Contact us

The Study and Work Away Service (SWAY) supports those participating in a broad range of international activities. There are multiple ways you can get in touch with us.

Email and virtual appointment

You can contact members of the relevant Study and Work Away team by email.

Alternatively, if you are currently on exchange or placement, have recently returned, or are considering applying, you can book a 1:1 virtual appointment with a member of the relevant SWAY team on Microsoft Teams. Please note that these appointments are available for current University of Edinburgh students only. 

For queries relating to outbound study exchanges in Europe, including the EU, EEA, Switzerland and Turkey:

Email: europe.outgoing@ed.ac.uk 

Book an appointment with the European Programmes team  


For queries relating to outbound study exchanges outside of Europe.

Email: international.outgoing@ed.ac.uk

Book an appointment with the International Programmes team   

Notes on booking a Microsoft Teams appointment:

  • Current exchange students should select the member of staff overseeing exchanges to your destination country. 
  • For general enquiries and those newly considering exchange, please select the ‘Destination unknown’ appointment option. 

For queries relating to international, outbound, credit-bearing work and research placements, study at language schools, and placement-based dissertations. This includes students from the Schools listed below: 

Which Schools offer international placements? 

Email: swayplacements@ed.ac.uk

Book an appointment with the Placements team 

Notes on booking a Microsoft Teams appointment:

  • Teams appointments with the Placements team are available 10am -12 noon on Thursdays. If this time isn’t possible for you, or if you need to meet more urgently, please contact the Placements team to arrange another day/time. 
  • Students applying for or participating in a placement-based dissertation from the School of Social and Political Science should contact the Placements team directly to arrange an appointment. Email: swayplacements@ed.ac.uk

For queries relating to incoming study exchanges and other study abroad experiences in Edinburgh.

Email: studyabroad@ed.ac.uk 


For queries relating to the Go Abroad Fund, the NICE Programme, or the INCiTE Summer School.

Email: goabroadprojects@ed.ac.uk 


Phone lines

While we prefer you to email or book a Microsoft Teams appointment so that you can be matched with the colleague who has the most expertise on your programme and destination, SWAY is also available to take phone calls from students.

+44 (0)131 651 5999

This line is open during our core office hours (Monday-Friday, 10 am to 4 pm)

Emergencies

Should an emergency occur whilst you are abroad, your first action should be to make contact as soon as possible with your nominated contact at your host institution, organisation or place of work, and your family. Your local contact often has the local knowledge and “know how” to advise and support you. 

Please familiarise yourself, via the link below, with our guidance on actions to take in an emergency. It is also very important for you to contact the University of Edinburgh in an emergency.

Emergency situations

You can contact the Study and Work Away Service by phone during our core office hours (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm) on: +44 (0)131 651 5999

Please contact SWAY if you have: 

  • Immediate concerns about your personal well-being or safety in your host country 
  • Immediate concerns about the general safety in your host country (e.g. heightened risk of conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters, sudden border restrictions) 
  • A medical emergency, or serious health concerns that will impact your activity abroad 

The staff member on rota will do their best to support you and ensure your call is passed on to the relevant team. 


If you need to get in touch with someone at the University in an emergency outside of our core office hours (Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm), please use the following number. 

University of Edinburgh out of hours emergency contact:

 +44 131 650 2257 


Before getting in touch 

In some instances, SWAY may not be best placed to answer your enquiry, or there may be additional resources needed to help you in advance of your appointment: 

Read our Before You Go pages for information about visas, accommodation, funding, risk assessment, insurance and more: 

View Before You Go pages


For detailed information about the academic implications of your study exchange or placement, you should speak to your Exchange or Placement Coordinator. They will be able to advise on things like course requirements, how your exchange or placement will count towards your degree, assessment, how many credits or courses you need to take abroad, what happens if you fail a course abroad, and so on. 

Get in touch with your Exchange Coordinator

Find your Placement Coordinator 

View Academic Matters page 


Contact your School to find out if they offer any additional study or placement opportunities abroad which are not outlined on these pages.   


 

Details of how we use your information can be found in the University's privacy statement: 

Data protection and privacy

If contacting us about, or on behalf of, somebody else, then please note that the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) prohibit us from divulging any information regarding students of the University of Edinburgh without that individual’s consent. This is with the exception of situations where disclosure is urgently required to prevent immediate, obvious, or urgent danger to the student. 

The Study and Work Away Service is unable to discuss or pass on information about a student, even to parents/carers/guardians, unless the student has given explicit consent for us to do so. We would encourage students to make contact with us themselves at all times regarding their Study and Work Away activities and arrangements. 

Read the University's privacy statement

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