KTH ranks high on list of world’s most international universities
Times Higher Education (THE) Student has published its 2026 list of the most international universities in the world, in which KTH ranked 25th – the highest among universities in Scandinavia.
“It is of course great news,” says Stefan Östlund, Vice President for International Relations. “Small countries like Sweden need to be international to remain competitive.”
“If KTH is attractive to international researchers and students, that is good for Sweden.”
Two years ago, KTH decided to develop and deepen the university’s international collaborations in research, education and innovation. This initiative was to involve the whole of KTH. Combined with previous strategies for internationalisation, it appears to have borne fruit.
“We have a strong international student recruitment programme and we are attractive to young researchers and postdocs, which has gradually increased the proportion of international researchers even in senior positions,” Östlund says.
The list of the most international universities is based on four indicators from THE World University Rankings (each weighted at 25 percent): the proportion of international staff, the proportion of international students, international co-authorship and international reputation.
A high proportion of international co-authorship is also typical of successful universities from smaller countries like Sweden, he says. “This is a result of the increased proportion of international researchers and the fact that KTH has expanded the number of its international partnerships.”
Östlund says he no longer uses the term, “internationalisation”, since, as he sees it, KTH is already an international university, in the same way that many Swedish companies are global enterprises. International work is part of the conditions for making KTH an even better university, he says.
“We must also improve our handling of visiting researchers and students when it comes to things like accommodation and reception. Together, we can make KTH better and even more attractive, both nationally and internationally,” Östlund says.
Jon Lindhe