Stockholm International Forum returns to SIS

Do Swedes undersell themselves? Are Swedes too shy and retiring to compete in the global marketplace for skills and talent? 

Though it brought amusement to the audience, these were no less serious concerns for the audience at the second Stockholm International Forum. Hosted by Stockholm International School and organised in collaboration with the Stockholms Handelskammare the Forum welcomed nearly a hundred business leaders and senior personnel involved in the recruitment and retention of highly-skilled immigrant labour. 

The Director of SIS, Marisa León, started proceedings by spelling out the School's interest in bringing people together to focus on economic rather than educational matters. She summed it up in two words; international mobility – explaining how SIS was there to cater especially for the international workers, and their families, that the city is keen to attract. 

The CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Daniella Waldfogel, welcomed the participants and set the scene for the discussion. How does Stockholm compete with the likes of Chicago or London in attracting the people it wants to build a better future for the city? She handed the platform to Peter Sandberg, Deputy CEO of Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and a member of the SIS Board of Trustees, who would act as moderator for the evening, asking the probing questions that would act as a springboard for the panellists.

The lead speaker was Anders Hall, State Secretary to Minister for Migration Johan Forssell. (The Minister had himself recently taken time to meet with parents and learn about their mobility experiences on a visit to SIS.) He agreed that Sweden was perhaps a little reticent to claim its full worth in the world, and recognised the need to do more. He drew attention to the ‘complicated relationship’ that Sweden has had with migration, and acknowledged the system needed to better distinguish between asylum migration and high-skilled labour migration. At the moment the equivalence with which each is treated mean that the waiting time for people with jobs lined up for them is much longer than in major competing countries. The OECD, he pointed out rated Canada, Australia and the USA as high performers in that regard, and that was the standard Sweden should seek to meet.

The appeal of Sweden to researchers and academics was also discussed. With global circumstances causing churn in academia, Sweden needed to pay attention to the fact that even the brightest minds need housing, schools, and social amenities, if it is to compete with other countries for the most innovative talents. The same holds for retaining the graduates of Swedish universities: they need to have the jobs and salary levels available that will persuade them to stay here rather than seek opportunities abroad.

Commenting after the event, SIS Advancement Director, Emma Jones, said: 'This evening of lively discussion has once again cemented SIS’s important position as part of the infrastructure of Stockholm—a crucial element when families decide to relocate to Sweden. Our teachers and staff are migrant workers themselves, so we understand that whole families are involved in an international move. Knowing that children are receiving a quality education and are learning in a welcoming and friendly environment that supports them in the adjustment to life in Sweden, is an important ingredient in international recruitment and retention. We are delighted to be contributing to Stockholm's success.'

Speakers and panellists included Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor, Stockholm University, Maria Fogelström Kylberg, CEO, Stockholm Academic Forum, Prof. Valentina Tartari, Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg Professor of Innovative and Sustainable Business Development, Stockholm School of Economics, and Estelle Darrigade, Nordic Talent Acquisition Team Lead, AstraZeneca. The session was chaired by Peter Sandberg, Deputy CEO of Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and a member of the SIS Board of Trustees.