This year’s academy

Freja Werner is the Total Defence Coordinator at the County Administrative Board of Blekinge, where she is responsible for the agency’s total defence organization. She brings several years of experience in civil preparedness at the regional level, staff leadership, and project management from the same agency. She is particularly interested in the role of businesses and their integration into Sweden’s total defence. Freja Werner holds a master’s degree in political science from Lund University.

Hampus Rydahl is the chair of Centerstudenter International and works as a political secretary in Solna, where he is responsible for coordinating the political majority. Hampus holds a master’s degree from Lund University, focusing on China and international relations, and has previously studied, interned, and worked in Shanghai, Washington DC, Seoul, and Cape Town.

Gustav Christensson works as an analyst at Consilio International and has previously interned at the Swedish Embassy in Abu Dhabi and within the MENA program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. He holds a master’s degree in political science from the Swedish Defence University and bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Linnaeus University. Additionally, he is the chairman of Utrikespolitisk Afton, an initiative aimed at increasing public understanding of the foreign policy challenges and opportunities facing Sweden, and co-hosts the podcast Utrikesnytt. He has a particular interest in the Middle East, proxy conflicts, and security policy.

Fredrik Schäfer is currently pursuing a master’s degree in EU Diplomacy and International Relations at the College of Europe in Bruges. He has previously worked as a policy officer for higher education matters at the French Embassy in Sweden and has experience from the Swedish Government Offices, where he served as a Meeting Attaché during Sweden’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. In addition, Fredrik has interned at Sida and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Lund University.

Bean Khalil is a law student at Uppsala University with a background in the Moderate Youth League, where he serves on its international committee. He has previously been a soldier at the Artillery Regiment in Boden and interned for the Moderates in the European Parliament.

Melinda Prick is a cadet studying at the Officer Program at the Swedish Defence University. She has been involved with the Swedish Armed Forces in various capacities since the summer of 2020. Additionally, she is a board member of the Centre Party Youth League, where she is responsible for spokesperson areas such as defense policy, foreign policy, and gender equality policy. In this role, she also sits on the Centre Party’s International Committee and the Centre Party’s International Foundation.

Linnéa Lindström works with EU affairs at the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office and holds a master’s degree in political science from Uppsala University. She has a background within the Centre Party, where she has been active at both the municipal and national levels and held positions such as international secretary for Centre Students and vice president for Centre Students Stockholm. Linnéa also has experience in opinion formation as an editorial writer.

Ludvig Filhm is a lawyer at Born Advokater and the Secretary General of the Swedish Atlantic Council. In his role as Secretary General, he is responsible for the ongoing operations and collaborations of the Atlantic Council, as well as for Natobloggen.se. He is also a local politician for the Moderates in Stockholm and has previously served as chairman of the Swedish Young Atlantists and defense policy secretary for the Free Moderate Student Union.

Gustav Fritzon is an advisor at the Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm, working to promote Norwegian business interests in Sweden, particularly in green energy and infrastructure. He has previously worked as a public affairs advisor at Rud Pedersen and Brunswick Group and holds a law degree from the London School of Economics.

Clara Falkenek is a master’s student in economics at the Stockholm School of Economics and a consultant at the economic consultancy Copenhagen Economics. She is a Wallenberg International Fellow and has studied at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. During her time in Washington, she also worked at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. Previously, Clara served as Deputy International Secretary for the Moderate Youth League and as President of the European organization Model European Parliament.