In the autumn of 2025, the University established the Lund University Centre for Preparedness and Resilience (LUPREP) as a response to the increasing threats to society – from climate change to security policy changes that require new ways to understand and strengthen societal resilience. Now, the University is investing a further SEK 31 million in the Centre’s graduate school, in addition to the previous funding of Master’s programmes and strategic research projects.
“Universities have a clear role to play in contributing to society’s knowledge and skills provision in the area of societal preparedness. Lund University is now one of the more proactive universities in Sweden in taking on this responsibility. The new funding means that the organisation can grow with more relevant projects, programmes and collaboration with preparedness agencies outside academia,” says the director of LUPREP, Johan Bergström.
Expanded graduate school
The graduate school for interdisciplinary research in preparedness, resilience and total defence will expand with a further eight positions: four doctoral students and four postdocs. The aim of the graduate school is to continue to establish LUPREP and the University’s Campus in Helsingborg as a national hub for collaboration between academia, the political sphere and other societal agencies, with resources for recurring workshops, seminars and open lectures.
New Master’s programme to start in autumn 2026
A new Master’s Programme in Total Defence and Civil Preparedness with 30 places will start at Campus Helsingborg in the autumn of 2026. The one-year Master’s meets increasing demand for expertise in the area of total defence, providing the students with interdisciplinary knowledge on how society can withstand and manage crises. A corresponding programme in English will start in the autumn of 2027. These programmes are covered by previously granted funding.
Intelligence, security and the role of civil society
In addition to the investments in the graduate school and programmes, Lund University was also recently granted funds for two strategic research projects: PLUS, a platform for intelligence and security studies, and CIVRES, which focuses on the importance of civil society for resilience. Campus Helsingborg, which has a history of research in psychological defence – strategic communication to strengthen the will to defend – is also the site of the Helsingborg Safety Hub, a Faculty of Engineering lab for leading-edge research in safety and security.
”Through these investments, Lund University is taking a further step forward in understanding and managing complex societal challenges. In this way, we make a direct contribution to Sweden’s ability to withstand and recover from various types of threats and crises,” says Erik Renström, Vice-Chancellor of Lund University.
LUPREP is also an active participant in the national initiative Campus Total Defence, which is a strategic collaboration between Swedish higher education institutions with the aim of strengthening Sweden’s total defence through education and research. In this context, Lund University is one of the nodes that contributes to equipping Sweden for future challenges and the long-term resilience of society.