Swedish Foundation (STINT) Teaching Sabbatical Program

About STINT

Swedish Foundation (STINT) Teaching Sabbatical Program provides Swedish faculty the opportunity to spend a semester at a foreign university, sharing best practices in classroom instruction and building international peer networks. Swedish Fellows are nominated by their home departments and institutions due to their teaching prowess and are embedded in a host department at UT Austin.

Each year, up to three visiting Swedish faculty members may be assigned to UT Austin during the Fall semester. All UT Austin academic departments and centers are eligible to host a Fellow.

Semester in Residence

Participating faculty are classified as visiting scholars, reside at UT Austin for the Fall semester (August to December) and teach a course or two, generally in partnership with a local colleague. Swedish Fellows are tasked with gaining an understanding of best practices for teaching and learning at UT Austin, and to share pedagogical approaches from their own institutions. Their stipend, cost of living expenses, and travel are all covered by the Swedish Foundation.

Timeline for Selection of Fellows

In September, Swedish universities are provided the opportunity to nominate up to three candidates each. All candidates must hold a doctorate degree and be employed by and well established at a Swedish university.

In October, the applications of potential fellows, including a CV and profile, are sent to UT Austin and other partner institutions. At this point, Texas Global will reach out to relevant potential host departments. After potential host departments are confirmed, a preference list is sent back to the Swedish Foundation.

The Swedish Foundation then conducts interviews with preferred candidates and then in early December confirms the placement of the Fellows. During the spring, all Fellows will undertake a planning trip to discuss teaching efforts, meet prospective colleagues and arrange accommodation.

UT Departmental Responsibilities

STINT Fellows are expected to be fully integrated in the department as a whole, in order to develop an understanding of teaching practices in the department. While salary, housing, travel and other major expenses are covered by the Swedish Foundation, the host department is expected to provide the following:

• Provide the STINT Fellow(s) with office space, office equipment (such as telephone, computer, and network access), library access and other support normally provided to its own faculty members.
• Provide the STINT Fellow(s) with a formal letter of invitation and other documents as may be required to establish Visiting Scholar status to obtain visas and for other purposes (Texas Global will assist with this).
• Cover the $400 Faculty & Scholar Services Fee.
• Submit necessary paperwork for Fellow to obtain Visiting Scholar Status.
• Strive for the development of extended collaborations with Swedish universities, particularly with an ambition to make the relations reciprocal.

To host a fellow, contact txglobal-grants@austin.utexas.edu.