Research projects
Here you can find more information about ongoing research projects at the Swedish Defence University.
Research projects
- Impact of psychological strain on fire and rescue service personnel retention in wartime – experiences from Ukraine
- Follow-up of the Swedish Enlistment Battery (SEB)
- Recruitment, personnel retention capacity and selection system development
- Command supply
- Women in missions
- Defence and society
- The practice of war
- Leadership and collaboration for Sweden's total defence
- Military police - meaning and professional identity in a changing security environment
- Soft norm governance through value-based work
Stories
Sweden had extensive intelligence networks as early as the sixteenth century
Sweden developed sophisticated and extensive intelligence networks much earlier than has previously been recognised in research. This is demonstrated in a new book on intelligence organisation during the reigns of Gustav Vasa, Erik XIV and Johan III.
Hope as a political tool in a time of democratic crisis
How can democracy be defended when trust in it is faltering? A new study shows how the Biden administration used hope as a political tool to legitimise its foreign policy vision of democracy versus autocracy.
New research project studies the everyday reality of rescue services in war
When the war in Ukraine is described, the focus is often on soldiers at the front line. But rescue service personnel are also working in the midst of war — under shelling, among rubble, and close to people in acute distress.
Competing views of democracy and disinformation in the EU
Despite broad support for the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), there is no shared European understanding of how disinformation threatens democracy. This is the conclusion of a new study analysing debates in the European Parliament.
War, trade and power in the Early Modern period
War in early modern Europe was not only fought on the battlefield, it was also organised, financed and supplied through extensive commercial networks. A new anthology highlights how this “business of war” developed in the Baltic Sea region between 1530 and 1765.
He researches cognitive warfare and diplomacy
Adan Anwar's doctoral studies focuses on cognitive warfare, disinformation and diplomacy, with a particular interest in how information affects security and political processes in the EU, the Middle East and North Africa.
Understanding politics through images and emotions
Roland Bleiker is Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland and the 2026 holder of the Olof Palme Visiting Professorship at the Swedish Defence University. During his year in Sweden, he hopes to engage closely with students and colleagues through teaching, mentoring, guest lectures and workshops.
Rapid growth meets old structures
The Swedish Armed Forces are in a situation where the demands for rapid growth are high. At the same time, traces of previous cutbacks remain. This affects how quickly and efficiently operations can be expanded.
Secrets confer status online
In discussions about classified information, it is often less about what is said, but more about how it is said. A study from the Swedish Defence University shows how people signal access to secret information without revealing it, and how this creates clear hierarchies and status within groups.
Critical radio systems are often less secure than we think
Digital radio communication systems play a central role in many critical societal functions. Despite this, the systems often have a lower level of security than more established communication solutions. This is shown in a new doctoral thesis from the University of Skövde and the Swedish Defence University.