Lund University is taking an active step to meet society’s growing needs for security and crisis management. A new centre is being established at Campus Helsingborg with the aim of strengthening education, research and external engagement in total defence and preparedness on a broad front.
Security threats and risks in today’s society are increasingly difficult to predict and can change rapidly, requiring expertise and enhanced external engagement. In addition, the changes in Sweden’s crisis management in recent years, including NATO membership, have increased the need for education and research in defence and crisis preparedness. Consequently, Lund University is now establishing the Centre for Preparedness and Resilience.
“Sweden is investing heavily in total defence and Lund University has every opportunity to contribute vital societal research and education in the field. I am very happy and proud that the University’s investment in LUPREP is becoming a reality and that the faculties’ multifaceted knowledge is now being harnessed. The Centre will serve as a strong knowledge environment for researchers, doctoral students and students, but will also help the rest of society to collaborate on key total defence issues,” says Lund University’s Vice-Chancellor Erik Renström.
Linked to LUPREP, Lund University is creating a graduate school with six new doctoral positions – four in defence research specialising in social science and two with a legal focus.
Two new Master’s programmes related to the Centre’s activities are also under development. One, Master’s Programme in Total Defence and Civil Preparedness, is aimed at existing students but also at professionals in the preparedness sector. The second – Master’s Programme in Total Defence and Security Policy – will be taught in English and is aimed primarily at social scientists, lawyers and economists both within Sweden and beyond.
Lund University is investing a total of SEK 37 million in the graduate school and the new LUPREP, which leverages research from seven of the University’s nine faculties and is physically located at Campus Helsingborg.
Read more: https://www.ch.lu.se/en/article/lund-university-invest-sek-37-million-new-total-defence-centre
