Exploring the dynamics of collaboration

Per Becker has worked with issues relating to crisis management, risk and total defence for virtually his entire career – in Sweden, internationally and in the field. Since 1 July 2025 he has been a professor at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control at the Swedish Defence University, following a year as a visiting professor.

"There is a great deal of exciting work happening at the Swedish Defence University right now, especially within crisis preparedness and total defence. It is a large and growing research environment with a great deal of combined expertise, not least in matters of collaboration. That is what attracted me to come here", he says.

An interdisciplinary outlook

Per Becker has an unusually broad academic background: a doctorate in sociology and a doctorate in engineering, as well as additional doctoral studies in political science. He currently divides his work time between the Swedish Defence University and Lund University, where he is Professor of Risk and Sustainability. The interdisciplinary approach is central to his research.

"The problems we work with are so complex that no single discipline is sufficient. The Swedish Defence University is interdisciplinary at its core, and the Department of Leadership and Command & Control is one of the most interdisciplinary environments I have worked in. It suits me very well", he says.

His interest in risk and crisis issues goes back to childhood. Images from the famine disaster in Ethiopia in the early 1980s made a strong impression and shaped the direction of his early professional life within international organisations and development work.

At the same time, he has often combined academic work with practical engagement. Over the course of his career he has worked for the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, UNICEF, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and has been stationed in several countries in Africa and Oceania.

Research on collaboration and capability

A recurring theme in Per Becker’s research is the challenges that arise when many actors must work together in crises, disasters, or within total defence.

"After every major crisis, the conclusion is that collaboration has not worked well enough. But the solutions are rarely as simple as “we need a crisis commander” or “we just need to cooperate more”. I try to understand why actors collaborate, or do not, and what different forms of collaboration actually lead to."

To do this, he combines both quantitative and qualitative methods, often using advanced social network analysis to study the relationships between actors and organisations.

A related area of research is capability development within total defence.

"We often talk about the need to strengthen Sweden’s capability for crisis preparedness and total defence. But what exactly is “capability”? What does it consist of, which processes lie behind it, and how can it be strengthened? That is what I am trying to help clarify."

Policy relevant research

During the autumn, the research group that Per Becker is part of has been working on a major application for the strategic research area in crisis preparedness and total defence launched by the Swedish government. The application was submitted in early November.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we receive it, the Swedish Defence University and our partners will become the largest research environment in this area in northern Europe. It would give us entirely new tools for driving the research forward."

Per Becker has previously contributed to policy development both in Sweden and internationally, including through work for the Psychological Defence Agency, UN organisations and national authorities.

A unique environment at the Swedish Defence University

One of the reasons he applied to the Swedish Defence University is that academic expertise and professional experience are combined in teaching.

"Here there are teachers and researchers with both solid scientific expertise and extensive practical experience from military and civilian crises. That combination is unique in Sweden, and it is immensely stimulating."

He also sees that he himself can contribute with both methodological breadth and international experience.

"I believe I can strengthen the quantitative side of research on collaboration. At the same time, I bring many years of practical field experience, particularly on the civilian side, which adds yet another perspective."

Looking ahead

In the longer term, Per Becker wants to continue contributing to strengthening the research environment in leadership, command and control, and collaboration at the Swedish Defence University.

"When I retire, it would be fantastic to see that the research environment has become even stronger and even more significant than it is today. I want to help us become better at understanding why collaboration works the way it does, and how it can actually be improved in practice. That is one of the most important issues for Sweden’s crisis preparedness and total defence going forward", he says.