Centre of Special Operations Research (CSOR)

In February 2021, the Centre of Special Operations Research (CSOR) was established at the Swedish Defence University.

The new centre's activities rest on four cornerstones - research, education, academic outreach and operational support to the Armed Forces' special operations units.

CSOR is a virtual centre that will act as a link between the Swedish Defence University and the Swedish Armed Forces’ Special Operations Command (SWE SOCOM). It is organisationally located at the Department of Military Studies at the Swedish Defence University.

Advisory Board

The Centre's Advisory Board consists of five members and is chaired by Alastair Finlan, Professor at the Swedish Defence University. Other members include Vice Admiral Jonas Haggren, Head of the Swedish Armed Forces Special Forces; Annika Nordgren Christensen, member of the Board of the Swedish Defence University and the Royal Academy of War Sciences; James Kiras, Professor at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in the USA; and Dr Byron Harper from NATO Special Operations Headquarters in Belgium.

Head of the Centre of Special Operations Research is Ulrica Pettersson, Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Swedish Defence University.