National Resilience and the Nordic Models

17.9.2026 - 11.12.2026

5 cr

Face-to-face

This is a Master’s level advanced course that requires applicable higher education studies in the field. Please also check prerequisites.

In English, the term “resilience” has been used across several disciplines for at least eighty years and applied to multiple research contexts. Consequently, although widely used, there is no universally shared definition of resilience. Today, resilience has become a well-known concept relevant to many sectors at regional, national, and international levels. This course will examine the foundations of resilience, particularly in the context of national resilience. Strategic culture – meaning historical, cultural, geographical, and political factors, among others – play a role in building national resilience. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach does not apply; understanding different contexts and strategic cultures is essential.

The Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, and Norway – have traditions of whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to resilience. The course will review the models of all three countries and present additional examples of national resilience thinking and policies. Since resilience must be adaptive in today’s security landscape, resilience thinking will be practiced through scenarios and the design of resilience policies accordingly.

Contains

Check the institution’s website for the required studies.

No active implementations at present.

Additional information and registration

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Additional information:

Fields

Business, administration and law

Scope

5 cr

Code

PREP3100

Bachelor’s degree.For students at the University of Vaasa: This is an advanced-level course for master's degree studies. Therefore, at least a bachelor's degree or completed bachelor's level courses are required.

For open university students: This is a Master’s level advanced course that requires applicable higher education studies in the field. For example, bachelor's degree or equivalent studies in social sciences or related fields.

After completing the course, the students:
· are able to understand and critically analyze what national resilience means and why it is important
· are able to recognize and assess the factors and policies that are behind national resilience in various countries and contexts
· are familiar with the governance models of national resilience in the Nordics and able to compare Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian models
· are able to design resilience-related programmes and policies based on different scenarios

Core reading
• Aldrich, D. P., & Meyer, M. A. (2015). Social capital and community resilience. American Behavioural Scientist, 59(2), 254–269.
• Angstrom, J., & Ljungkvist, K. (2023). Unpacking the varying strategic logics of total defence. Journal of Strategic Studies, 1–25.
• Berzina, I. (2020). From ’Total’ to ’Comprehensive’ National Defence: the Development of the Concept in Europe. Journal on Baltic Security, 6(2), 1–9.
• Cullen, P., Juola, C., Karagiannis, G., Kivisoo, K., Normark, M., Rácz, A., Schmid, J. & Schroefl, J. (2021). The landscape of Hybrid Threats: A Conceptual Model., Giannopoulos, G., Smith, H. and Theocharidou, M. (Eds.), EUR 30585 EN, Publications Office of the European Union.
• Fjader, C. (2014). The nation-state, national security, and resilience in the age of globalization. Resilience, 2(2), 114–129.
• Hagelstam, A. (2016). Resilience inside and out: A Finnish perspective. In D. S. Hamilton (Ed.), Forward resilience: Protecting society in an interconnected world. Center for Transatlantic Relations.
• Hu, X., & Hassink, R. (2020). Adaptation, adaptability and regional economic resilience. In G. Bristow, A. Healy (Eds.), Handbook on regional economic resilience, (p 54–68). Edward Elgar
• Juntunen, T., & Hyvonen, A.-E. (2014). Resilience, security, and the politics of processes. Resilience, 2(3), 195–209.
• Kaufmann, M. (2013). Emergent self-organisation in emergencies: Resilience rationales in interconnected societies. Resilience, 1(1), 53–68.
• Larsson, S., & Rhinard, M. (2020). Nordic Societal Security: Convergence and Divergence. Routledge.
• Reznikova, O. (2022). National resilience in a changing security environment. National Institute for Strategic Studies.
• Romanyshyn, L. (2023). Ukraine’s total democratic resilience in the shadow of Russia’s war. Carnegie Europe.
• Stette, M., Porath, K., & Muehlich, S. (2023). Civil–military cooperation for the countering of threats. In K. P. Balomenos, A. Fytopoulos, P. M. Pardalos (Eds.), Handbook for Management of Threats, (p. 475–520). Springer.
• Tierney, K. (2012). Disaster governance: Social, political, and economic dimensions. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 37, 341–363.
• Uusikylä, P., Jalonen, H., & Jokipii, A. (Eds.). (2024). Information resilience and comprehensive security: Challenges and complexities in wicked environments. Palgrave Macmillan
• Walsh-Dilley, M., & Wolford, W. (2015). (Un) Defining resilience: Subjective understandings of ‘resilience’ from the field. Resilience, 3(3), 173-182.
• Wigell, M., Hägglund, M., Fjäder, C., Ketola, J., & Mikkola, H. (2022). Nordic resilience: Strengthening cooperation on security of supply and crisis preparedness. FIIA Report 70. Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
• Wigell, M., Mikkola, H., & Juntunen, T. (2021). Best practices in the whole-of-society approach in countering hybrid threats. Study Requested by the INGE committee. May2021 – PE653.632. European Parliament.
• World Economic Forum. (2026). Global Risks Report 2026. 21st Edition.

