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“Strategic Autonomy, Anyone?” Charting Europe’s Shifting Security Debates and 2024-2029 Priorities
This Special Paper by Johannes Nordin explores the evolution of the Strategic Autonomy concept—from its early development (2013-2016) and politicization (2017-2019) to its expanded interpretations and shifting engagement (2020-2024). By synthesizing these insights, it identifies key challenges and opportunities for the EU’s 2024-2029 legislative period, offering recommendations for policymakers seeking to engage constructively in future Strategic Autonomy discussions. Originally an uncontroversial term originating in the post-Cold War drive for greater EU defense capabilities and greater autonomy addressing security hotspots in Europe’s near-abroad, Strategic Autonomy has undergone significant change and contestation, argues Nordin. He further writes that the early Strategic Autonomy debates, starting in 2013, can be understood as a convergence of several immediate priorities: addressing transnational defense industry needs, easing tensions in transatlantic relations, and presenting a more pragmatic EU-centered foreign policy agenda. Download and read this special paper here.
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India-Sweden Strategic Compass; January-February 2025
The partnership between India and Sweden exemplifies how middle powers can forge strategic alliances in this complex environment. Their relationship has strengthened through joint initiatives in innovation, climate change, and sustainable development, demonstrating a shared commitment to key global challenges. As both nations pursue greater autonomy in their diplomatic endeavors, this partnership may further deepen, presenting a model for other countries navigating similar geopolitical complexities. This balance of autonomy and partnership may lead to new alignments and innovative collaborations that address global challenges while enhancing their respective positions on the world stage. Download and read the latest India-Sweden Strategic Compass here.
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COP30: Time for Action on the Himalayan Region
This Focus Asia paper by Varuna Shankar and Jagannath Panda delves into the strategic necessity of CoP30 discussing the Climate conditions in the Himalaya, factoring Tibet. The paper argues that the Himalayas have faced unprecedented ecological, weather-related, and geotectonic disasters, exacerbated by human activity, disrupting ecosystems and local livelihoods. Despite these pressing issues, international climate discussions, particularly at COP29, largely marginalized the Himalayan crisis, including Tibet’s environmental degradation. Adding to this is China’s development policies that have particularly led to the current crisis situation. Beijing has pursued large-scale infrastructure projects, mining, and water diversion schemes, which threaten both the region’s ecology and downstream countries. Ongoing research mostly emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced global cooperation and a transformative approach to climate action to facilitate monitoring of the region’s environmental changes, argues Shankar and Panda. Due to its complex geography and socio-political dynamics, this has been a challenging process. However, as COP30 approaches, there is a critical need to make the Hindu Kush Himalayan region the focal point in global climate discussions. This entails integration across scientific, policy, and local knowledge to address the Himalayan region’s climate challenges, ensuring its ecosystems and communities are prioritized in global climate strategies, write Shankar and Panda. Download and read this Focus Asia paper here.
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India-Nordic Budding Dynamics: Sweden, a Vital Gateway?
This issue brief, the second in a series, by Jagannath Panda, Niklas Swanström, and Mahima Duggal covers the scope and potential of India-Nordic engagement. The brief argues that Sweden’s role as a bridge and mediator between India and the Nordic countries can be understood through its strategic positioning, economic influence, and diplomatic clout within the region. Its diplomatic efforts can help align the interests of the Nordic countries with India’s strategic objectives, fostering a cohesive approach to engagement. The authors argue that Sweden’s expertise in nuclear, defense, technology, and space sectors further strengthens its role as a critical mediator and bridge between India and the Nordic countries. Through partnerships in trade and technology, naval and maritime aspects, space and land technology, and energy and electric aviation, cooperation, India and the Nordics carry the potential to forge a greater partnership that would augment the economic landscape of Eurasia. This promising alliance, anchored by Sweden and India’s joint technological expertise and manufacturing might, represents more than mere commercial opportunism—it signals a strategic realignment. In order for the alliance to be successful, there must be concerted political will from both sides as well as regular and open policy exchanges at working and high levels to resolve points of divergence and strengthen areas of convergence, write Panda, Swanström and Duggal. Download and read the policy brief here.
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India-Sweden Ties: Forging a Cohesive Partnership
This policy brief by Jagannath Panda, Niklas Swanström, and Mahima Duggal delves into how to advance the India-Sweden partnership further. They write that looking forward, while collaborations in sustainability, innovation, and defense have grown; deeper engagement in areas like digital transformation, healthcare innovation, and advanced manufacturing could unlock new opportunities for India and Sweden. They further argue that the trade volumes between the two countries, though increasing, still do not reflect the full potential of both economies. Greater investment and technology transfer, particularly in green hydrogen and renewable energy storage, could amplify outcomes. Furthermore, stronger people-to-people connections, academic exchanges, and cultural partnerships can enhance mutual understanding, writes Panda, Swanström and Duggal. This policy brief is a part of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs collaborative project titled "India-Sweden Ties as a Gateway to India-Nordic Engagement" with the Embassy of India in Sweden. Please download and read the policy brief here.
