Research projects
Here you can find more information about ongoing research projects at the Swedish Defence University.
Research projects
- 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
- Malign information influence as a cognitive threat
- Evaluating gender integration efforts in the Swedish Armed Forces
Stories
How leaders frame problems can determine whether change becomes possible
When leaders frame a problem as complex and open to several possible answers, greater space is created for new solutions. If the problem is instead presented as technical, with a clear answer, organisations often try to restore order quickly – which can slow down change. This is shown in new research from the Swedish Defence University on leadership in change processes within health and social care.
Political imprisonment as a strategy of deterrence can backfire
Chinese authorities use the deprivation of liberty of individual persons to deter others from challenging the regime. However, the method is not always effective and may, in some cases, have the opposite effect. This is shown in new research published in the European Journal of International Security .
Ukraine and Europe's security in a new reality after four years of war
On 24 February 2026, four years will have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The anniversary brings renewed focus to the war’s long-term trajectory, the prospects for peace and what the conflict means for European security.
What happens after the war? On trauma, memory and resilience in Ukraine and Georgia
In the new book Fractured lives , Nino Tabeshadze explores how the trauma of war lives on long after the fighting has ceased. Focusing on Georgia and Ukraine, she shows how trauma shapes individual lives, societies and national identity across generations.
From trade to security – US China policy has become geopolitics
The United State's economic relationship with China has entered a new and more uncertain phase. At the same time, rivalry between the two great powers has become a structural feature of US foreign and security policy. This applies regardless of who occupies the White House, according to a new study from the Swedish Defence University.
Understanding war beyond the battlefield
For more than 20 years, Victoria Basham has studied how societies prepare for war and how people make sense of that preparation in their everyday lives. Her research moves beyond strategy and doctrine, focusing instead on lived experience, identity and meaning.
Destructive leadership is sustained by norms and silence
Destructive leadership is not solely about the behaviour of individual managers. New research from the Swedish Defence University shows that norms and organisational culture often contribute to the emergence and persistence of destructive patterns.
Rebel-led relief efforts heightened conflict risks
When the cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar in May 2023, a rebel group played a central role in the disaster response. The efforts brought relief and strengthened the group's local legitimacy, but also paved the way for renewed fighting, shows new research from the Swedish Defence University.
New solutions for front-line logistics
Hello there, Roland Hellberg, Senior Lecturer in war studies. You are part of the project Eira X – Forward logistics on the transparent battlefield , which has received a grant of SEK 2.9 million from Vinnova.
“We need to create exercises that actually lead to learning”
Erik Hedlund, Professor at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control, has in recent years focused his research on how civilian and military actors cooperate in exercises. His studies show that these exercises need fundamental change if they are to produce results.