Nordic Security Strategies

• Government Offices of Sweden, Prime Minister’s Office (2024). National Security Strategy. Government Offices.
• Office of the Prime Minister of Norway (2025). National Security Strategy.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (2023). Foreign and Security Policy Strategy 2023.
• Security Committee (2025). Security Strategy for Society. Publications of the Finnish Government 2025:3.

Recommended Reading

• Ruggiero, A., Piotrowicz, W. D., & John, L. (2024). Enhancing societal resilience through the whole-of-society approach to crisis preparedness: Complex adaptive systems perspective – The case of Finland. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 114, 104944.
• Aradau, C. (2014). The promise of security: Resilience, surprise and epistemic politics. Resilience, 2(2), 73-87.
• Aula, I., Amundsen, R., Buvarp, P., Harrami, O., Lindgren, J., Sahlén, V., & Wedebrand, C. (2020). Critical Nordic Flows: Collaboration between Finland, Norway and Sweden on Security of Supply and Critical Infrastructure Protection. National Emergency Supply Agency.
• Boin, A., & Bynander, F. (2015). Explaining success and failure in crisis coordination. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 97(1), 123-135.
• Bynander, F., & Nohrstedt, D. (2020). Collaborative Crisis Management. Routledge.
• Chandler, D. (2014). Resilience: The governance of complexity. Routledge.
• Chandler, D., Grove, K., & Wakefield, S. (2020). Resilience in the Anthropocene: Governance and Politics at the End of the World. Routledge.
• Day, A. (2024). The Forever Crisis: Adaptive Global Governance for an Era of Accelerating Complexity. Routledge.
• Dynes, R.R. (1970). Organized Behavior in Disaster. Heath Lexington Books, Lexington, MA.
• Giannopoulos, G., Smith, H., & Theocharidou, M. (2021). The Landscape of Hybrid Threats: A Conceptual Model. JRC123305. Publications Office of the European Union.
• McNeil-Willson, R., & Triandafyllidou, A. (Eds.). (2023). Routledge Handbook of Violent Extremism and Resilience. Routledge.
• OECD. (2023). Build, reinforce and protect: Democratic resilience in an era of multiple crises. In Government at a Glance 2023. OECD Publishing.
• PRISM Vol. 10, No. 2 (2023). Forward defence.
• Rainio-Niemi, J. (2014). The Ideological War: The Politics of Neutrality in Austria and Finland. Routledge.
• Rongved, G. F. (Ed.). (2025). European Total Defence: Past, Present and Future. Taylor & Francis.
• Tierney, K. (2012). Disaster governance. Social, political, and economic dimensions. Annual Review of environment and Resources, 37, 341-363.
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

Additionally, other literature suggested by the teachers.

Organiser

University of Vaasa

Contact details

avoinyo@uwasa.fi

029 449 8004

Belongs to themes:

Safety, security and risk management

Information and features