The Swedish Defence University ( sv, Försvarshögskolan, FHS) is situated on Drottning Kristinas väg 37 in Östermalm,

Stockholm City Centre Stockholm City Centre (''Stockholms innerstad'', ''Innerstaden'', ''Inre staden'') is in Stockholm Municipality, also known as the City of Stockholm, part of the Stockholm urban area in Sweden. Since 2007, Stockholm City Centre has been organize ...

, next to the campus of the

Royal Institute of Technology The KTH Royal Institute of Technology ( sv, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, lit=Royal Institute of Technology), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technolo ...

History

Today's Swedish Defence University marks the latest development in a long line of military education tradition. The Higher Artillery College in Marieberg was established in Stockholm in the 19th century. The Swedish Defence University has existed in its present form since 1997. The University was established as a national university college on January 1, 2008, allowing it to issue academic degrees. Formerly known in English as the Swedish National Defence College, the University adopted its current name on 1 February 2015. In 2018 the Swedish Defence University received permission to grant two-year master's degrees.

Programme

The University trains and educates domestic and international military and civilian personnel. The University offers training for career and reserve officers of the Swedish Armed Forces. Graduates contribute, both nationally and internationally, to the management of crisis situations and security issues. Successful candidates are awarded a bachelor's degree in Military Science. The course is conducted over 6 semesters. On successful completion of all modules 180 credits are awarded. The officers' programme is a three-year undergraduate degree course through which the officers gain proficiency as platoon-level leaders. Teachers and professors from the Swedish Defence University are often seen in the media as expert commentators on matters of public interest.

Research

The University is a founding member of the International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS) and hosted the ISMS annual conference in 2010. The University contributes towards national and international security through research and development. Research is carried out Military Arts and Sciences and subsequently disseminated both nationally and internationally. The University is a member of the International Association for Military Pedagogy, whose members include military and civilian professionals from military institutions of advanced learning.

Publications

At the Swedish Defense College, basic research and applied research are conducted with relevance to the area of community protection and security. The research covers both military and civilian aspects of the area and ranges from security policy and civilian crisis management to war, defense and military operations. Much of the published material can be found in DiVA, the Digital Scientific Archive, which is a publication database for research publications and student papers. The ''Militärhistorisk tidskrift'' is the only one of its kind in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Swe ...

and is published by the Military History Section at the Swedish Defense College. Together with its predecessor ''Aktuellt och historiskt'', it has been published since 1953. The ''Militärhistorisk tidskrift'' is usually published in December every year.

Facilities and buildings

From 1926, the

Royal Swedish Army Staff College The Royal Swedish Army Staff College ( sv, Kungliga Krigshögskolan, KHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment between 1866 and 1961, providing courses for army officers. It was the home of the Swedish Army's staff college, which provided adv ...

, the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College and the

Artillery and Engineering College Artillery and Engineering College ( sv, Artilleri- och ingenjörhögskolan, AIHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment active between 1878 and 1992, providing courses for artillery officers. It was located within the Stockholm Garrison in Sto ...

were located on Östermalmsgatan 87 in Stockholm in the so-called ''Grå huset'' ("Gray House"). In connection with the formation of the

Swedish Armed Forces Staff College The oyalSwedish Armed Forces Staff College ( sv, Militärhögskolan, MHS) was from 1961 to 1996 the Swedish Armed Forces highest institution for officers training, for staff and senior executive education and was located in Stockholm. In 1997 it ...

on 1 October 1961, the new school was moved to the barracks area on Valhallavägen 117, which had been built in 1877 for the Svea Artillery Regiment (A 1). With the addition of the Swedish Armed Forces Management College (''Försvarets förvaltningshögskola'', FörvHS) in 1994, two new places of education were also added, where the Swedish Armed Forces Management College had its education in

Karlstad Karlstad (, ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 65,856 ...

and Östersund. After the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College was disbanded on 31 December 1996, the premises on Valhallavägen 117 were taken over by the new Swedish National Defence College. After initially remaining with most of the activities on the premises at Valhallavägen, it was decided in the early 2000s that the Swedish National Defense College would move to newly erected premises on Campus Valhallavägen at Drottning Kristinas väg, neighbor of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. From 1 August 2005, the college operated on Drottning Kristinas väg 37. The new premises were inaugurated on 22 September 2005 by His Majesty the King Carl XVI Gustaf. In 2007, the Swedish National Defense College left Östersund and since 2007 it is located on Drottning Kristinas väg 37 in Stockholm, at Karlberg Palace, Byggnad Nydal in Solna and in Karolinen on Våxnäsgatan 10 in Karlstad.

