Magnus PeterssonProfessor
About me
I am Professor of International Relations and Head of Department for Economic History and International Relations at Stockholm University. Before that I was Analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) 2020-2021, Professor of Modern History at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies in Oslo (2008-2020), and Lecturer, Researcher, and later Director of Studies, and Head of Research and Development (1998-2008) at the Swedish Defence University. I defended my PhD Thesis about Swedish- Norwegian security relations 1949-1969 at Stockholm University in 2003, and I am since 2011 Associate Professor of History at Stockholm University. My research interests are Swedish, Nordic, European, and Transatlantic security and defence policy.
Teaching
I have extensive experience of teaching - more than 10,000 hours - at all levels, and from several universities and university colleges in Norden, Europe, and the United States. Apart from several several guest lectures, I have mainly been teaching security and defence policy at the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm University, the Norwegian Defence University College and the University of Oslo, and George Washington University in Washington DC.
Research
My research has focused on international relations, especially Nordic, European, and Transatlantic security and defence. Some of my most recent publications are:
“Cold winds in the north: Three perspectives on the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on security and international relations in the Arctic” (with Paal Hilde and Fujio Ohnishi), Polar Science 2024 (Cold winds in the north: Three perspectives on the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on security and international relations in the Arctic - ScienceDirect)
“Finland and Sweden: From Neutrality to Solidarity”, H-Diplo, Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum, Policy Roundtable II-4, 7 July 2023 (https://issforum.org/to/jprII-4)
200 Years of Peace: New Perspectives on Modern Swedish Foreign Policy (New York and Oxford: Berghahn), Editor with Nevra Biltekin and Leos Müller
“NATO and the Neutrals on the Flanks” in Mark Kramer, Aryo Makko and Peter Ruggenthaler (eds): The Soviet Union and Cold War Neutrality and Nonalignment in Europe, 2021 (https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793631930/The-Soviet-Union-and-Cold-War-Neutrality-and-Nonalignment-in-Europe).
"Small State Survival Strategies and the Arms Trade" i Andrew Tan (red), Research Handbook on the Arms Trade, 2020 (https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/16862/s/research-handbook-on-the-arms-trade-9781789900989/).
"The Strategic Importance of the Transatlantic Link" i Rob Johnson och Janne Haaland Matlaray (red), Military Strategy in the 21st Century, 2020 (https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/military-strategy/).
"Small States and Autonomous Systems – The Scandinavian Case" i Journal of Strategic Studies, 2020 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402390.2020.1856091?journalCode=fjss20).
"Exploring the role of dependence in influencing small state’s alliance contributions: A reputation mechanism argument and assessment" i European Security, 2019 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09662839.2019.1589455).
"Sweden and the Issue of NATO Membership: Exploring a Public Opinion Paradox" i Defence Studies, 2019 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14702436.2019.1568192?journalCode=fdef20).
"Weak party escalaton: An underestimated strategy for small states" i Journal of Strategic Studies, 2019 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402390.2018.1559154?journalCode=fjss20).
"Sweden, Finland, and the Defence of the Nordic-Baltic Region – Ways of British Leadership" i Rob Johnson och Janne Haaland Matlary (red), The United Kingdom's Defence After Brexit, 2019 (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-97169-8).
NATO and the Crisis in the International Order, 2019 (https://www.routledge.com/NATO-and-the-Crisis-in-the-International-Order-The-Atlantic-Alliance-and/Petersson/p/book/9780815360384).
The US NATO Debate, 2015 (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/the-us-nato-debate-9781628924527/).