New NordForsk programme: What: NordForsk and research funding institutions in several Nordic countries are taking the initiative to establish new interdisciplinary, multinational Nordic Centres of Excellence within the area of societal security.
Why: Many societal challenges such as IT security and climate change extend beyond national borders. It is therefore natural for the Nordic countries to cooperate on developing new knowledge on vulnerabilities, resilience and capabilities for crisis management within various disciplines.
New solutions for better societal security is needed With his numerous scientific articles, teaching activities and commitment to developing the field in the Nordic countries and the EU, Bengt Sundelius epitomises societal security. Professor Sundelius will be putting his vast experience to good use as a member of the programme committee of the Nordic Societal Security Programme. We asked him about his expectations for the programme: – I have high expectations for this fiveyear programme. The area of societal security research will be made more visible by consolidating expertise in centres of excellence. Effort will be invested in attracting
talented researchers to this increasingly important field and encouraging students to study relevant issues. New, applicable knowledge will be made available for use by those charged with strengthening societal security in the Nordic countries. The Nordic profile, with emphasis on civil society and human security rather than protection of the state, will add an important dimension to EU security research. Nordic researchers will become more sought-after and successful in the European context. What is the greatest challenge facing Nordic societal security? – The Nordic countries have good capacity to handle large-scale events that are limited in time and space. Preventing and handling cascading events that affect a variety of spheres and extend over time is more of a challenge. Cross-border flows imply much
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that is positive for our society, but at the same time they make us very vulnerable to long-term disruptions or negative flows, such as the spread of infection, serious crime and malware in IT systems. Events of this type involve more than just geography, they involve sectors, levels of responsibility and professions. And dealing with them also involves dealing with fixed ideas and entrenched habits. Cooperation across all these issues is essential. – New knowledge and new solutions based on this knowledge are needed. Education and training can help to translate new knowledge into better routines and more targeted skills. NordForsk’s new research programme will provide a renewaloriented, cross-border knowledge base for these improvement efforts.