The Foreign Policy Academy
ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
The Foreign Affairs Academy is Frivärld’s year-long elite training program for future foreign and security policy experts, decision-makers, and opinion leaders. The overarching aim of the Foreign Affairs Academy is to provide young, aspiring opinion leaders, experts, and decision-makers with a high-quality education and networking opportunities focused on foreign and security policy.
WHO IS THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS ACADEMY FOR?
The program admits young individuals with a strong interest in and experience with engaging in foreign and security policy. Participants come from diverse backgrounds, including party politics, NGOs, academia, research, journalism, government agencies, and the private sector. The Foreign Affairs Academy has been organized since 2014 and targets individuals aged 20 to 30.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND CONTENT.
Over the course of an academic year at the Foreign Affairs Academy, students participate in both lectures and study trips. The academic year consists of five lecture days, each centered around different thematic areas. Recurring themes have included Security Policy, The Future of Europe, Ideologies, and Business and Trade.
LECTURERS.
Notable lecturers include Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs; Karlis Neretnieks, former head of the Swedish Defence University; Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council; Gudrun Persson, project leader at FOI; Anders Lindberg, political editor-in-chief at Aftonbladet; Björn Jerdén, head of the National Knowledge Centre on China; and Hanna Linderstål, CEO of the Earhart Business Protection Agency. The Director of the Foreign Affairs Academy is Frivärld’s head, Anna Rennéus Guthrie.
STUDY TRIPS.
Study trips have been arranged to Berlin, Washington D.C., Brussels, Riga, Tallinn, and London. During these trips, students meet local representatives from politics, journalism, and business. Recent trips have included visits to the Pentagon, NATO headquarters in Brussels, and Stratcom in Riga. Other visits have included The Economist and 10 Downing Street.
SCHOLARSHIPS.
As part of the Foreign Affairs Academy, scholarships are awarded for studies or internships. Recipients have included Aaron Korewa, a fellow at The McCain Institute for International Leadership in Washington, D.C., and Johanna Nyman, who studies at the College of Europe in Bruges. Since 2017, the Mats Johansson Scholarship has also been awarded, named after the founder of the Foreign Affairs Academy.
INTERNSHIPS.
Students are also given the opportunity to write reports for Frivärld and publish blog posts on Frivärld’s blog “Säkerhetsrådet” (The Security Council). Students and alumni of the Foreign Affairs Academy also receive invitations to exclusive conferences and seminars.
APPLICATION.
Applications for the 2025 Foreign Affairs Academy are closed.