Small States, Big Impact?

Traditional studies in International Relations privilege the role of large states in shaping the direction and outcome of international politics. Yet smaller states not only survive but thrive in this environment using innovative strategies and ‘smart power’ in ways that offer lessons to the wider world. This symposium considers those strategies and examines what they mean for our understanding of global affairs, inter-state relations, alliance politics and European cooperation.
This symposium is held in the honour of the late Alyson J.K. Bailes, whose recent passing has left an enormous vacuum in our discussions of small state strategies, Nordic and Arctic politics, and international security matters. Alyson was a frequent visitor to the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, a friend to Sweden, Director of SIPRI and a towering intellectual who will be sorely missed.
Speakers:

Baldur Thorhallsson, Head and Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Research Director at the Centre for Small States and Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies at the University of Iceland.
Tuomas Iso-Markku, Research Fellow, European Union Research Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
Gunilla Herolf, member of and formerly Vice President of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences and formerly Senior Research Fellow at UI.

The seminar was moderated by Mark Rhinard, Senior Research Fellow at the Europe Research Program at UI, and also Professor in International Relations at Stockholm University.