The Centre for Preparedness and Resilience is organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, but seven of the university's faculties are included in the initiative.
– This is a way for the university to contribute to societal preparedness and security. The centre promotes collaboration within the university and with other organisations,’ says Agnes Andersson, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
The background to the new centre is the increasingly unpredictable and changing nature of contemporary security threats and risks. This requires expertise and collaboration. Changes in Sweden's crisis management organisation in recent years, including NATO membership, have also increased the need for education and research in defence and crisis preparedness.
The centre will function as a university-wide unit for research, collaboration and education in total defence. The aim is to strengthen current research in the field and offer new opportunities for collaboration across disciplines to meet society's needs for risk analyses and preparedness measures. In addition, the centre will contribute to increasing external grant funding in the field of total defence and also be able to serve as a node for contract education, so that it becomes less dependent on central funding over time.
The Faculty of Social Sciences has now started work on structuring the organisation. A call for expressions of interest for the position of Director will be issued shortly. Two new master's programmes related to total defence are being planned, as well as six new doctoral positions in social sciences and law.
The Centre for Preparedness and Resilience (LUPREP) will be established on 1 April.