The five-year agreement focuses on computer science, biotechnology, chemistry, mechanical engineering and basic scientific exploration partnership. It was announced the same week as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson on a trip to Scandinavia.

“California and Sweden are thousands of miles apart, but when it comes to our commitments to sustainable societal development and digital transformation, we are very much on the same page,” Anders Söderholm, KTH president, said in a statement.

“This agreement is one way our respective universities can build on the importance of US-Swedish relations.”

Opportunities the agreements opens up include joint research projects, conferences and workshops, faculty, student and postdoc exchanges as well as exchanges of academic publications.

“Our students and researchers will benefit with new networks”

“Our students and researchers will benefit with new networks that reach more people and have wider influence,” Söderholm added.

The partnership also aims to extend the “historically close” cooperation between the two universities, the institutions noted.

It was signed at a two-day conference in May, organised by KTH in San Francisco, that explored skills for the future, digital transformation and AI.

Research that will be expanded under the agreement will delve into building a more sustainable society as well as identifying innovative solutions for the future.

“We are excited about expanding our connection to KTH to advance innovation in the interest of society, to support researchers, and to increase global opportunities for our students,” Claire Tomlin, chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, said.

“This collaboration is sure to bring us closer to a more sustainable future.”