The University cooperates on the basis of agreements with 85 Universities in 19 European und 12 other countries. Formal partnerships exist with 8 universities. The number of cooperation partners totals 335.
The FSU had been a member to the Coimbra Group since 1992, an association of old, established European Universities, which aims to promote academic cooperation in all areas (members include: the universities of Bologna, Poitiers, Salamanca, Oxford, Cambridge, Prague, Cracow, and Heidelberg).
Within the framework of the European ERASMUS-Programmes the exchange of students and/or teachers has been agreed with 253 European Universities.
Nine professors of the FSU Jena are members of the Selection Commission of the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutschen Akademischer Austauschdienst).