People

Rikard Westerberg, Center Director

Westerberg was awarded a PhD by the Stockholm School of Economics in 2020 for his doctoral thesis Socialists at the Gate: Swedish Business and the Defense of Free Enterprise 1940-1985 . His main research area concerns political advocacy efforts by business interests from a historical perspective. At SSE he teaches economic history, the history of economic ideas and applied history. Rikard is a member of SSE’s Distinguished Educators' Network.

Carl Ritter, Senior Research Fellow

Ritter was awarded a PhD in media and communication studies from Stockholm University in 2020. His research foci are narrative communication and the cosmopolitan tradition in political philosophy. Ritter currently works on a project about strategic narratives and the use of history in political propaganda. He has taught and directed courses on communication theory, media economics, global media studies, and a variety of other topics. Ritter is responsible for CSSC's educational program.

Mara Bălașa, PhD Fellow

Bălașa finalized her MSc in Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics in 2022, specializing in Applied Economic Analysis. She completed the Data Analytics Track and her thesis examined the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2 emissions in Romania between 1968 and 2018. Bălașa’s PhD project examines the nexus between economic statecraft, free trade agreements and the environment, with a focus on European Union Member States.

Fredrik Sixtensson, Postdoctoral Fellow

Sixtensson was awarded a PhD in Ancient Greek from Uppsala University in November 2021. His dissertation examined the linguistic evolution of the Greek tripartite typology of constitutions, consisting of monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy, with special consideration of the Greek word dēmokratia. Sixtensson’s research focuses on the intersection between linguistics, political thought, and practical politics. His postdoctoral project examines the expression of controversial values and opinions in the ancient Athenian democracy. Sixtensson chairs the Higher Seminar in Statecraft and Strategic Communication.

Matt Hefler, Postdoctoral Fellow

Hefler was awarded a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London in November 2020. With research interests in international history and intelligence studies, his dissertation examined clandestine diplomacy in Franco-British relations during World War II. Hefler’s postdoctoral project examines secret intelligence and international diplomacy around the Middle East between the USA, Great Britain and France during 1945-1947.

Klas A.M. Eriksson, Postdoctoral Fellow

Eriksson completed a PhD in Economic History at Stockholm University in 2022. During his PhD studies he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship that took him to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University where he, among other things, assisted Niall Ferguson in the work with the second volume of a biography of Henry Kissinger. At CSSC, Eriksson plans to research diplomatic history and Sweden’s role as a link between east and west during the Cold War.

Ksenia Rundin, Postdoctoral Fellow

Rundin will complete her PhD in Business Administration at the Stockholm School of Economics in 2024. Her research interests are situated at the confluence of marketing communication and sociohistorical propaganda analysis, with a specific focus on unraveling the complexities of propaganda in the digital era through social media platforms. Rundin’s postdoctoral research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the changing dynamics of the propaganda techniques, originally developed during the Cold War era and now enhanced by the unpredictable power of social media development.

Ronan Mainprize, Postdoctoral Fellow

Ronan Mainprize is a PhD Candidate at the University of Warwick, specialising in intelligence, US presidential statecraft, and the global Cold War. His work has been published in Intelligence and National Security and the Journal of Intelligence History. Currently based in Stockholm, Ronan will be joining the Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication as an Ax:son Johnson Postdoctoral Fellow.

Kondwani Happy Ngoma, Postdoctoral Fellow

Kondwani Happy Ngoma completed his PhD in Economic History from the University of Gothenburg in 2024. His research interest and focus is on state and business relations. Kondwani´s research combines history and diplomacy to show how tools of statecraft are influenced by the interaction between states and firms. His postdoctoral project will study how Britain defined and sought to protect its strategic interests in South Africa. It will primarily examine how economic interests and tools of statecraft were conceived and applied geopolitically during apartheid. 

Per Ekman, Postdoctoral Fellow

Ekman was awarded a PhD in Political Science from Uppsala University in September 2024. His dissertation examined the foreign policies of Ukraine and Georgia from independence until 2021 and included interviews with key decision-makers. Ekman’s postdoctoral project will focus on the use of diplomacy and strategic narratives in times of war. Specifically, he will analyze Ukrainian diplomacy and strategic narratives used during Russia’s 2022 invasion. Ekman has been a visiting scholar at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University.

Sofia Fransson, Project Manager

Fransson is an experienced event coordinator and social media manager. With a background in English literature, she brings a strong understanding of storytelling and communication to her role. At CSSC, she utilizes her expertise in events and outreach to contribute to exceptional experiences.

Henrik Borelius, special adviser, M.Sc.

Borelius is a keen student of history, a member of the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation’s Applied History Network and a Stockholm School of Economics alumnus. He has a long background in Swedish business, having worked as consultant for McKinsey & Co and later as a CEO of care and health care provider Attendo for fourteen years. He is presently a board member and investor in several companies. With an extensive experience of getting new organizations started and a strong interest in history and educational matters, Borelius functions as a special adviser to CSSC.