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The Future of Korean Research from a Nordic Perspective
ISDP’s Korea Center had the pleasure of welcoming recently five young professionals from different Nordic nations with diverse professional backgrounds. During the Next Generation training program, the participants attended a three-day training session in Stockholm, where they received lectures from leading academics and policy analysts from the Nordics, Europe, and South Korea. Following the three-day training session, each participant was allocated a senior mentor with relevant experience in the participant’s field of research. The participants, with the support of their respective mentors, submitted policy papers reflecting their personal perspectives on the future of South Korean and/or North Korean cooperation with the Nordics and Western organizations such as the EU and NATO across numerous policy sectors, as well as concrete policy recommendations. This booklet is thus a compilation of the participants’ research and the culmination of the Next Generation Training Program. Read this special paper edited by Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen here.
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The application period for our fall 2025 internships is now open!
Are you looking for work experience in the field of international security and development? Do you have a particular interest in Asia? Now is the time to apply for our fall 2025 internships: Every semester, ISDP runs an internship program that is open to university students and recent graduates. The internship lasts between 4-6 months at the main office in Stockholm and the desired start date for the fall semester is from September. Please note that ISDP’s internships are full-time (40 hours per week) and unpaid. Specifically, we are looking for interns for our Korea Center, Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, and Taiwan Center, supervised by the respective Head of Center. We are also looking for an intern to work with the Asia Program more broadly, supervised by ISDP’s Executive Director. We look forward to receiving your application no later than April 21, 2025.
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What I Heard In Munich: Goodbye America – Hello Europe!
A few weeks ago, on February 13-16 2025, the Chair of the ISDP Board Dr. Anna Wieslander, once again participated in the Munich Security Conference (MSC). She writes that in the past weeks, European states have had intense discussions on how to stand more on their own feet in defense and the need to do it quickly. If it is goodbye America, it might also be hello United States of Europe. Put differently, the much-debated European pillar in NATO could ultimately become a NATO pillar in the European Union, with countries outside of the EU such as the UK, Canada, Norway, and even Turkey connecting to European defense structures. Her reflections from those turbulent days and discussions at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich are here.
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Sweden and China: The Use of History and Mismatched Expectations
Sweden was not the first country in the West that recognized the People’s Republic of China, but it became the first in the West to establish formal diplomatic relations in 1950 because China picked it ahead of others to do so. This history has since been mutually emphasized on both sides, for different reasons. This paper by Agust Börjesson examines the history of how Sweden established diplomatic relations with the PRC, outlining the historical context in which diplomatic relations were established and what it meant for the two countries at the time. The paper further examines how the history of diplomatic relations has been used by the two countries and the evolution of their mutual (mis) perceptions. Read and download this Asia paper here.
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“Strategic Autonomy, Anyone?” Charting Europe’s Shifting Security Debates and 2024-2029 Priorities
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India-Sweden Strategic Compass; January-February 2025
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COP30: Time for Action on the Himalayan Region
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India-Nordic Budding Dynamics: Sweden, a Vital Gateway?
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India-Sweden Ties: Forging a Cohesive Partnership
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The Future of Korean Research from a Nordic Perspective
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The application period for our fall 2025 internships is now open!
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What I Heard In Munich: Goodbye America – Hello Europe!
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Sweden and China: The Use of History and Mismatched Expectations
Latest Publications
COP30: Time for Action on the Himalayan Region
The Himalayas have faced unprecedented ecological, weather-related, and geotectonic disasters, exacerbated by human activity, disrupting ecosystems and local livelihoods. Despite these pressing issues, international climate discussions, particularly at COP29, largely […]
India-Nordic Budding Dynamics: Sweden, a Vital Gateway?
The India-Nordic summits in 2018 and 2022 had the clearly outlined goal of the expanding strategic coordination between India and the Nordics. The spike in trade reflects a healthy economic […]
Sweden and China: The Use of History and Mismatched Expectations
Sweden was not the first country in the West that recognized the People’s Republic of China, but it became the first in the West to establish formal diplomatic relations in […]
Books
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Arabs, Turks and Persians: Geopolitics and Ideology in the Greater Middle East
For decades, the Greater Middle East has been a leading challenge to American foreign policy. This vast region – ranging from North Africa in the west to Afghanistan in the […]
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The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
The Global Supply Chains have evolved from simply logistical achievements to being the bedrock of the global economy. Driven by technological advances and geopolitical shifts, this transformation underscores the critical […]
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IN DEFENSE OF THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER
In recent years, the geopolitical fight for global economic, diplomatic, and institutional control has acutely intensified, accentuating the crisis in the existing post-World War II Liberal International Order (LIO), championed […]
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Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific: The Changing Profile of International Relations
This book explores how the Quad Plus mechanism is set to reshape the global multilateral economic and security co-operations between Quad partner countries and the rest of the world. With […]