Students from Wales University Royal Naval Unit (URNU), currently deployed in the Baltic on board HMS Express, made a visit to the Swedish National Defence College (SNDC) in Stockholm on 9th July.
The SNDC is an important organisation for Sweden; it aims to be an instrument for change within the areas of Swedish Defence and Security Policy.
By developing new knowledge and passing this knowledge onto its students the college hope to make an active contribution to shaping and securing Swedish Defence in the future, in both national and international spheres.
The majority of the staff at the college are officers seconded from the armed forces and they teach in two departments: the Department of Military Studies and the Department of Security, Strategy and Leadership.
Upon our arrival at the SNDC we met one of their senior officers, who was already aware of HMS Express’s Swedish travels thanks to an article written, in a local newspaper, about the ship’s stay in Kalmar.
The college is also home to the Anna Lindh Library which houses a joint collection of works belonging to both the SNDC and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.
It comprises the largest repository of academic works on the topics of military affairs, international relations and foreign and security policy in Scandinavia.
It is the only NATO depository library in any of the Nordic countries and is certainly an impressive collection.
The SNDC has come a long way since its conception. One of the main stairwells is lined with photographs of the graduating classes from the college dating all the way back to 1869.
They now have a new building and have recently been established as a national University College with the right to issue academic degrees recognised as civilian qualifications. But their main aim remains the same as it was 150 years ago: to educate the next generation to ensure the continued development of the Swedish military into the future.
Lieutenant Ben Power, Commanding Officer of HMS Express, said:
“It was a real privilege to visit such a distinguished establishment and have the opportunity to fly the flag for the Royal Navy in Stockholm”.
HMS Express, along with HMS Explorer, is participating in Op Baltic Horizon; a 41 port stop deployment around the Baltic Sea providing navigation training to URNU Midshipmen from Wales and Birmingham.
[mappress] Press Release, July 15, 2013; Image: Royal Navy