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the Swedish National Defence College from 1956 to 1985, and from 1994.

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visua ...

: "Azure an erect sword surmounting an open chaplet of oak, or."

Traditions

The Swedish Defense College trace its lineage back to 1818 when the Higher Artillery School (''Högre artilleriläroverket'') in Marieberg was formed. Because the former Swedish Armed Forces Staff College was formed in 1961 by the service staff colleges, the Swedish Defense College thus has an unbroken lineage from the Higher Artillery School, the Royal Swedish Army Staff College, the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College, the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College, the Swedish National Defence College, the Swedish Armed Forces Management College (''Försvarets förvaltningshögskola'', FörvHS), and the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College, and considers it their mission to look after this heritage. The original Marieberg clock, which stood in the yard at the Higher Artillery School in Marieberg in the 19th century, can today be found on the premises of the Swedish National Defense College on Drottning Kristinas väg.

Heads

Vice-Chancellors

*1952–1953: Major General Richard Åkerman *1953–1955: Major General Thord Bonde *1955–1956: Major General

Ivar Backlund Lieutenant General Gustav ''Ivar'' Backlund (14 February 1892 – 5 July 1969) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include Commandant in Boden Fortress, Chief of the Army Staff and the General Staff Corps. Backlund was also militar ...

*1957–1960: Major General Gustaf Adolf Westring *1960–1964: Major General Sam Myhrman *1964–1966: Rear Admiral

Oscar Krokstedt Vice Admiral Nils ''Oscar'' Jakob Krokstedt (12 October 1908 – 13 December 1985) was a Swedish Navy officer. His senior commands included Chief of the Naval Staff, head of the Swedish National Defence College and military commander of the We ...

*1966–1968: Major General Malcolm Murray *1968–1972: Major General Claës Skoglund *1972–1978: Lieutenant General Bo Westin *1978–1984: Major General

Bengt Liljestrand Major General Bengt (T:son) Trygvesson Liljestrand (26 February 1919 – 2 January 2000) was a Swedish Army officer. He served as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from 1974 to 1975 and Force Commander o ...

*1984–1987: Major General

Gustaf Welin Lieutenant General Nils Gustaf Axel Welin (12 July 1930 – 11 November 2008) was a senior Swedish Army officer. Welin served as head of the Swedish National Defence College (1984–1987), as Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Obs ...

*1986–1987: Major General Kjell Nordström (acting) *1987–1988: Vice Admiral Bror Stefenson *1988–1994: Major General Krister Larsson *1994–1996: Nils Gyldén *1997–1998: Rear Admiral

Claes Tornberg Rear Admiral Claes Egmont Tornberg (born 10 February 1936) is a retired Swedish Navy officer. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet from 1985 and 1990 and as head of the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1990 to 1996 and the ...

*1998–2002: Major General Karlis Neretnieks *2002–2008: Henrik Landerholm *2008–2010: Mats Ericson *2011–2019: Romulo Enmark *2019–present: Robert Egnell

Deputy Vice-Chancellors

*2005–2006: Brigadier General Tomas Fjellner *2006–2008: Colonel Lars Bergström *2009–2016: Brigadier General Bengt Axelsson *2017–2020: Rear admiral (lower half) Ewa Skoog Haslum *2020–2022: Brigadier General

Fredrik Ståhlberg Major General Nils Fredrik Adam Ståhlberg (born 24 August 1966) is a Swedish Army officer. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 1 January 2023. Prior to that, Ståhlberg served as commanding officer of the Western M ...

*2022–present: Brigadier General Anders Persson

References

External links

*
International Society of Military Sciences
{{Authority control University colleges in Sweden Higher education in Stockholm Buildings and structures in Stockholm Education in Östersund Military education and training in Sweden Military research of Sweden Stockholm Garrison