Filtyp
The Psychological Defence Research Institute has published a new report in the working paper series titled "Psychological Defence and Strategic Resilience: North Macedonia’s response to hybrid threats and malign foreign influence and interference". It is authored by Professor Zhidas Daskalovski and Sasho Damjanovski of the Faculty of Security-Skopje, University St Kliment Ohridski-Bitola, North M
During the fall of 2024, Hilkka Grahn is a visiting researcher at the Psychological Defence Research Institute (PDRI) at Lund University. Hilkka is a postdoctoral researcher (KILPI project) and senior lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. With an academic background in cognitive science, Hilkka Grahn's doctoral research focused on driver distraction and inattention – a topic that may
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/researcher-profile-hilkka-grahn - 2025-11-11
Disinformation takes various forms, posing harmful and far-reaching effects that can erode trust in public institutions, influence elections, and jeopardise public health. The report Eduation as a countermeasure against disinformation, written by Professor Thomas Nygren, Department of Education, Uppsala University, and Professor Ullrich K H Ecker, School of Psychological Science, University of Wes
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/education-countermeasure-against-disinformation - 2025-11-11
Phenomena such as disinformation and propaganda have been widely studied across various academic disciplines, each offering unique perspectives on their causes, mechanisms, and effects. These disciplines include, for instance, political science, media & communication studies, philosophy, computer science, and military science. Despite the breadth of research, cognitive science appears to be underr
Elsa Hedling is an affiliated researcher at the Psychological Defence Research Institute at Lund University, where she contributes to advance research on disinformation and hybrid threats. Elsa Hedling is an Associate Professor (Docent) in Political Science and an Associate Senior Lecturer in European Studies at the Centre for Languages and Literature. Her research focuses on the intersection of d
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/researcher-profile-elsa-hedling - 2025-11-11
In today’s complex security environment, the intelligence community must address dynamic hybrid threats through coordinated efforts that span multiple sectors. In a recently published article, Swedish Defence University and PDRI researchers emphasise the critical interaction between intelligence analysis, communication, and societal resilience ("Hybrid Threats and the Intelligence Community: Primi
Two new reports have been presented as part of the EU Horizon project ADAC.io, coordinated by the Psychological Defence Research Institute. They aim to support the defender community in strengthening capabilities and methodologies related to the ongoing work of attributing information influence operations.The first report, "A Framework for Attribution of Information Influence Operations", presents
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/attribution-information-influence-operations - 2025-11-11
Affiliated with the Psychological Defence Research Institute, Rolf Fredheim explores the use of AI to detect harmful and illegal content on social media. Rolf builds systems to detect and measure harmful and illegal content on social media. This work presents distinct challenges: social media data is quickly removed from platforms, presented in visual formats, and often appears in multiple languag
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/researcher-profile-rolf-fredheim - 2025-11-11
The research team from the Psychological Defence Research Institute was well represented at the 66th annual convention of the International Studies Association (ISA), held under the theme Reconnecting International Studies. To highlight the diverse range of events in which PDRI members participated, Elsa Hedling took part in a panel organised by the Nordic International Studies Association titled
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/pdri-isa-chicago - 2025-11-11
Elsa Hedling, affiliated with PDRI, recently published a report on social identities and democratic vulnerabilities. The report, Social identities and democratic vulnerabilities: Learning from examples of targeted disinformation, is published by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE). It discusses the sensitive relationship between social identities and hybrid
Hedvig Ördén of PDRI participated in the workshop "Intelligence, insecurity and the international: new encounters between IR and intelligence scholarship" at King's College. The workshop brought together scholars to discuss a wide range of topics at the intersection of intelligence and international relations. Participants discussed how to conceptualise intelligence in IR, touching on topics such
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/presentation-recent-research-kings-college-uk - 2025-11-11
Based on leaked documents, James Pamment and Darejan Tsurtsumia of PDRI have studied Russian malign information influence through the Doppelganger campaign and analysed the capabilities of one of the main actors behind it – the Social Design Agency (SDA). In 2022, a comprehensive and coordinated influence campaign was launched by Russian actors aimed at weakening international support for Ukraine,
On 16–17 September 2025, the ADAC.io consortium met in Lund for an official meeting hosted by PDRI, coordinator of the EU-funded Horizon project. Representatives from across the consortium participated, including Debunk.org, Alliance4Europe (liasion with the DIARM Foundation), TU Dortmund, Cardiff University, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS), and Leiden University.The meetin
https://www.psychologicaldefence.lu.se/article/adacio-consortium-meeting-setting-priorities-final-year - 2025-11-11
Nair Ferreira Barbosa da Costa, kindly called Voinha in the family, was married off at 14. She gave birth to thirteen children, had to leave her first four children behind, fled 1500 miles to escape an abusive marriage and later became a single mother. "I had the guts. If I decided to do something, I would just do it." Now, Agenda 2030 PhD student Iury Salustiano Trojaborg's interviews with her gr
Markus Gunneflo has always been interested in interdisciplinarity, and working with PhD students has been the most enjoyable part of his professional life. A perfect combination for the new coordinator of the Agenda 2030 Graduate School. "I am excited about my new role and the Graduate School is beneficial for the University. It brings together young researchers and explores some of our most impor
https://www.agenda2030graduateschool.lu.se/article/new-coordinator-passion-interdisciplinarity-markus-gunneflo - 2025-11-11
Markus Gunneflo har alltid intresserat sig för tvärvetenskap och att få arbeta med doktorander har varit det roligaste i hans yrkesliv. En perfekt kombination för uppdraget som forskarskolan Agenda 2030:s nya koordinator. – Jag är glad för min nya roll och forskarskolan är gynnsam för universitetet. Här samlas unga forskare och undersöker några av våra allra viktigaste framtidsfrågor. Vid årsskift
https://www.agenda2030graduateschool.lu.se/article/markus-gunneflo-ny-koordinator-med-passion-tvarvetenskapen - 2025-11-11
Popular media discourses and heated debates on possible transitions to plant-based food systems can sometimes give the impression that veganism is a newfangled trend or that advocacy for animals is an intrinsically Western or even ‘white’ social phenomenon. However, such portrayals neglect how advocacy for Earth Others can be traced way back in the global history of ideas – and ignore contemporary
Two new PhDs! Congratulations to the Graduate School's two new doctors, Maria Takman and Christie Nicoson. On 26 April, they successfully defended their doctoral theses at Lund University. Both scholars have made significant contributions in their respective fields. Maria Takman has written "From Removal of Organic Micropullutants to Municipal Wastewater Reuse - Technological and Social Perspectiv
We are proud to announce that the Agenda 2030 Graduate School PhD student, Tanya Andersson Nystedt, successfully defended her thesis on 5 June and now has her PhD! Tanya has been an integral part of the Graduate School since its inception and we are incredibly proud of her achievements. Her research on migrants' vulnerability to sexual violence is both timely and necessary.To learn more about Tany
https://www.agenda2030graduateschool.lu.se/article/thesis-successfully-defended-tanya-andersson-nystedt - 2025-11-11
The Planetary Health Diet. That's the diet that will keep us healthy and put food on the table for a future world population of 10 billion. But will it reduce strokes, premature deaths and greenhouse gas emissions? To find out, Agenda 2030 PhD student Anna Stubbendorff compared different dietary indices. Her own index came out on top, and the results are now published in the prestigious Lancet Pla
https://www.agenda2030graduateschool.lu.se/article/stubbendorffs-index-paves-way-sustainable-healthy-diets - 2025-11-11
