History
The Swedish Institute (SI) was founded in 1945. With the Second World War at an end, the principal aim was to develop international cooperation. Both the government authorities and the business community wanted to make Sweden better known abroad and to boost international confidence in the country. The result was a new body, an association charged both with disseminating information about Sweden and with supporting a broad-based program of cultural exchange with other countries.
In 1970, this association was transformed into a foundation which subsequently acquired the status of a government agency in 1998, although its basic duties have changed little since the beginning. Now as then, the operation involves disseminating information, generating goodwill and facilitating communication and exchange with other countries.
The promotion of Sweden has undergone a renaissance in recent years. Culture has become an important dimension in promotional activities, and SI has been given a more active role in presenting Sweden – a role we are trying to fill with creativity, credibility and integrity.
At the same time, the task involves constantly adapting our activities and the forms they take to developments in the world around us. One example of this is SI’s shift from printed to electronic publication. Today, Sweden.se – the official gateway to Sweden – is the main information channel. The website represents both a comprehensive source of information about Sweden and a valuable resource for Swedish embassies and consulates abroad.
Over the years, SI has provided what is needed to establish contact with Sweden. Often, the relationship begins with a visit to Sweden which then develops into a lengthy partnership. SI’s experience as a well-established organization, for instance, made it a powerful asset in the early 1990s when Sweden needed to quickly develop cooperation and contacts with the new democracies around the Baltic Sea.
Education is another important area with plenty of opportunities for developing international ties. Scholarships have been a part of the SI operation from the outset.
SI also did pioneering work in the field of development aid, and was the first in Sweden to appoint an officer with responsibility for aid issues. This area of activity grew in scale and scope, was hived off and eventually became the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida.
Sida and the Swedish Institute once again crossed paths when Sida’s Baltic Sea Unit merged with SI on January 1, 2012 to form the Baltic Sea Regional Cooperation. This integration serves to strengthen Sweden’s overall work in the region. The new organization will be Sweden’s expert authority on international cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region.