University of Gavle

Founded in 1977, the University of Gavle prides itself on its flexibility: students can enrol full-time or part-time, and can study online, on campus or a combination of the two. 

Approximately 19,000 students study across three departments: humanities, social and natural sciences, and technology. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and master’s programmes, made up of 330 freestanding courses. These range from courses on AI-driven game-based learning to astrobiology: perspectives on life, and gender, class and living conditions in the novels of Astrid Lindgren. 

The university is part of the EU Green European University Alliance of nine universities across Europe, all of which focus on sustainability. 

The city of Gävle, roughly two hours’ north of Stockholm, is within walking distance of the university campus. The university does not offer accommodation, so students tend to live across the city itself, either in privately run student dorms or in flatshares. The campus itself offers a calm room, a resting room and quiet workplaces.

Student associations tend to be subject-based: there are several related to real estate and teacher-training. But GRIS – “Gävle’s travelling, intellectual students” – is described as “for all students, regardless of subject, who enjoy travelling to new and exciting places, such as other universities and educational institutions”.