On February 21, the first session of the 2026 Foreign Policy Academy was held. Now in its eleventh year, the year-long educational program offers qualified training and networking opportunities for future experts and decision-makers in foreign and security policy.
The first session, themed “A New World Order,” focused on the shifts in the global balance of power and security that characterize our times.
Stockholm Free World Forum Chairman Gunnar Hökmark opened the day with a welcoming address and an introduction to this year’s academy. He then spoke about the strategic challenges facing the Western world in the new world order.
Canada’s Ambassador to Sweden, Robert Sinclair, visited the academy and provided a diplomatic perspective on the current security policy situation and transatlantic cooperation.
Malin Oud, Director of The Decoding China Project and Vice Chair of the EBA, spoke under the heading “China in the New World Order,” providing in-depth insights into China’s role and strategic choices.
Katarina Tracz, Senior Fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum and an analyst and advisor in strategic communications, gave a presentation on “Hot Spot Arctic,” highlighting the region’s growing significance in security policy.
Lars Peter Fredén, former Swedish Ambassador, shared his observations from the front lines in Ukraine during the summers of 2024 and 2025, giving participants a unique insight into the reality of the war.
The day was concluded by Stockholm Free World Forum Resident Senior Fellow Patrik Oksanen, who spoke on the theme “History as a Battlefield,” outlining how the use of history is weaponized in today’s information war.
Stockholm Free World Forum Director Anna Rennéus Guthrie is the Principal of the Foreign Policy Academy. Read more about this year’s Foreign Policy Academy here.