Stockholm University to Administer Entrance Exams for Ukrainian Refugees in Sweden

The Swedish government has authorized Stockholm University to organize entrance exams for Ukrainian refugees in Sweden, following a request from the Ukrainian Ministry of Education for assistance in managing and conducting the testing process.

The Ministry said it had submitted such a request because, due to the war in Ukraine, it is now impossible to carry out the process of admission to Ukrainian higher education institutions as previously.

Earlier, prior to the war, admission to universities and colleges in Ukraine was completed based on national standardized tests in order to ensure a fair assessment process, Erudera.com reports.

“Due to this, since the 2022 accession round, the Ukrainian Parliament has changed the approach to a computer-based test. In order to be admitted to education, applicants need to pass special entrance exams for different education levels,” the Swedish Ministry of Education said in a press release published Monday, April 17, 2023.

Minister of Education Mats Persson said the authorities are making efforts to make it possible for Ukrainians who have fled Ukraine and found refuge in Sweden to take the test and be able to attend higher education in their home country. He also emphasized that Ukraine needs well-educated people in order for the country to recover from the war.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Education made the same request to Swedish authorities in 2022 and sought assistance from the country to administer entrance exams. Stockholm University was also chosen back then to conduct the testing process.

“The government is now once again giving Stockholm University the task of conducting the tests,” the press release notes.

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Stockholm University, along with other universities worldwide, showed support for students and employees affected by the war.

The institution, among other things, removed the tuition fee for affected students who left Ukraine on February 24 or later to get a permit in Sweden and who are covered by the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.

The school said that students would be exempt from university fees for the duration of the permit. Those not covered by the directive still had to pay tuition as non-EU/EEA students. Under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainians who left their home country when the war broke out or later are allowed to seek residence.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that as of February 15, 2023, the number of Ukrainian refugees has reached 8,072,198 in Europe, accounting for 18 percent of the country’s population.

Image source: the Twitter account of the Stockholm University