In early 2024, the School for Police Studies (IPA) at Södertörn University launched an international research network to advance police science in the Baltic, Central, and Eastern European (CEE) regions. This network addresses critical gaps in police science, a field often fragmented and dominated by Anglo-American perspectives. The network has rapidly gained recognition, uniting researchers from Sweden, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Serbia, Romania, the Netherlands, and more. Its first milestone is submitting a program proposal on the impact of war on internal security. Looking ahead, the network plans two workshops in 2026 to 1) broaden its member base and strengthen ongoing collaborations, 2) explore geopolitical challenges, and refine project (proposal) themes. These workshops will also initiate and support exchanges among students, teachers, and researchers, enhancing the network’s academic and practical contributions.
Ultimately, this network aims to strengthen police science as a discipline, with a specific focus on issues of safety and security around the CEE regions. This has become increasingly important given the many challenges that have emerged due to the Ukraine-Russia war. The continuation of this network also strengthen’s IPA’s rampant research activity, and complements other major national initiatives that places IPA and Södertörn University at the forefront of research on safety, security, and policing.