regional and national identities and achieve a united and stronger Europe.
The University of Turku is highly experienced in managing and participating in mobility programmes and projects. In the recent years, the University has, for example, coordinated eight multilateral large scale Erasmus Mundus Action 2 projects with almost 1,800 grantees and participated in 12 more. At the moment, we are involved in numerous ongoing mobility programmes.
The Erasmus programme concerns students and staff registered at European higher education institutions who have agreements with the University of Turku. Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility involves our partner universities' students and staff also outside of the European Union.
Nordplus is an exchange programme between Nordic and Baltic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Åland Islands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The North2north programme is organised by the University of the Arctic and is intended for the students of the circumpolar countries who want to study in another Northern institution (Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United States, Canada).
ISEP (The International Student Exchange Program) is a North-American reciprocal programme. In addition to the United States, the programme includes universities from Canada, South Korea, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua and Uruguay.
The Coimbra Group Student Exchange Programme is an association of 40 prestigious European universities committed to creating academic and cultural ties between the countries. Some of the members offer the possibility for a student exchange.
The Fulbright - University of Turku Graduate Award is aimed for an American for studying or doing research at Master or Doctoral level at the University of Turku for one Academic Year. Also doctoral level placements are available for those finalising their Master's Thesis before commencing the grant period. There are also other possibilities within the Fulbright Programme. The Fulbright - University of Turku Scholar Award is awarded to U.S. Scholars to hold teaching or research positions in our University.
Education Finland (EDUFI) scholarships, awarded and administered by the Finnish National Agency for Education, are intended for students and researchers for e.g. Finnish Studies at a Finnish institute of higher education.
Scholars at Risk
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions and individuals dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education, and promoting academic freedom and related values worldwide. The University of Turku promotes the same values and actively participates in the network and well as in IIE-Scholar Rescue Fund Alliance promoting also the freedom of science.