In 2027, 25 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will take part in the programme. The programme focuses on digital governance, public administration and democratic development. Through training, exchange of experiences and networking, participants will gain tools to develop their work within their organisations and home countries.
The new funding means that the initiative can continue for a tenth edition. The programme was launched in 2017 under the name SeGRID and was further developed into STRIDE in 2025 through closer collaboration between Linköping University and the University of Tartu.
“Being given the opportunity to run the programme for a tenth time is a recognition of the value of long-term international collaboration. Over the years, we have built an extensive network of participants and partners across the region. Our collaboration with the University of Tartu has also brought new perspectives and further strengthened the quality and relevance of the programme,” says Mariana S. Gustafsson, Programme Director at Linköping University.
The collaboration between the two universities has grown out of shared interests in digital governance and digital democracy. For the University of Tartu, the new edition of the programme provides an opportunity to further develop both education and research.
“STRIDE 2027 gives us an opportunity to strengthen the links between the universities’ research and education in digital governance and digital democracy, while at the same time training current and future leaders from the Eastern Partnership countries,” says Dmytro Khutkyy, Head of the University of Tartu Ukraine Centre.
Ahead of the upcoming programme, the partners also plan to develop the content further.
“We want to strengthen the links between Estonian and Swedish experiences of digital societal development and incorporate more up-to-date case studies into the programme,” says Dmytro Khutkyy.
