kids encyclopedia robot

Stockholm University facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Stockholm University
Stockholms universitet
Stockholms Universitet logo.svg
Latin: Universitas Holmiensis
Type Public university
Established 1878
(University status since 1960)
Rector Astrid Söderbergh Widding
Academic staff
 5,500 (2018)
Students 33,000 individuals, 26,273 (FTE) (2018)
1,600 (2018)
Location
Stockholm
,
Sweden
Campus Urban
Colors               
Stockholm university blue, gold, silver
Affiliations EUA
UNICA
Website

Stockholm University (called Stockholms universitet in Swedish) is a big public university in Stockholm, Sweden. It started as a college in 1878 and became a full university in 1960. It's one of the largest universities in Scandinavia, with over 33,000 students.

Students at Stockholm University can study many different subjects. These include law, humanities (like history and languages), social sciences (like sociology and economics), and natural sciences (like biology and physics). Like other public universities in Sweden, Stockholm University aims to teach and do research that helps society.

History of Stockholm University

The idea for Stockholm University came from the Stockholm City Council. In 1865, they decided to create a fund and a group to set up a higher education place in the capital city. This group had nine important citizens who wanted to help science and society grow.

In 1869, the Stockholm University College Association was formed. This group worked hard to make sure the college would open and be successful. In 1877, they finished their plans, and the college officially started teaching in the autumn of 1878.

When it first opened in 1878, the college, called Stockholms högskola, offered public lectures on natural sciences. Anyone curious could attend these lectures, a tradition that still happens today! A cool fact from its early days is that Sofia Kovalevskaya became a math professor there in 1889. She was only the third female professor in all of Europe! In 1904, the college was allowed to give out official degrees.

Experimentalfältet (Fredrik Bloms hus)
Fredrik Blom's house at Experimentalfältet, now used for the central administration of Stockholm University

In 1960, the college officially became a university. This made it the fourth oldest state university in Sweden. The university used to be in central Stockholm, but it needed more space as more students joined. So, in 1970, most of the university moved to a bigger campus called Frescati. This area is north of the city center and used to be a research farm.

How Stockholm University is Organized

Stockholm University is a government agency. This means the Swedish government and parliament make some big decisions for it. However, the university also gets to decide many things on its own. For example, it chooses how it's organized, what courses it offers, and which students it accepts.

Who Runs the University?

  • The University Board is the main group in charge. They make sure the university follows laws and rules. This board includes people from outside the university, staff, and student representatives.
  • The Rector is like the university's principal. They are in charge of all the daily operations.
  • There are also two Area Boards: one for science and one for humanities, law, and social sciences. These boards plan what to teach and research.
  • Below these, there are Faculty Boards for each main subject area.
  • Finally, each department (like the Physics Department or History Department) has its own head and board.
  • The University Administration helps all these groups. It handles things like money, IT, and helping students.

What Can You Study?

Stockholm University offers many different courses and study programs. You can choose from 190 study programs. This includes 75 master's programs that are taught in English. There are also 1,700 individual courses you can take.

You can choose to take just one or a few courses. These courses can last from five weeks to a whole semester. Or, you can apply for a full study program, like a bachelor's degree. The university offers four bachelor's programs in English. These include Business, Ethics and Sustainability, and International Business and Politics.

The university also lets students study abroad for a year. It has agreements with over 100 universities around the world. This means you can experience studying in another country!

Research at the University

Researchers at Stockholm University do important work. They help with government studies and share their knowledge in the media. They also advise on new laws and are part of groups that choose Nobel Prize winners.

Special Research Stations

Stockholm University has a few special places for research:

  • Askö Laboratory: This is a marine research center. It's located by the sea and studies ocean ecosystems and how humans affect them. It was built in 1961 and is now a well-known place for marine science.
  • Tarfala Research Station: This station is high up in the mountains, about 1135 meters above sea level. It studies glaciers, water, weather, and climate in a cold, arctic area.
  • Tovetorp Zoological Research Station: Located southwest of Stockholm, this station focuses on animal behavior and ecology. Many students visit Tovetorp each year for hands-on learning.

Student Groups

Students at Stockholm University can join different student unions. Before 2008, there was only one main union, the Stockholm University Student Union (SUS). Now, students in computer science, teaching, law, and journalism have their own separate unions. These unions help students and organize activities.

University Rankings

University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World 98 (2023)
QS World 118 (2024)
THE World =185 (2024)
USNWR Global =127 (2023)

Stockholm University is known as one of the top universities in the world. Here's how it has ranked:

  • In 2020, the Academic Ranking of World Universities placed Stockholm University as the 69th best university globally.
  • The Times Higher Education World University Rankings listed it at position 134 in 2018.
  • In 2021, the QS World University Rankings put Stockholm University at 148th worldwide. It ranked very high in specific subjects, like 23rd in Environmental Sciences and 37th in Sociology.
  • The U.S. News & World Report Rankings placed it 114th globally in 2021.

University Campus

Most of Stockholm University is located in the beautiful Frescati area. This area is part of the world's first national urban park. It has a mix of nature, interesting buildings, and modern art. One famous building is the Aula Magna, which is a large auditorium.

The Frescati area includes places like Albano, the Bergius Botanical Garden, and Kräftriket. Many of these names come from the late 1700s, inspired by Italian names after a trip by King Gustav III. Stockholm University also has another campus in Kista, where computer and systems sciences are taught.

Getting to Stockholm University

It's easy to get to Stockholm University using public transport!

  • The main Frescati campus is close to the Universitetet metro station on the red line of the Stockholm Metro.
  • The commuter train line Roslagsbanan also stops nearby at Universitetet railway station.
  • Many SL buses (like 50, 540, 608, 690, and others) also go to the campus.

The Kista campus, for computer science, is also near the Kista underground station. It's also close to the Helenelund commuter train station.

Famous People from Stockholm University

Many important and famous people have studied or worked at Stockholm University.

Academics and Researchers

Alumni (Former Students)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Universidad de Estocolmo para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Stockholm University Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.