First annual Soldier-Scholar Conference successfully held in September

The inaugural Soldier-Scholar Conference of the Research School for War and Defence was successfully held on 25–26 September 2025 at the Swedish Defence University in Stockholm, bringing together military officers, academics and defence professionals.

The event marked a milestone in the development of an international network of soldier-scholars (i.e. military officers with a PhD) and military doctoral students with the aim to advance knowledge in areas critical to defence and security, such as warfighting, strategy and tactics, military organisation and profession, leadership, technology, and defence planning.

The conference was the first annual conference of the Research School for War and Defence, an international research school for military officers.

Keynote speaker

The two-day conference featured a keynote speaker, panel discussions, roundtable, and publishing and networking opportunities for soldier-scholars and military doctoral students. Professor and Director of the Research School, Antulio Echevarria, delivered the keynote on “The Nature of Strategic Competition”, offering a thought-provoking analysis of contemporary strategic dynamics and their implications for military planning and leadership.

Panel discussions

The panels explored a wide range of issues, for example, how professional military education, artificial intelligence and military experiments, influence military innovativeness; the role of artificial intelligence in operational planning; and how the introduction of artificial intelligence in military operations changes the officer’s role and the requirements of professional military education.

Other issues included the role of restraint in the use of force, how company commanders exercise freedom of action when generating forces, and how contemporary NATO commanders interpret and adapt to the requirements of both vertical and horizontal integration in command and control in Multi-Domain Operations.

Roundtable discussion and publishing opportunities

A roundtable discussion on “The Practice and Education of Soldier-Scholars” offered participants the opportunity to reflect on the distinctive role of military officers in academia, and the importance of integrating scholarly research into professional military education and practice.

The conference was concluded by a panel on publishing opportunities for soldier-scholars and military doctoral students, including representatives from Parameters, Scandinavian Journal of Military Sciences and Australian Army Journal.

Foundation for future collaboration

The conference hosted around 40 participants, both presenters and attendees from across the international defence community. While paper presentations were reserved for military doctoral students and soldier-scholars sharing their ongoing research, all participants were encouraged to engage in the discussions and contribute to the growing network.

“This conference proved the educational foundation of the Soldier-Scholar program and the Research School is strong and sure to grow stronger!”, says Antulio Echevarria, Professor and Director of the Research School.

Next year's Soldier-Scholar Conference will be held on 18-19 September 2026, at the Swedish Defence University. The Research School for War and Defence also offers courses, workshops and seminars to support doctoral education and strengthen the intellectual core of the armed forces.

Research School for War and Defence